Nvq3 Trainee's

[diesel10]

Hi everyone

 

Two staff at my setting are doing their NVQ3 training at the moment. They started in September and are due to finish next month. I expressed at concern a couple of months ago that the training has been too quick and they are not ready. Along with the college we agreed the students should attend the fortnightly non compulsary lecturers to support their learning. They have not attended.

 

The college have now suggested that they have a two month break now to gain experience and then resume. They are not happy about this.

 

I feel that they are becoming good practitioners but do not have the confidence / experience to lead in my absence.

 

We seem to have stale mate on this one. Any ideas?

[Guest]

arrgh! this is one of the things that constantly frustrates me- the whole "training" debacle!

 

I have serious concerns about the nvq training programs and the way they are "managed". Too many external agencies are running training and the quality of training ranges from diabolical to good.

 

The problem lies in the fact that these training providers are paid by results and the aim is to get as many through as quickly as possible so they recieve their pay. The trainers are on targets to get them qualified as quickly as possible and move on to the next one. It's not conducive to achieving good high qulaity staff.

 

further I'm concerned that providers are taking students down the wrong training path in some instances- for example I have a new member of staff just started who I called in to discuss her training and development. She told me she was doing her NVQ level 2 and had started this at her previous setting and would like to finish with us and then proceed to level 3 as had been suggested to her previously and by her tutor. - I was horrified due to the fact that this woman already has a degree and SOMEONE should have advised her that the most suitable path for her was to folow was the EYP. My horror is at the previous setting who agreed to this and the training provider who also didn't advise that starting at the bottom was not her most suitable route.

 

And don't get me started on the schools and who they are directing towards child care!- too late I'm "off on one"! WHY WHY WHY do the schools and careers advisers think that a suitable profession for the kids with no direction, or gumption or chance of high achievement are the ones they should be directiing into child care (and hairdressing!!)!??

 

after one particulalrly awful student I rung the school to speak to the idiot who had sent her to me...

 

"Hello Mr work placement teacher- this is zlw dedicated and hard working childcare professional with years of experience, qualifications and fury calling you- can I just ask you one question regarding the girl you have advised to work in childcare and sent to me"

 

"Certainly- hows she getting on?"

 

"dreadfully. But my question is this- Would you leave this girl in charge of your own child?"

 

"errrrmmmm... ah..... errrrmmm....."

 

"Exactly! so why the bloody hell are you sending her to me to look after 100 children????????????????????"

 

 

I could rant for hours about the flippin "training"!

[HoneyPancakes]

The trainees will have signed a learning agreement contract. This would make clear that they agree to attend 80% of classes. If they haven't attended the classes, they won't have fulfilled their contract. Personally, having just completed the NVQ3, I think the classes could be given up in favour of, well...100 hours on this forum and maybe 50 peer reviewed posts.

 

I can see why some school students are directed into childcare and hairdressing though. Caring for children and cutting hair doesn't have to be rocket science if you love it and are well guided. But doing it really well requires buk lurnin, reflection, dedication and flare. I suppose the counsellors hope that their charges might find their calling when faced with the needs of a child. Not all of us need to operate at the highest level but it's important that we all have the opportunity to find our level of best fit at the time.

 

Although your trainees might not be ready to take control of your operation at this point in time, they may develop the level of maturity - especially when faced with the responsibilty that their qualification brings. Good Luck.

 

Fe

[Daz]

hi everyone

 

I totally agree that their are some students who are pushed into early years without any idea of what they are gettinging into. however nothing is cut and dry i have now some fantastic practitioners who started thier jouney with an NVQ and possibly with out it they might of never got that oppertunty.

 

As for the EYP their are also students headinging down the Eyp route that really dont know what they are in for and should start with an early years degree. I belive having a degree dosnt automatically make you a good practitioner or leader espeially when their degree is far removed form the early years ethos. i have know eyp students struggling emensly because they don't have the foundation or experiance who through the support of more experiance collages get their EYP but really are not ready to lead or guid more experianced practitoners.

 

it might be worth considering your nvq students need time to gain more experiance. and you need some more experianced team members to lead in your absense

 

it has been my experiance that training is a foundation that needs to be build on and can not be a substite for experiance

 

good luck x x

[diesel10]

Hi Everyone

 

Thank You for all your replies.

 

It is nice to have your support and read all your comments.

[hali]

ive just pulled out from becoming an NVQ assessor as i dont agree with the principles - bring back NNEB i say

 

owww and ive just heard of a student 80% though a level 3 through OU - not even been seen by an assessor

[Guest]

I'm sure I have said it before on here, but this is exactly the reason I gave up full time assessing. I saw so much bad practice from assessors that I couldn't put up with it anymore; assessors dictating to learners what to say, assessors doing the work for assessors, and full staff meetings to decide who we would sign off as competent (whether they were or not) just to get the money! I even had one girl faint on me when I told her that I wasn't prepared to put my name to her work as competent when it clearly wasn't (she was one I inherited from another assessor).

 

I loved visiting different settings, helping the learners, advising them and seeing them progress, but I couldn't in all honesty sit back and watch or codone bad practice by the training provider!

[Cait]

I have NVQ 2 and 3 students in my Preschool and neither of them attend any training - that's all down to me and the Preschool. That's ok for us as we have the time and I've been a trainer and assessor in the past, but for some settings I imagine it would be difficult

[redjayne]

Over the years I have had a range of NVQ trainees who have been working through different training agencies and yes , there are good and bad as in everything. As an ex assessor and college lecturer I would challenge the 'bad' agencies and assessors as to why they felt what they offered was good enough, and the replies varied from lack of time/targets to meet/ and general lack of support from thier employers. I stopped using the bad trainers and now only use one local college (the students have to attend weekly - plus the tutor and two of the assessors are people I trained and trust ) I also use a company called Smartraining for my younger trainees - and can't fault them - once a month for a whole saturday - they inform me if the student doesn't go to training and the assessors and back up are superb not only do they NVQ but they have to complete Btec Units too and are signed up for two years but can take longer. So if you don't like what you get you have to complain, explaining why - and don't use them again

[Cait]

It's a shame that Smart training aren't a national company!

[redjayne]

They do cover most of the south and are slowly moving further out though - might be worth checking thier website to see where they do cover , or asking for recommendations from others on here as to good trainers in thier areas - maybe we could have a ' good training providers ' thread ?

[redjayne]

Have just checked thier website and they do cover most of the country heres the link

 

http://www.smart-training.com/index.php?op...8&Itemid=36

[Cait]

No there's nothing up here, just Halifax, Hull, Leeds and York. The nearest of these is a good 3 hours away (and then 3 hours back) that's a lot for a training for 18 months!

 

Shame

Edited May 23, 2010 by Cait

[Guest]

The thing I hate about the NVQ is that the trainees only become as good as the setting. My setting is very poor (I say that as an outsider who has come in to help) and the girls who did their NVQ at the setting now have bad practices.

[Guest]

Well said could not agree more if your setting is rubbish!!

 

think you cant beat a good old fashioned college course with practicals at a range of different settings

[Guest jenpercy]

Well said could not agree more if your setting is rubbish!!

 

think you cant beat a good old fashioned college course with practicals at a range of different settings

 

Although as an after school club, we have had problems with having to take on Level 3s straight from college (OFSTED is willing to accept their placements for the 2 year experience). We have had to give them the positions of responsibility, and they just SO DON't have the necessary experience.

[diesel10]

Hi

 

One of the students brought in her NVQ3 folder yesterday and I asked her if I could look through. When I actually found her written work at the back of the folder, it was littered with mistakes on every page. e.g. for an uncollected child - you wait 45 mins and then call the police ! or we don't have an outings policy - we do - its mandatory!

 

All these have been signed off by the assessor.

 

How do I tackle this one????? The other student will be bringing in her folder tomorrow.......hopefully it will be better