An article in the most recent issue of the ACM newsletter College Manager has caused a bit of a stir. The article describes some of the bad employment practices that exist in FE colleges, particularly when a manager falls out of favour and the college force them to leave. Whilst we always welcome feedback, sadly the e-mails and phone messages about this particular item only confirm the worst: that the poor practice is more widespread than we might think.
Clearly this is bad news not just for those affected, but for the sector itself. Further education is often seen as the poor relation along side schools and universities. But if it’s to shake off this label, it not only needs to tackle the lower wages compared to schools and universities, but it must improve the way it conducts its own employment relations.
Achieving such change will take time and commitment, not least because of the external funding pressures, the various skills initiatives that exist, and the egos of some of those involved. Yet the current poor practice helps nobody. So changes are needed. The question is though …. is anyone listening?
See also on this blog: The Wrath of Boss, and Give Us Stability.
