25th March 2009, 05:42 PM
As already noted, that the new comers to the industry will have to earn at least ?300 a week in order to pay for the cost of living as well to have spare money to broach repaying the student loan at the entry level.
We cannot as an industry allow our selves to become the only professional industry which pays below a finally returning level, required to attain the qualifications to enter the profession and remain for as long is afforable.
With the uyp coming prospects of a diminished work load and a gluttony of skilled staff, this may appear to be an employers market.
But a warning
In the eyes of the governement it is expecting professions and industries to pay their own way, so ultimately and in the long run the pay must be raised in order to account for the cost of employability.
In the short term you camn sort the wheat from the chaff, but this is only going to bouy and float companies survival and in return diminish the industry and professions long term survival.
the entry pay grades must match the pay required to pay back even minimally the student loan, otherwise we as an industry are burdening the country with our presence financially.
No governement is going to provide funding for a heritage bill that is not going to balance it's own sheets.
this is serious.
we must combat the industries mindset of never paying back the student loan in a hobby profession, or we will have to sit out another toothless yapping.
RAO's need to be bearing in mind the work and co-ordination in order to maintain long term prospects.
you could use your own judgement and leave (if a RAO), but on the proviso of not matching, even at the approapriate time, the pay grades will only be a lead weight to the current situation and ongoing outlook.
txt is
Mike