Want to study but Boss won't let me :(

renowen

Hi, wonder if anyone can offer advise.

I work as a Nursery Nurse for a nursery run by an NHS hospital and I really want to study a Foundation degree in Early Years.

However the part time courses require 1 day's classroom study a week and my boss will not allow me to take the time off to attend - paid or unpaid!

The arguement is they can't hire someone to do just 1 day a week and hiring agency isn't cost effective especially will all the recent cut backs - which I understand but surely employers are supposed to encourage and support further study and training?

I realise I can do this course through the OU but I know I won't be able to keep up this way, I've tried OU courses before.

Is there anything I can do? I don't want to upset my boss and I really like my job but I'm starting to consider leaving and finding a job where I can do my degree as I feel I'm being held back where I am now.

Any advise greatfully appreciated

Spirit_2

Filling job one day a week is difficult. Is there someone you could do a job share with? Other staff who are part time who would be willing to increase their hours?

You could request part-time working for 2 or 3 days a week so leaving a 'bigger' vacancy that they may find easier to fill.

Emmzi

have you put in a formal request under time off for training leglislation?

getmore4less

How do they cover holiday.

Do you have enough holiday to cover the days needed.

jobbingmusician

How many days a year does your study actually involve? I attended a course using my HOLIDAY, when a boss could not afford to pay time off. WARNING - I did have a real low point when the course finished, there was still about 3 months to go until the end of the leave year, and I couldn't see any sort of break ahead of me. I survived it, though!

Cross posting - Great minds, getmore4less!

smileylondongal

That's what I was going to suggest as classroom stuff is really useful. Do they have a study policy you can refer to and use to back you up?

kingfisherblue

I can see the employer's point of view, as nurseries have strict adult:child ratios and it isn't cost effective to use agency staff one day a week - and a foundation degree usually takes two years to complete (or three years part time study).

Are you prepared to travel a bit further than your local college OP? The reason that I ask is that where I live, the FD in Early Years is offered by the local college in my town - about 10 minutes drive away from where I live. Twenty minutes down the motorway, a university offers the same course. Forty minutes in the opposite direction, another university also offers the course. If you are prepared to look around, it could be that some classes are held in the evening. I know that the one in my town was held 6.30-9.30pm. On the other hand, when I did my FD (Supporting Teaching and Learning), virtually identical courses were held at different times in the two universities that I mentioned above.

So although you have already identified a college where you can study, you might want to look further afield in case you can attend in the evening. That way, you get the qualification that you want without needing the time off work on a regular basis. Instead, you could always ask if any additional study leave is available - my frined was offered two days (paid) before assignemnts were due, and a week for her dissertation when she 'topped up' to an Honours degree. Another suggestion would be to ask the hospital to pay for the course if you can attend and study in your own time - after all, your employer will benefit from your greater knowledge.

SarEl

Emmzi wrote: »

have you put in a formal request under time off for training leglislation?

Just to clarify - it is a right to ask and not a right to get, and it only applies to employers with 250 employees or more.

flutterbyuk25

I'd second Kingfisherblue's suggestion to look at other colleges/providers to see if they offer better times (evening or afternoon). I'm doing a part time PGCE and within an hour's drive there are about 10 colleges/uni's running the same course all at different times of day. I'm lucky inthat my workplace supports my study so I get the afternoon off to go study.

x

hcb42

I think they are denying you on reasonable business grounds.

If you really want it - do the OU. I have done 9 years with the OU in the last 11 and completed an MBA and a BSc (yes in that order!). Yes it takes discipline, but it depends how much you want it. And if you demonstrate your commitment then most employers rate an OU degree pretty highly, as it takes a lot of effort to work full time and study every weekend or day off in your own time.

mummyroysof3

what was it about the OU that puts you off using them again?