unpaid interns

[Oxbeast]

Wow, a state-funded university education followed a long period of voluntary work while signing on and recieving taxable benefits. Those were the good old days all right.

[the invisible man]

I'm against it (unpaid 'internships', not extermination of the middle classesalthough I'd proceed logically and systematically, starting with the upper classes...)

I'm not familiar with biochemistry but I'm not convinced that it is or has been the norm for a whole swathe of other professions. I can't actually think of one to be honest.

Let's have some proper jobs. Of course there is no god-given right for a graduate to find a job any more than anyone else.

[Oxbeast]

It has always been normal in the law, particularly among barristers. A graduate would have to find a lawyer who would sponsor your pupillage, basically a year or so of professional training, and work for the chambers for free.

I am against internships, because they are a springboard for the well connected, and all but inaccessible for people without plenty of money.

[RedEarth]

quote:Originally posted by Austin Ainsworth

quote:Originally posted by RedEarth

Is there nothing in the AUP about advocating the murder of the middle classes!

Nope, first against the wall. [:p]

If you took the middle class out of archaeology there wouldn't be much left. Anyone who thinks that being an archaeologist makes them working class really is kidding themselves.

But on the subject of internships/volunteering a little bit is one thing but I have come across cases that really take the piss. If it was some sort of organised system or a cap on how long you could be 'used' as a volunteer that would be one thing.

[Windbag]

quote:Originally posted by Oxbeast

Wow, a state-funded university education followed a long period of voluntary work while signing on and recieving taxable benefits. Those were the good old days all right.

I know someone that did this recently, working as an administrator for a university for an extra ?10 a week on top of her jobseeker's. It was actually quite useful.

[GnomeKing]

Internships and Apprenticeships are the 'ideal' method for ensuring Sustainability within archaeology and a range of other proffesions.


jobs that depend on manual/technial aptitudes and situational application of experience - traditional crafts, forestry, mechanics, cooks, etc - all 'require some form of on-the-job learning, combined to varying extents with formal teaching.

Recently a county council civil engineer outlined the apprenticeship scheme run in a Highways/Roads department. Specifically it was belived the best way of sustainably securing well trained employees in the long term.

They often had problems because formal teaching could not really equip people with the nessescary proffesional skills/experience ......sound familiar?

Interstingly it was believed that if was far more preferable to have invested in a persons long-term training up to a certain level, than to recruit a person of the same level externally.

INterestingly, the starting salary for taht scheme was about the same as a Field Technician, but with a very clear wage progesiion over 2 years. Are entry level archaeology jobs, by default, apprectiships?

By managing intake and natural wastage gradualy they were able to avoid bulk hiring and firing, and enurse well trained and motivated teams...(sounds nice)


What hinders this kind of knowledge transmission and sustainable mainantnce of posts and jobs in archaeology?

-archaeological companies can not/ will not enter into longterm planning of this kind (eg 5 years)

-archaeologists move around too much?

-used as opertunity to make money from university/other courses, rather than fundemntal to sustainable business model?

-perhapes it goes on informally, all the time, on every site where individuals who are genuinley interested in archeology can not help but pass thier knowledge on?


GRaduates/New field staff will always have to learn on-the job, and will get a lot out of it. Like many other profesions some balance between materail modesty and the oppertunity to learn must be accepted.

~Perhapes it can be done better....but i am also cocernde about those who are providing all this on-the job training (esp field work) - are they being acknowledged?



I AM TRYING NOT TO BE A CYNIC.