Prison Officer

Garryd

An have an almighty session to celebrate after our first weeks training!!!!!

crusher20

kat its mostly classroom based,a basic level of fitness should see you right

katb42

I should be ok then hopefully. I dont think I will believe that I have been called for training until I get the letter. I hope we get them tomorrow. Its less than two weeks away and I have so much to do before then.

Garryd

Same here kat. Not been to the gym since oct 2008..... Nothing. I have also gone back on the old smokes so i am definatly unfit......

katb42

That makes me feel a bit better. I have been trying to give up the smokes for the past year or so and it is impossible. I am going to give it another go tomorrow again but chances are I will be back smoking by tomorrow evening. Im sure that there will be a few other smokers there so we will all be in the same boat.

Garryd

I seriously hope so. Cause the level i at now i dont think i would have a hope of even passing the pct we did!

katb42

Did you's get your letter today? I'm sitting here waiting on the postman!!:(

katb42

Since I didn't get my letter today I rang the IPS and they confirmed that the training was still going ahead for the 24th. They said not to worry about the contract because there was a delay in getting them out, (but send them back as soon as we get them, we should have them by Friday) the letters are only for their benefit as they need to start ordering the uniforms. He also said that everyone will be getting a phone call this evening so make sure that you's don't miss the call. Will one of you's ask if the training is definitely only five weeks? as I forgot to ask myself when I was on the phone.

crusher20

kat the training is 9 weeks,i was speaking to 1 of the instructors and he said that the government tried to reduce the length of training from 9 weeks to 5 weeks for budget reasons but the prison service didnt agree to it so its back to 9 weeks

crusher20

just got that phone call,feel much better now

Leo Demidov

Green with envy. Best of luck.:D

katb42

crusher20 wrote: »

kat the training is 9 weeks,i was speaking to 1 of the instructors and he said that the government tried to reduce the length of training from 9 weeks to 5 weeks for budget reasons but the prison service didnt agree to it so its back to 9 weeks

Thanks crusher for finding that out. So we are definitely in. I cant wait to start. Hopefully things will start moving for everybody else also.

Sisu200

Congratulatons on getting the call folks, hopefully others won't have to wait too long

fleecymanager

do you do the pct before or after the group interview,its been so long i cant remember what i read in the booklet which do ye think is harder the pct or the interview

dropsey

fleecymanager wrote: »

do you do the pct before or after the group interview,its been so long i cant remember what i read in the booklet which do ye think is harder the pct or the interview

the group interview is before pct. How you get on in interview determines your place on placement panel , if u fail interview your gone.
the pct is tough anyone that get to do it really has to pratice first.
the 40 by 15metre shuttle runs are a killer. 600 metre doesnt sound alot but running point to point and turning in a clampy hall is tough. 3 failed run the day i did test. best of luck.

crusher20

Living in dublin for a few years is goin to be tough,i was told that the majority of new recruits share accommodation when they get there. The roster in wheatfield prison works out at 2 days on and 3 days off along with every second weekend off,obviously that is subject to change especially for newbies but thats how it mostly works there so plenty of chances to travel home

tots78

hi all

Just wanted to know if you have to produce your leaving certs results as i cant find my cert......I have been on to board of education and they cant find me on the system..Its been 13 yrs since i done my leaving cert... What do i do?


Tots

megranny

tots78 wrote: »

hi all

Just wanted to know if you have to produce your leaving certs results as i cant find my cert......I have been on to board of education and they cant find me on the system..Its been 13 yrs since i done my leaving cert... What do i do?


Tots

hey Tots if you ring the school you were in and ask them,they should have it on file,if not they will be able to give you your number that you were when doing your leaving cert and then you can ring the education board. that what i did and i got them. hope it works for ya

po candidate

hi all

Anyone got any info on the interview and group interview, im assuming your interviewed on your own too?. How does the group interview work?, what does it involve

Thanks

Garryd

Howdy all. Anybody recieve their golden tickets yet?

crusher20

Nah garryd but at least they rang and told us that the delay is their fault. Id be interested to hear where people are travelling to the training in portlaoise from though and what their plans for accommodation in dublin are,if they have thought that far ahead of course:)

katb42

crusher I am travelling from Cavan, where are you travelling from?

Garryd

Il be travelling from Kilkenny and I know of one other guy who will be travelling from Offaly.... Lots of distance to be covered by a lot of people. I believe theres accomadation available in Belaad House though and i heard of a couple of guys being put up in a hotel in Portlaoise because of accomadation issues! Mad aint it!!!!

dropsey

Garryd wrote: »

Il be travelling from Kilkenny and I know of one other guy who will be travelling from Offaly.... Lots of distance to be covered by a lot of people. I believe theres accomadation available in Belaad House though and i heard of a couple of guys being put up in a hotel in Portlaoise because of accomadation issues! Mad aint it!!!!

i am travelling from clare and i no of a guy travelling from sligo i dont know if they have accomadation for forty recruits . hopefully the contracts will clarify the accomadation issue

Lawros Tache

dropsey wrote: »

i am travelling from clare and i no of a guy travelling from sligo i dont know if they have accomadation for forty recruits . hopefully the contracts will clarify the accomadation issue

Just to put your mind at rest there will be no problem accomodating 40 recruits, they have done so many times in the past, and dont forget that some recruits will be travelling back to their own homes (like the guy from kilkenny above perhaps?... and if there are no recruits from p'laoise itself then i can assure you it will be a first )

There have been groups of over 80 before now and this led to using the nearby hotel for accommodation, hardly the revelation made out above, it's simply to do with bedspace in Beladd.

fleecymanager

anyone know if you didnt do the leaving is there any other qualifications that will do instead, i was told if you have a trade and the nessary papers that they would look at that as being the same??????

Leo Demidov

Has anyone else read the fascinating report that took since December 5th to produce.

According to page 50 of the report..........",a major recruitment campaign for RPO's took place in autumn 2008. This recruitment campaign involved a three stage competition for which there were over 3500 applications received. This process was completed and a panel of successful candidates formed."

I knew the Public Appointments Service were good but I expected to at least be present for my own interview. What other tricks do these guys have up their sleeves.

On a different note, to the men and women of 2007 due to begin the rocky road to a career in custodial care, it appears that of the 265 RPO's appointed in 2007, ten did not successfully complete year 1 of their studies. A good pass rate assuming that one or two will always drop out for various reasons. Again, best of luck and dont set the bar too high for the rest of us.

pmcb_aura

Hi do u have the name of that report? or a link to it? would love to read it

Leo Demidov

pmcb_aura wrote: »

Hi do u have the name of that report? or a link to it? would love to read it

Go to www.irishprisons.ie , its all over their homepage. alot of b.s. and lots of data that presents them in a good light. most of the stats are based on the prison as it was on the 5th of december, so i'd imagine things can be manipulated if it were so required.

nice to see that there were no escapes from closed prisons or transfers to/from them. a few from the open centres but thats to be expected, no honour among thieves.

crusher20

did ye all get your contracts today? i have to go and figure out how to measure my head for my cap now:D