Trainees no longer ready for workplace

[Kukcoo]

I used to love having trainees allocated to us. They were so enthusiastic, hardworking and a breath of fresh air. It was great to see them develop.

The last few have acted like they're doing us a favour if they turn up by lunchtime because they could have called in sick for nothing. Seriously can't be bothered doing the basics and expect everything to be done for them. Little respect for anyone else and the huge support they're being given. Won't meet a deadline, because this would affect their mental health and basically impinges on their human rights.

They all still expect to qualify and will be passed by the provider unless they do something truly dangerous, but they won't have the real experience or skills to join the workplace and get on with a job.

I'm barely even a different generation, but wouldn't have dreamed of acting the way they do when I was learning and felt I had to prove myself. AIBU to expect standards to be the same?

Who is allocating the trainees? Are they not being performance managed for not doing the job they’re employed to do? Who is managing them and allowing this to continue?

What type of job and where are you finding them.

You need to raise this with the people responsible for sending them to you, OP!

Hmmmm. I think this is an exaggeration and you are losing sympathy.

The university provider sends them for placements as trainee primary teachers. They want their fees so let them get away with the bare minimum. We can try to coach, write reports and flag up concerns with performance, but nothing changes because they know they can get away without trying, letting everyone down in the meantime.

i know a couple of people who say the same, but have no first-hand experience myself. What industry are you in?

I'm early/mid thirties and coordinate
our work placements and trainees and I've found similar. Really bizarre and I can't imagine how they think they'll get on in the real world

Is this specific to your company or industry ?

I’ve just started a temp job and the 18 year olds are as keen, punctual and hard working as I am. They are interesting and friendly people.

My ex works in another industry and says the same as you.

Well this is what happens when you expand the university sector beyond what is sensible. The universities need bums on seats, they need to attract students and sometimes the bar can be low. Plus a teacher recruitment crisis. It's desperate times.

Teaching is seen as easy. We know it’s not but it’s seen as such. I’ve had a few friends who didn’t whole training and qualifying within a year had change roles entirely or worked for places making online school content not actually teaching.

How much is the trainees being useless and how much is the managers being useless?

If the trainees are useless then the managers have to actually do something about it.

Which part don't you believe? I've had one this year who emailed someone else with the same first name as me (but not actually me) to tell me they were putting eye drops in and couldn't set off yet - at 9:30am, when they were already an hour late.

I am with you, I am in secondary and our two first year teachers need so much hand holding. Can't manage time, can't read and email without someone pointing out it needs doing, classrooms are a complete bombsite, no awareness of other classrooms - one likes to play really loud music and get the kids to scream and shout at the end of a lesson - really disruptive to all around her.

Sadly all think they are amazing and we need to mummy them through.

It makes me feel ancient, but yes I do find young people (under 30s!) to have pretty low skills levels and commitment, but greater expectations for rapid career progression than the generation above!

People said the same thing about my generation 30 years ago
People always complain about young people! I saw someone once post similar complaints from ancient Greek texts or something.
I work with young people and there's the usual mix of amazing, average and lacking as in any generation. So yeah maybe complain to your provider but it's not all trainees or young people.

Also a teacher and the support from the university for us with the trainees is so poor- they will do everything in their power to not fail them even if it means kids are being let down.

Also had one that thinks they should be HOD within a year but finds it too overwhelming to read long emails!!

Yes, it's the mollycoddling I can't believe.

Having to gently tell them to print resources before the lesson instead of sending me to do it during, again. Suggesting that they can't expect kids to do homework with only one night to complete because of their late planning.

Or pointing out that meetings have to start on time. Then patiently explaining that it's not okay for them to come and go when they like just because our line manager pops in and then goes to SLT!

It’s the same in secondary, the calibre is shocking (ironic given I couldn’t spell calibre 😂). It’s not just the public sector though my partner works in the private sector and has the same issue with young staff coming in. They lack resilience, lack self awareness, don’t seem to respect the hierarchy and want maximum pay for minimum effort. I am aware some young people are not like this but a lot are!

This is partly the fault of the teachers who taught them when the were children.

We praise them for doing nothing and don't tell them off for being lazy.

Schools have been too soft on pupils for years and it's producing adults not fit for the workplace.

I'm a teacher with 24 years' experience. I no longer discipline kids like I used to it,'s not worth the nasty email I'll get from their parents.

Soft, fluffy schools produce soft fluffy adults who are poorly equipped for adult life.

I'm in a similar situation in secondary. Honestly I think the profession has gone to the dogs. The standard is so low.

Just don't think anybody realises!

I don't work with PGCEs trainees so much, more ECTs but the standard is getting lower every year.

Agreed

I'm an academic. Some of my colleagues complain about how useless our students are, funnily enough these are the colleagues that students complain about the most for being unengaged, uninspiring and disrespectful.

Some trainees will suck no matter what but quite a few will improve with great training.

I'm with you OP. I am in software development, a trainee grad started being repeatedly late. I had a meeting with him yo find out why and if he was having any problems etc. His reply "I moved to X place (200 miles away) so I can't get here before 11.30 you need to get me to work from home". I pointed out that we are not set up for remote working, as a trainee he needs support of his team members to learn. I ask why he moved to X and he told me because he wanted to and hadn't thought it would be a problem even though his contract states he is office based. The level of entitlement he felt was unreal. I've been employed for a long time but have not seen anything like that, I should add that not all grads are like that in my experience bur it is becoming more common.

I work in a third level exams office and really wonder how some of the students will do when they eventually get out into the real world. Between showing up for exams without a calculator, or pen or other requirements and expecting us to have spares, or not having a valid ID to sit the exam, having their parents call up requesting extensions of deadlines or even their results. It's a real wonder what some of them are like

I knew you were going to say teachers! Part of my role is dealing with ECTs and trainees and 90% are honestly more hard work than our actual students. It is almost impossible to fail the ECT - we have had extensions of up to a YEAR. It’s killing us.