Advice on work issue.

FatFishMonster

FatFishMonster

FatFishMonster

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Joined
23 Mar 2011
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Devon
hello all,
im currently an a IT apprentice at a local school.

now the story:
so the Media studies technician (film editing all that rubbish, nothing IT related) is no longer working as that job and is now pursuing a teaching career.
so i have just been informed that i am being given his duties, despite telling them when they asked me, that i had no interest in doing it and was strongly against it, i studied Media at GCSE and hated it, i also wasn't very good at it, i passed but thats about it.

im currently being paid £2.65, and this latest appointment has really wound me up, as they are expecting me to do two peoples jobs for a terrible wage! and i also the fact i said i was strongly against it as video editing etc.. really winds me up and its stresses me out big time.

im also thinking about kicking up a fuss about the money as ill be payed an apprentice wage for a job where i am not an apprentice so it really takes the biscuit, let alone the fact its two peoples jobs!

so taking my day in college, the days in media, im down to 2 days working in IT! now i don't think ill be able to provide sufficient evidence for my qualifications on 2 days of work, let alone the fact that if i begin fixing something on say a Thursday i wont be in again to carry on fixing it till late on Tuesday! (people who work in IT can relate to this I imagine) and this is really going to wind people up and ill get the ear full, and i imagine ill get an earful if my jobs in Media aren't finished within my time there.

any advice? this is something im really not comfortable in doing as i dont have the skills and also i think my work my qualifications will suffer!
 
I was paid £1.00 an hour doing more duties than I do now. Work that one out.

Ask them to pay minimum wage and you will do it. If they don't tell them to employ someone else. The thing is you are an apprentice after all...
 
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mrbell1984 said:
I was paid £1.00 an hour doing more duties than I do now. Work that one out.

Ask them to pay minimum wage and you will do it. If they don't tell them to employ someone else. The thing is you are an apprentice after all...
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yeah, the only reason i have my current job is because the were cost cutting and didnt want to pay a full technicians wage!
seems like the are just trying to pay me silly amounts to do silly amounts of work!
 
FatFishMonster said:
harder for me to leave as im in an apprenticeship :/
also i don't want the hassell of finding another job etc..
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I guess you're stuck with it then? Come on, you can't complain about being overworked etc. and then fall back to "I don't want the hassle of finding another job". Are you waiting for a solution to be delivered to you on a plate?
 
mrbell1984 said:
You are an apprentice.... If you don't like something and it's not part of your criteria speak up now or for ever hold your sins.
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i already said i was completely against when it was first brought up (they assumed i would do it)

and i know the response ill get "im sorry, but thats the way it has to be"
 
im currently an a IT apprentice at a local school.

if you don't like the experience you are gaining then quit it. It is state sponsored slavery but at least you learn.
 
Can you not perhaps get the college involved, have a meeting with them etc.. if they're cutting back on the work that is relevant to your IT apprenticeship and getting you to take on additional work unrelated to it then is that actually allowed? I mean sure you'll be using a computer in this media role but aside form that how is it related to actual IT work.. you might as well be doing a day a week covering for a maintenance guy who's quit... and spending time fixing radiators etc... not really on if its not relevant to your training (the whole reason they can justify you paying a paltry sum in the first place is surely because you're getting relevant on the job experience/training in return - throw irrelevant work into the mix and they should be paying you appropriately for it)
 
Efour said:
im currently an a IT apprentice at a local school.

if you don't like the experience you are gaining then quit it. It is state sponsored slavery but at least you learn.
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im all for learning, im enjoying it all and like where i work (except all this stuff that has just been kicked up)
just feels really unfair.


dowie said:
Can you not perhaps get the college involved, have a meeting with them etc.. if they're cutting back on the work that is relevant to your IT apprenticeship and getting you to take on additional work unrelated to it then is that actually allowed? I mean sure you'll be using a computer in this media role but aside form that how is it related to actual IT work.. you might as well be doing a day a week covering for a maintenance guy who's quit... and spending time fixing radiators etc... not really on if its not relevant to your training (the whole reason they can justify you paying a paltry sum in the first place is surely because you're getting relevant on the job experience/training in return - throw irrelevant work into the mix and they should be paying you appropriately for it)
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yeah, im going to email my college tutor and the lady who manages my appreticeship and ill ask their advice.
 
From my experience as an IT tech at a college who works closely with the Av/Media tech I think you would be surprised with the amount of cross pollination in the two roles.
A lot of working with Macs, a lot of specialist software and hardware etc will also give you a lot of experience leading to transferable skills which can only be seen as a positive. Potential employers in future will be impressed if you have a wide range of experiences even if you are not necessarily really confident on some parts.
Try to be a little more enthusiastic about it if you can, and also surely the Media Tech role will be very different to studying media. The tech role after all is to keep stuff working/ implementing new stuff rather than the creative media you were studying?
 
Fluke? said:
From my experience as an IT tech at a college who works closely with the Av/Media tech I think you would be surprised with the amount of cross pollination in the two roles.
A lot of working with Macs, a lot of specialist software and hardware etc will also give you a lot of experience leading to transferable skills which can only be seen as a positive. Potential employers in future will be impressed if you have a wide range of experiences even if you are not necessarily really confident on some parts.
Try to be a little more enthusiastic about it if you can, and also surely the Media Tech role will be very different to studying media. The tech role after all is to keep stuff working/ implementing new stuff rather than the creative media you were studying?
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the main jist of what ill be doing is supporting students (video editing, charging cameras, inDesign) nothing that exactly needs fixing, i don't get a say on what gets used.
i personally just think its better suited to someone who is interested in that side of things and has the skills, im also worried is going to impede on my qualifications as i have to evidence what work i do and it will be harder to hit all the required units on 2 days a week, ive emailed my college to see what they say.
 
You are there to get enough experience to go and get a real job that pays a proper wage. Get the head down and stop moaning. The sooner you get the experience and can blag another job the sooner it ends!!
 
Showboat said:
You are there to get enough experience to go and get a real job that pays a proper wage. Get the head down and stop moaning. The sooner you get the experience and can blag another job the sooner it ends!!
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think this is going to be the best thing. going to have to grin and bear it.
only main concern is my portfolio which ill discuss with college to make sure.
 
People are very quick to say throw it back in their face but I would embrace it.

You are unhappy now but think no pain, no gain. Having media skills in addition to IT skills is desirable and will hekp you in the future. I play with Sony Vegas now and I just wish i'd started when I was younger.

I used to look after a lot of media customers in my last job and, as Fluke said, there is a lot of cross pollination between the two roles.

At the end of the day you are only one person so even if they give you the responsibility of both jobs you can only do a days work. If people demand more push back.
 
Just bear in mind if you do it you won't be a technician any more ;) you will become an Officer ha ha! I don't fix things now I throw away and replace with new. Pretty silly and a waste of money.... But hey I still get paid. 12 years in same job ..
 
There seems to be a rise in these so called 'apprentice' roles. It smells of an excuse to employ young people for peanuts and get away with it.

OP, does the apprenticeship have a timescale where at the end that wages become normal?
 
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