HoD is still keen to pursue trying to get me trained as a HLTA and last week he got the HR manager to present the proposal at an SMT meeting. We didn't hear anything for a couple of days, but now HR have got back to us with some feedback from SMT including some questions/concerns that they want answered.
Some of their concerns are the same as mine, namely whether the technician side of my job would be adversely affected and how we would organise the workload. I think we can manage if everyone gets properly oragnised and my teachers learn to plan a bit better. Obviously they also have concerns about the costs, but that was to be expected.
Apparently the Headmaster's main concern is that this could become a 'conveyor belt for technicians to train and leave'! To me that seems very short-sighted. Is he honestly saying that he wants untrained, unskilled technicians because then we are less likely to find jobs elsewhere? From my point of view, if this additional training leads to a pay increase I am far more likely to stay.
At the moment I am struggling financially and the fact that my daily commute is a 55 mile round trip does not help. A job closer to home would reduce my costs significantly, but a pay rise here would make all the difference.
The other aspect is career progression. The way our school is set up, we have 3 individual technicians each servicing 1 science and working independently of each other. It's not the kind of system that needs a senior technician so if I wanted to become a senior or team leader, I would have to move. What's currently being proposed would be a chance to progress without leaving. Don't know if we will be able to convince them. Watch this space!
