Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

seven-day-weekend

donny-gal wrote: »

They are based on evidence, which the teacher ensured you complied with, a bit like NVQ's - Not Very Qualified!

My husband (retired teacher in case you didn't know ) always said that NVQ stood for Not Very Qualified - the reason for this was that the teaching method was generally FOFO (F*** Off and Find Out).

donny-gal

Unfortunately in the work environment, the people soon realised if you "borrowed" the notes from someone who had done that stage and claim the experience, you got these without trying. Especially as they now try to relate them to ND's & HND's. They were a qualification I ignored when looking at a people's qualifications, as did many others.
DG

droopsnout

Presumably when looking at people's qualifications you were considering job applications. In that case, a few questions at interview would quickly determine whether the candidate really understood (and had genuinely completed) their NVQ course, and whether they have the knowledge, skills and attitudes required by the potential employer.

The candidate who had worked hard for his/her qualification only for it to be ignored is penalised for no fault of his/her own.

That said, yes, I know that time is money and shortlists must be drawn up based on certain criteria which may include qualifications other than NVQs.

(From DS, who has no NVQs, knows no-one who has one, and never taught towards one, but is aware of the criticisms of assessment in NVQs because he made similar criticisms himself!).

seven-day-weekend

My son works in Matalan and has an NVQ2 in Retail Operations gained in another store (also GCSEs and an AS)

Neither Matalan, nor any other store he has approached, have ever been the slightest bit interested in the NVQ - indeed most of the retailers have not been interested in his GCSEs - all they are interested in is experience.

He has also applied (and worked) as a Computer Technician and these places were only interested in his AS level in Computing (as well as experience).

But basically, for any of these jobs, the main thing they are interested in is experience.

droopsnout

Very true!

But before you get your first experience ... ? Qualifications, personality, personal interests and interview performance are the only things the candidate can sell.

If I were arrogant enough these days to offer advice to youngsters, I would suggest to them that they get out of the house and take part in as many activities as possible. Broaden your horizons, experience other people and learn to listen to - if not tolerate - all shades of opinion, and to put forward your own. Open eyes and ears to everything, and contemplate what people do and why.

And then work out if things need to change if we're to save ourselves and our planet.

seven-day-weekend

Oh agree droopsnout, loads of experience, even in a voluntary capacity.

Forgot to say, the one thing one early employer WAS interested in was that in the sixth form my son had done Young Enterprise (running a business - his school came second in the West Midlands and my son was voted Young Acheiver of the year by the rest of his group and won a prize!) - but this shows skills and abilities that are of use in the workplace, so I can imagine an employer may be interested in that.

The other thing no-one is interested in are these dratted Records of Achievement. My son has never even been asked for his, even when he worked for the Local Authority!

donny-gal

Oh yes, DS had to create a CV for his first work placements in his 3rd year Uni., he had only done bar work in holidays. Utilised all team work from sport, pulling a team together as a sport captains, guiding controlling via being a prefect, etc., a little poetic license, but it was the only experience he could use to show the skills employers needed.
DG

Savvy_Sue

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

The other thing no-one is interested in are these dratted Records of Achievement.

Just as well, the one DS1 was given at 16 didn't even have a report from this Maths teacher - not exactly optional, and one of his best subjects! When I queried it, I was told that it was because his maths teacher hadn't been there very long so didn't know him very well, and anyway if he was staying on to 6th form no-one would want to see it.

That's all very well, but why spend all that money on hard-back folders for them when 75% of the pupils ARE staying on? Why not put it in the normal plastic wallet and let parents or students buy a folder IF they think they need it?

seven-day-weekend

Blame the Government, SS! Some initiative for some junior minister to put on his/her CV!

droopsnout

[rant]

Education has been plagued since the 80s (maybe from before that) by junior politicians and ambitious university educators wanting to make a name for themselves. So every so often, one of these bright sparks writes a policy document and it appeals to the party in power. In comes a new initiative.

It happens time and again.

The bright spark gets promotion, moves on, the rest of us have to put in place their policies and procedures, with all the ramifications for curriculum and children's development, and eventually the weaknesses of the policy (probably already predicted by the experienced teachers already practising) become apparent and the policy dies out, to be replaced by something else dreamed up by another aspiring high-flyer who thinks they know how to teach kids.

It would be hard to count the government policies since the eighties which have been forced onto schools and later dropped.

IMHO, what education desperately needs is a sustained period of stability. But it is good to see that the latest trends promoted by the Tories include greater curricular autonomy for schools.

However, those of us with long memories will recall that it was the Tories who removed this autonomy in the first place.

[/rant]