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Hi All, I feel I must reply and clarify a few points: · The BM roles job description states a degree is desirable, and experience of working at public events and public speaking is essential. · The living wage campaign has been around since 2001 years, supported by Boris Johnson and highlighted in the Evening Standard, Guardian, and Metro newspapers · Comparisons to retail, catering, call centres, and other customer service roles in hospitality are not helpful – these are sectors renowned for their low pay, low morale, and restrictive working practices. · Having worked in workforce development for over 8 years I understand the need to diversify the workforce. This can be achieved through engaging with communities, changing the perception of museums, highlighting what the sector can offer people in their work, careers, life, and decently paid trainee positions. Low paid temporary work is not a good way to encourage people into the profession. Paddy From: Alison Lightbown [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 16 November 2011 13:32 To: PMcN JISCMAIL; [log in to unmask] Subject: RE: GEM web ad: Family Learning Facilitator - British Museum Hi All, I do feel the need to wade in and put a different view across at the risk of being tarred and feathered. Whilst I can not comment on the BM job. I will explain our reasoning for having similar roles at the GM. Our rate is above minimum wage but below the £8.30 recommended for London as at the time of setting up the roles this had not been mentioned anywhere and therefore not factored into the budgets for the next 3 years. Our roles - activity assistants - are designed for those who do not have previous experience, do not need any qualifications, they are not skilled workshop facilitators or educators and they are additional to these roles, providing support, signing children into workshops, manning the activity desk etc We hope these appeal to a broad range of people who are looking to gain some skills, experience, confidence in a supportive environment, all we ask for are particular attributes such as enthusiasm and being punctual/reliable. We provide training, support and an opportunity to gain some experience to add to a CV perhaps alongside studying. Our contracts are also zero hours, this is not any different to retail, catering, or customer service roles in hospitality or at sports venues. The rates the BM are paying is also similar to these roles and better than most call centres and high street retailers. However we do do termly rotas so there is regular work. If we are ever going to diversify our workforce we need a plethora of jobs and a plethora of routes in. We hoped to attract local young people (and have done so) into these roles, who perhaps had little or no experience and or were studying. We hope that some of them will consider a career in our sector. Of course there are also some over qualified and more experienced people amongst the group too. They make for a well-rounded mix to a group of highly valued and enthusiatic activity assistants. I had a similar role, on a similar equivalent pay for that time, at the V&A at the beginning of my career - it did not need me to have an MA to do it - just bags of energy and enthusiasm. I was grateful for the pay as up until then everything I had done in a museum had been voluntary/unpaid. The experience was fantastic, great fun and I developed skills and experience that have stood me in good stead throughout my career. I have extremely fond memories and picked up a well-loved old relic of a husband in the galleries as well! Can't be bad hey? Best wishes Alison _____ From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of PMcN JISCMAIL [[log in to unmask]] Sent: 16 November 2011 11:11 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: GEM web ad: Family Learning Facilitator - British Museum I think the wage is insulting. Whilst I understand that wages in the museum sector are never going to brilliant there is a responsibility for institutions to pay a ‘living wage’ and not set wages at what they think they can get away with. Whilst this is understandably very difficult for smaller institutions, for an organisation of the size and standing of the British Museum to not even offer the Living Wage (current recommended as £8.30 in London, £7.20 outside of London – http://www.citizensuk.org/campaigns/living-wage-campaign/ ) is really unacceptable. Surely they should lead by example. Also, the zero hour contract thing, an unfortunately increasing part of modern employers practice. In my mind it is unfair on employees to be offered the prospect of work, but not actually have any job security even when appointed to the job. It seems to a regression in employment practice in a modern society. I would advise anyone looking for paid work in the museum sector to steer clear of jobs like this at leading Nationals – go for jobs at smaller museums, where they’re unlikely get paid more but will get a lot more experience on a wider range of projects which will better in the long run for their career. Paddy From: Nia McIntosh [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 15 November 2011 09:37 Subject: Re: GEM web ad: Family Learning Facilitator - British Museum Disgusting though it may be most of my volunteers (graduates in particular) are finding it difficult to find any paid work in the Museum sector and particularly in Education roles – they would definitely take work on for this amount, or indeed any wage, because there are hundreds applying for every role. One of my volunteers has moved on to paid work in a cultural organisation where she now runs front of house, learning, outreach and operations on her own 3 days a week, and I know for a fact she is working on well below £8 an hour. From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lisa Rigg Sent: 15 November 2011 09:28 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: GEM web ad: Family Learning Facilitator - British Museum A disgusting hourly rate. I pay my babysitter the same. My cleaner more, and yes I was earning the same per hour in 1988 when, aged 16, I worked on the weekend. Lisa On 15 Nov 2011, at 08:24, David Birks wrote: I earned £7.19 an hour as a cleaner in Homebase 8 years ago (before the pay rise). David Birks Trowbridge From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of georgina allen Sent: 14 November 2011 18:20 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: GEM web ad: Family Learning Facilitator - British Museum My babysitter gets more than this! _____ Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:39:39 +0000 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: GEM web ad: Family Learning Facilitator - British Museum To: [log in to unmask] My local primary school is also advertising for lunch time supervisors at £7.19 an hour for guaranteed hours.... Sent from my iPhone On 14 Nov 2011, at 16:29, GEM Office <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From GEM Office The following job ad has just been placed on the GEM website: Job Title Family Learning Facilitator Organisation British Museum Location London Salary £7.30 per hour Type Zero hour contract Closing date 12.00 on Monday 28 November 2011 Please visit <http://www.gem.org.uk/jobads/jobads_menu.html> www.gem.org.uk/jobads/jobads_menu.html for more details of this and other job ads. _____ GEM, 54 Balmoral Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 4PG, UK Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1634 853424 Email: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] <http://www.gem.org.uk/> www.gem.org.uk GEM is a registered charity number 1090995 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England number 149246 _____ This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. 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