Just Brilliant!

elisebutt65

OK - background for those who haven't seen me post before.

Single mum of 2 boys (8 & 13). I just spent 5 years getting all educated as I didn't want to claim and be a drain on society etc. and racking up a huuuuge student loan in the process.

So I get a job teaching in an FE college as soon as I got my PGCE, starting in September last year. 18.5 hours a week and it's in school hours so absolutely perfect.

This week we get a letter from the Principal announcing imminent redundancies:mad: Aaargh!!! Is this what it's all been for? All my training has been focussed on teaching in FE/HE and our college has merged with all the ones around here so there is no other employer unless I can commute about 2 hours away up to Sutton Coldfield - unfeasible due to cost and childcare.

Strategy so far has been to volunteer for everything going - even the classes that no one else wants. I was only on 15 hours but increased to 18.5 this week as there was a gap needed filling urgently. My contract only lasts until July anyway so they can kill my post that way but I was intending to carry on and do my Ma next year. I don't have any savings due to not being employed for so long apart from about £650 in a holiday fund I started.

And also the new rules about IS? Does this mean I have to go onto Jobseekers instead of it due to youngest being over 7?

There are no jobs here - Our Adams and Woolies have gone. La Tasca closed it's doors on Saturday and is now boarded up. Tesco haven't got anything. I even popped into Reed just to see and they only have a few temp jobs going that fit with my hours.

Aaargh! Why did I bother? Why didn't I just get a job at Tescos or sit on IS for all those years?

savemoney

Sorry to hear that, that's bad timing.

Wish you all the best

chatnoir

I don't know anything about teaching creditentials, but could you not work at a senior school? or maybe be a substitute teacher...?

grey_lady

Or a private tutor, or an OU tutor

elisebutt65

chatnoir wrote: »

I don't know anything about teaching creditentials, but could you not work at a senior school? or maybe be a substitute teacher...?

No - My PGCE is for Post Compulsory only - I'd be working as a NQTS which means really low pay and I don't really know much about teaching in that sector. I'm used to dealing with 18+

I'm just going to stick with what I'm doing and volunteering for everything at the mo - being on a short term contract means I am probably more likely to be able to hang around longer than the peeps on cos it's like PAYG if you know what I mean. They can keep me for emergencies and stuff whereas the others are contracted to just work in their departments and if those depts lose students and funding then they have to go basically. I've been trained to teach just about anything from Badminton to physics so am pretty much flexible(Can teach yoga as well )

Just letting off steam last night really as felt so bleak in the wee hours but at home now and have just planned most of next week so am feeling happier.

halight

Veryorry to hear this!
I lost my job yesterday and know how bad it is.
Good luck and all the best

jgallcash

Hi there,

I'm really sorry to hear about your situation. However I would say that you are in a much better position than some others and that is because like you said, you got off you !!!! and have done something for yourself and family instead of sponging off the state.

Firstly although your PGCE is in post compulsory ed this doesn't mean that you are not able to work in compulsory ed. most teaching agencies are desperate for substitute teachers and actually you can earn really good money this way.

I have a close friend who works for such an agency and he is always telling me about the idiots that get paid more than he does as the prerequesite for their agency is degree level ie anyone who has ANY degree, very often without a teaching qualification gets work with them.

Obviously as you have children this might not be as feasible depending on the school hours but the beauty is that the agecy call you friday before and ask if you are available to work the following week. you can tell them yes/no as it suits you.

I know that you are used to working with young people over 18 but it would definately improve your practice to work within schools for even a short period.

Dont forget that your modules in the PGCE are ultimately training modules too so widen your search to support and project work within local government and communities. You're a qualified trainer and therefore can work in training departments anywhere.

I too gained my PGCE (post compulsory ed) 2 years ago and now i am currently doing my MA whilst working full time. the ironic thing is that I started my PGCE a year after i started working for an FE college - i was training to do the job i was already doing. As soon as i graduated from my PGCE and was a qualified teacher i moved to a much better paid management job within a totally diffferent sector.

The point being I would never have my job without the PGCE and the skills I had gained because of it.

Your clearly an aspirational person who has worked hard and committed yourself to doing better over the last five years and it must be greatly frustrating to see all that you trained for, dissapear in a second.

This government in effect incentivises people to stay at home on benefits and take take take. This country needs more people like yourself, who igore how difficult it is financially and continue to work, train and look after your children even though you might be better off staying at home and not bothering as others do.

I really hope this post helps you in some way.

Good Luck

Johnathon

melancholly

oh hun, i dont' know anything about this (just browsing the new board) and saw your name.... i know you've worked so hard from posts on other boards though... just so sorry to hear you're stressed out and worried....hope it works out for you

PetuliaGristle

I'm sorry to hear this elisebutt and halight. What an inspirational post from Johnathon, I hope his recommendations help you. My employer has just announced redundancies in certain areas, I'm not affected now but worried for the future. I've worked hard for my professional qualifications too so I'm bearing Johnathons advice in mind for my area of expertise - off to the agencies it is then! Good luck guys, thinking of you.

Kimitatsu

Hiya elise

I know that everything seems a little bit bleak at the moment BUT look on the positive side for a moment. Having experience of 18+ means that you are already qualified to teach in the life long learning sector. This will be one of the few growth areas in the credit crunch, with the advent of people needed to retrain. For some this will mean doing basic skills for others more complex stuff.

There will be many companies recruiting (think along the lines of train to gain, working links etc)and new rules mean that as of 2010 everyone who is in the education sector will have to have a teaching qualification.

If you are worried then I would think about updating your CV and sending it out to some of the companies listed above but try not to worry too much at this point.

elisebutt65

Thanks everyone and especially jonathon for the helpful post.

Had an email this week and they're making 10 FTE lecturers redundant and 30 FTE support staff redundant over 5 colleges so I can feel the axe lifting from my neck I can never understand why it's the lecturers and supports staff suffering though and not the interminable layers of higher paid management - I was lookng at the pay scales the other day and management scales are 20% higher than the lecturing ones and we're the ones who deliver the services!!!!:rolleyes:

I've just accepted another 2 classes this week so going to be another £250ish better off a month and I'm going to stash that away in my emergency fund. Mum and Dad are going to take me and the kids away to Greece this year so the holiday fund is now also the emergency fund

I was going to sign up with Protocol last year but they wanted so much money up front for CRB checks etc that I held off - I needed to pay for every single check for a different college!!!! I used to work for HR years ago as well in the training and H & S departments for a council but I really, really don't want to go back to that - I hate all the admin involved - so why did I pick teaching?:rotfl:

It could be a lot worse - one of my friends from the course did her PGCE in Equine stuff and she just can't get a job and is currently working 44 hours a week on minimum wage just in a private stable. If I don't get any teaching next year, I still have my Ma money stashed in an ISA (that's untouchable even for emergencies cos I have to get this to be a lecturer in HE) so I'm going to go ahead with that and just work 3 days a week anywhere! Maccy D's is always hiring after all:p