oli Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 jus reading this with some interest! goin back to the point about working at heights and electricity in schools/colleges... I am currently studyin Technical Theatre at the BRIT school and we are left alone every day rigging going up and down Zarges, Tallies and genies. We are also in charge of the electrical installation all though some of the times it is checked! I think on this subject it should come down to how well trained the crew is! Within my first week we had a Ladder and rigging safety day which although we all laughed has probably saved a few accidents in the last 7-8 monthes. sorry jus thought I would air my views Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk_ellis Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Interesting stuff. I have to say that I do not work directly for the school as such and some differences exist between what was suggested to them and what has been advertised. A couple of examples: Most appointments are offered staff accommodation - this has not been advertised. I know they are a bit short at present, but this would potentially make a big difference. Additionally, £14k is mean and is lower than suggested, but hey. At the upper end, is £18k really so bad for someone with only around three years experience? What about someone taking the job as a top-up at the retirement end of the scale? Plenty of school science lab techs are well qualified people who have taken the job to top up an early retirement pension and to keep themselves busy. For such a person I would have thought this were a tolerably attractive position. As for some of the requirements, well, many are flexible to a degree. It's rare to find someone for any job that ticks all the boxes, but you have to ask... With regard to the suggestion of a trainee, my personal opinion is that this would be a mistake. With no one to train them and some degree of responsibility for kit etc. this is a recipe for disaster! I am genuinely interested in your comments and take no offence at what has been said. After all, in the event no-one is appointed, it may need to be re-advertised somewhat differently and feedback from those such as yourselves is always useful. I would however, ask those of you who have 30 seconds of idle brain time to mull over what you would see as the requirements for such a position in a school. (The last bit being the key) Anyway... Off to do domestic stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 The snag, from my perspective is that it takes more than 3 years to get the job qualities you are after. If you get a 'real' sparks then I'm assuming this is so they can do electrical installation and repair work at a lower rate than they normally earn? Peanuts and monkeys come to mind. I agree that you may well find these quualities in an older person, maybe already having retired early. Trouble is, as everyone I've ever met who has gone into this sort of job finds, it is usually hell on legs. Endless grief, amazing interpretations of a job description, huge expectations and unrewarded responsibility. I know two people who had breakdowns when presented with education for the first time! In a private school it's obviously better, but living in means being on call too - so not quite as advantageous as it sounds. Science lab job Vs theatre technician - no grounds for comparison there. Stupidly short timescales, show/presentation pressure, ladders, heavy work, all the dreadful paperwork. My old college replaced one on the ball technician with two younger people because of the skill shortage. Just couldn't find one person who could do everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxkev Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 One thing that ****s me of is that people like myself who work in schools dent get the respect they deserve. i.e. work 14hours a day for 7 days. big rig, all on my own, got paid for 7 hours a day. and then I get moaned at because a curtain is a bit untidy! I find the probs are: Teaching staff think they are better then you...i.e. o its justa few light switches, your job ain't that hard the management is teachers, so when you try and explain why u need more then 5 mins to rig, focus, programing 100 lights, they cant see why. us school tecys need a union! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk_ellis Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Science lab job Vs theatre technician - no grounds for comparison there. Stupidly short timescales, show/presentation pressure, ladders, heavy work, all the dreadful paperwork. Okay, fair cop. :) It's possibly worth saying the relevant electrical qualification bit is another example of where the editing to produce an ad has failed them. The real requirement is for someone who is suitably competent to PAT test all the gear and cast an eye over a rig that a student tech crew have rigged before switching the dimmers etc. on. Plenty of people have had such training / been on such courses and would fit the bill. Ho hum. Despite ones best efforts there's always someone waiting to try and thwart 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy jackson Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 I have just read these posts and I cant agree more! I have a contract at a college of 37 hrs a week for 17k, with TIOL instead of overtime - in the past year I have earnt just over 7 weeks time off but there is no time to take it! so im losing out both financialy and im stupidly over hours. the other annoying thing is that not one single person out of the 600 or so staff can relate to what I do and the hours that I put in, they just ask for something last thing on a friday and it appears on a monday, after a full weekends work.no thanks, beer or even cash!a union would be nice, or atleast some recognition! My 2pennethAndy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxkev Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 I took 2 months of work, when I came back had a few "things have been so bad with out you". But no sign of a payrise :) best thing is they just told me they have over payed me by 120 hours, and I have to work them. Never mind the 2000 they ow me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 a union would be nice, or atleast some recognition! My 2pennethAndy<{POST_SNAPBACK}>ATL have a reduced-rate technicians subscription... and that goes for lxkev too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oli Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 I know u will probably all slate me for this but I have actually jus applied for tht job!seems rite up my street and jus wht I need after college see wht happens hey !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutwo Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 The salary issue at my place was circumvented by not giving me the title of "Technician", which would in itself impose an upper pay limit of about £18k. The Head and Expressive Arts Dept wanted an experienced person who was capable of more than just technician duties, e.g. purchasing. So the title was adapted somewhat and my eventual salary will match the salary of many of the teaching staff. Which of course means I won't be going anywhere soon so they can rely on having me there for a good few years. Edit: I forgot something. Insist on flexitime in a job like this. I've built up 110 excess hours in 5 months, which means that the time I spend rigging out of hours, I get back in the long summer holidays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 I know u will probably all slate me for this but I have actually jus applied for tht job!seems rite up my street and jus wht I need after college see wht happens hey !!!<{POST_SNAPBACK}>No, what we'll slate you for is the fact that you don't appear to be able to construct a coherent sentence or spell even the simplest words. :) Correct me if I'm wrong, but from your personal profile and previous posts it looks like you've been at the BRIT school for one academic year, doing a BTEC in theatre studies. How exactly does that tie in with the requirement in the job description for applicants to be able to demonstrate at least 3 years' experience of working in theatre and hold an electrical qualification (somehow I doubt that a BTEC in tech theatre would count as 'electrical')? Not too long ago on this forum you were asking about opportunities for work experience, and now you're shooting for a job which asks for at leat three years' industry experience! Well, I have to say I admire you for aiming high, but sometimes you have to be realistic in your expectations ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oli Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 whilst I agree with what your saying I would like to point out that yes I am currently studying at the BRIT school I have over 5 Years experience in working in television and theatre. I am on the BBC and Granada freelance list and also have numerous credits in shows! Although it does say they would like you to have an electricians qualification it does not state that this is a requirement to obtain the job. I have also shown a willing to study for such a qualification in my own time if it is required. You obviously need to get out more if all you can see is the spelling and grammer side of it (is this well constructed for you). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Although it does say they would like you to have an electricians qualification it does not state that this is a requirement to obtain the job.From the job ad : "The successful candidate should have ... a relevant electrical qualification". Sounds pretty much like a requirement to me. is this well constructed for youYes, much better - clearly you are capable of it, and it makes things so much easier to read, so why not write like this all the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDD Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 us school tecys need a union!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> a union would be nice, or atleast some recognition!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well I'm not advocating the schools theatre tech group being used as a union in terms of confronting issues, but I do think we could be a useful way to raise awareness of our jobs and start a healthy interaction between technicians and management. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabletray Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 It never ceases to amuse me that education and theatre management often want fully qualified electricians / technicians to work for 12-15k when the electrical industry has a labour shortage and we are building houses as fast as the labour becomes available. Just look at what the commercial world offers an electrician or a controls / alarm technician or an installation test engineer (20-40k) It is also amusing to see the same institutions contracting in short term labour at around 300 pounds per day to get things done. Why will they spend good money on outside trades but will not pay for good staff. In my local area a good hardworking self employed plumber putting in long hours can earn 60-80k per year so why would a multiskilled tradesperson / technician with years of experience possibly want to earn 15K? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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