Job bridge internship for teachers?

sitstill

Listening to a podcast of Joe Duffy today and a caller rang in to talk about his daughter who was teaching in a DEIS school. He said she is unemployed but had been given an internship in a school on the Job bridge programme. She gets her dole plus 50 euro a week for working a full week.

However, when Job bridge was first brought in, I seem to remember the unions instructing teachers not to work with these interns as obviously it would be better to have people being paid a salary for those jobs rather than exploiting them.

So, is this happening in many schools?

bdoo

Haven't heard of it. Is she teaching for sure? It's a bad development.

byhookorbycrook

INTO very much against this.

sitstill

bdoo wrote: »

Haven't heard of it. Is she teaching for sure? It's a bad development.

Yeah. From the sounds of it, she's doing resource teaching. Its in the podcast from today's show.

www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_liveline.xml

delta_bravo

sitstill wrote: »

Yeah. From the sounds of it, she's doing resource teaching. Its in the podcast from today's show.

www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_liveline.xml

Haven't listened to it but I have never heard of it happening. The jobbridge cannot replace a job so in reality can never work in the teaching sector. Unless the school Independently opted into the scheme. Plus you can earn more subbing for six hours a week than that nonsense

raglan

Loads of schools are advertising job bridge. I am a primary school teacher, unemployed bar subbing. It can be seen as a way to get your dip done and miraculously it seems the inspectors see jobbridge teachers quicker than an ordinary teacher covering a maternity leave doing their dip. INTO are supposed to be against it but are doing nothing really. Have seen positions advertised for several secondary schools and VEC as well as other areas of employment like psychologists, county councils etc. PUre slave labour!!!

RealJohn

Hardly slave labour if done properly. I'm delighted to be getting a lab technician that the school would never get otherwise and he's getting to work for his money (frankly, if I was on the dole, I'd sooner work for it than get it for sitting around doing nothing like the "long-term unemployed" wasters) and he'll get an idea of whether or not he'd like teaching as he's considering doing a PGDE.
Last year we had a guy in looking after the IT in the school. Took the pressure off of the IT coordinator and the guy on job bridge got some of the experience he needed so that employers would actually consider him.

Obviously it shouldn't be used to employ extra teachers as teachers but job bridge should be great for schools if used properly.

killbillvol2

raglan wrote: »

Loads of schools are advertising job bridge. I am a primary school teacher, unemployed bar subbing. It can be seen as a way to get your dip done and miraculously it seems the inspectors see jobbridge teachers quicker than an ordinary teacher covering a maternity leave doing their dip. INTO are supposed to be against it but are doing nothing really. Have seen positions advertised for several secondary schools and VEC as well as other areas of employment like psychologists, county councils etc. PUre slave labour!!!

Where?

trihead

Thru the site jobbridge

Heres a sample one here

Not too many there at the moment as they started before the academic term http://www.jobbridge.ie/notice2.aspx

trihead;)

Fear_an_tarbh

trihead wrote: »

Thru the site jobbridge

Heres a sample one here

Not too many there at the moment as they started before the academic term http://www.jobbridge.ie/notice2.aspx

trihead;)

Disgraceful grammar and punctuation from whoever wrote this ad (presumably the Principal), not to mention the injustice of being arbitrarily awarded a fraction of the salary of your colleague despite being expected to do the exact same job!
If they are to complete the job requirements as stated in the ad (e.g. exam preparation, lesson planning), they will be pushed into a 40+ hour working week, for 50euro on top of a SW payment!
This is supposed to be an 'internship', yet this person will already have done an 'internship' (teaching practice), in fact, they are required to have done this to be considered for this job.
This is an absolute joke.

raglan

Plenty advertised on FAS website the past few months......teacher, classroom assistant, principal's assistant where you meet and greet are examples of ads I've seen. What experience and skills can you possibly learn from doing these jobs when you are already required to have a teaching degree to do them!!

chippers

Are these people allowed pick up substitution hours to boost their weekly payment?

bdoo

chippers wrote: »

Are these people allowed pick up substitution hours to boost their weekly payment?

I think you must be unemployed full stop.

Teach Me Tech

RealJohn wrote: »

Obviously it shouldn't be used to employ extra teachers as teachers but job bridge should be great for schools if used properly.

I agree with the above statement as the concept of the job internship programme is I believe a good one in so far as it can give work experience to the unemployed and could enhance their prospects of securing paid employment once their 'internship' is complete. However, I understand that the scheme has been plagued with problems and in some cases has been abused by employers so can fully appreciate everyone's concerns about undertaking such a role. Yes, it could "be great for schools if used properly" but I don't think it is.

That said, I was fully prepared to take up a voluntary position in a secondary school during a period of unemployment. For me, gaining experience in an Irish school was extremely important as I had completed by PGCE in Scotland and had only ever taught in Scottish schools (although I had 6 years experience of doing so). When I returned to Ireland it proved impossible to even secure subbing work at first so a voluntary scheme looked a good option. In addition, I hated the idea of claiming Jobseekers Benefit for 'sitting at home' as I was conscious of the fact that 'sitting at home' wasn't doing anything to improve my job prospects.

I spent some time in a couple of local schools doing 'observations' and assisting class teachers then I noticed an ad for a teaching post on a FAS Community Employment scheme (CE) - this is similar to the Jobsbridge Internship except there is no remuneration or expenses paid on top of Jobseekers Benefit.

The CE post being offered was basically to run a Technology and Engineering course for TY students (and provide 'cover' as and when necessary for other teachers). The drawback to the scheme is that a post-holder is expected to commit to a full school year and herein lies the problem. These schemes are offered for a 9 month period although there is always a chance that the opportunity of paid employment could present itself during those 9 months and the post-holder would naturally wish to take up the paid position.

I attended an informal interview and was offered the post. I had however advised them that I could not guarantee that I would be available '9 months' as I intended to continue to apply for any jobs that arose and would also require time off to attend any interviews if necessary. The school completely understood my situation and were still happy to take me on. However, on the day I was due to start I received a call from another school offering me a long-term subbing post! I was delighted with this but I had to call the school where I was to complete my CE scheme to advise I could not longer take up the post. I felt like I was letting them down and apologised but they completely understood and wished me luck. I have been subbing ever since.

I do feel that my initial voluntary 'observations and classroom assistance' proved helpful as I put this information down on my CV and I would therefore be in favour of voluntary work schemes in schools "if used properly".

I do however think the current format for the Jobsbridge scheme should be revamped as it is more suited to those lacking any formal teaching experience in Irish schools and as such should not expect candidates to have the qualifications and experience that they are currently requesting (as this does not meet the criteria for an 'internship' IMO).

I would also suggest that these schemes are offered on a shorter-term basis, say perhaps a 2-3 month period so as to allow the candidate(s) to gain some classroom experience whilst not expecting them to commit to a full school year of unpaid teaching.

evolving_doors

sitstill wrote: »

Yeah. From the sounds of it, she's doing resource teaching. Its in the podcast from today's show.

www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_liveline.xml

Dont forget that if the 'teacher' is teaching resource the school are claiming the hours from the department... now this begs the question... are they divesting these payments into the general school pot? That is dishonesty on the schools part no?

trihead

Armelodie wrote: »

Dont forget that if the 'teacher' is teaching resource the school are claiming the hours from the department... now this begs the question... are they divesting these payments into the general school pot? That is dishonesty on the schools part no?

Bit of an assumption there I think. I say its more their resource hours were cut or are not enough to go around so they are taking advantage of this scheme to fill this gap (though I could be wrong too ).

annewithane42

chippers wrote: »

Are these people allowed pick up substitution hours to boost their weekly payment?

nope :mad:

2011abc

RealJohn wrote: »

job bridge should be great for schools if used properly.

...but terrible for teachers!

RealJohn

2011abc wrote: »

...but terrible for teachers!

No, not terrible for teachers if used properly. For example, we have a lab technician this year thanks to job bridge. We wouldn't have one otherwise.

implausible

RealJohn wrote: »

No, not terrible for teachers if used properly. For example, we have a lab technician this year thanks to job bridge. We wouldn't have one otherwise.

Our school has one too and we got a person into our library. However, when people are complaining abour job bridge, it's usually in regard to teachers on it - this is terrible for teachers.

tatabubbly

From a jobbridge intern point of view, you feel like unpaid labour, running around, doing all sorts of crap for principles.

Its cringeworthy to sit in the staffroom and listen to teachers complain about their wages in front of me. Cringeworthy to sit and hear them complain about people about people on the dole...

I would never ever ever advise anyone to do a jobbridge. If you want to pay for a lab technician it should be like northern ireland where you pay for one. If the work needs to be done so bad, it should be a paid position, regardless of the economy

Qualitymark

I'd be in two minds on this, but a lot would depend on whether there's a pool of unemployed qualified teachers available already. From what I hear, there is. I know one (wonderful) teacher who can get all the subbing hours in the world, but there aren't any jobs available. So adding in unskilled, lower-paid jobbridge people is no gift to either the existing teachers looking for work, or the pupils the jobbridge people are instructing.
On the other hand, if there were a dearth of qualified teachers, the jobbridge might provide a bridge into salaried teaching similar to the old 'monitor' system, where the best pupils could earn their secondary education by working as teachers while doing their last couple of years of study for the Matric to qualify for university, or for a qualifying exam for the technical college. Monitors often became talented teachers and entered the profession later when they had qualified.
I'm surprised - well, I'm not, but I should be - that a union that's supposed to be representing teachers' interests is not keeping a closer eye on this, and on whether qualified teachers are being cut out of work by cheap non-unionised unskilled labour.

Cailin CoisFarraige

Qualitymark wrote: »

I'd be in two minds on this, but a lot would depend on whether there's a pool of unemployed qualified teachers available already. From what I hear, there is. I know one (wonderful) teacher who can get all the subbing hours in the world, but there aren't any jobs available. So adding in unskilled, lower-paid jobbridge people is no gift to either the existing teachers looking for work, or the pupils the jobbridge people are instructing.

I'm surprised - well, I'm not, but I should be - that a union that's supposed to be representing teachers' interests is not keeping a closer eye on this, and on whether qualified teachers are being cut out of work by cheap non-unionised unskilled labour.

Unfortunately QualityMark the first of those is the truth! fully qualified teacher, I've had 20 days work since September. Trying to be positive as I'm actually a lot luckier than some of my peers, who have had anything from 2-10 days work. Sometimes jobbridge seems like a great option, just to have guaranteed work and wages for a period of time, but I've worked hard on my degree and my teaching practices and I'd hate to be taken advantage of.

As for the union, don't know what's happening. I signed up for this year, I said I'd give them 12 months to see if they'll actually represent me in any way, but so far it's not looking too good.