Hi All,
I've been reading this forum for a quite a while,but never posted before. Have found this site to very informative and extremely helpful in getting my cert.111. After raising my own 9 children I decided to go into a career that I absolutely love, doing cert111 and getting all my certificates etc, but when going for jobs I get the impression my age (52) is going against me. I finally got a position in a centre and loved working with the children which was great, until they took on younger relief workers, my hours kept getting less and less until I was only getting one 3hr lunch shift a week, when asking the director why I was informed that she couldn't give me hours that weren't available fair enough but the two new staff were getting 15-20hrs a week. I had joked with one of the new workers that she would be taking my hours as she was a tafe student there and I was showing her how to change nappies etc, I didn't realise how true that would be as soon as her course finished she was employed by the centre. I feel like I was discriminated against due to my age, as I feel that I worked hard and followed all the procedures and policies, didn't complain about the fact my main role seemed to be cleaning and put up working with rude and unfriendly people. All of the staff including the director are young and I wasn't made to feel welcome in the centre even after working there for 5mths. I would have put up with it all though just to be working and caring for the children, but I had to resign as travel to and from the centre was a hour each way for only 3hrs work once a week and it was just not worth it. Sorry for ranting, but it feels good to write it down, anyhow I was just after some opinions on whether I should go ahead and complete my diploma at Tafe this year or do you think I am too old to compete with young people for positions at childcare centres? Any advice would be welcomed.
I've been reading this forum for a quite a while,but never posted before. Have found this site to very informative and extremely helpful in getting my cert.111. After raising my own 9 children I decided to go into a career that I absolutely love, doing cert111 and getting all my certificates etc, but when going for jobs I get the impression my age (52) is going against me. I finally got a position in a centre and loved working with the children which was great, until they took on younger relief workers, my hours kept getting less and less until I was only getting one 3hr lunch shift a week, when asking the director why I was informed that she couldn't give me hours that weren't available fair enough but the two new staff were getting 15-20hrs a week. I had joked with one of the new workers that she would be taking my hours as she was a tafe student there and I was showing her how to change nappies etc, I didn't realise how true that would be as soon as her course finished she was employed by the centre. I feel like I was discriminated against due to my age, as I feel that I worked hard and followed all the procedures and policies, didn't complain about the fact my main role seemed to be cleaning and put up working with rude and unfriendly people. All of the staff including the director are young and I wasn't made to feel welcome in the centre even after working there for 5mths. I would have put up with it all though just to be working and caring for the children, but I had to resign as travel to and from the centre was a hour each way for only 3hrs work once a week and it was just not worth it. Sorry for ranting, but it feels good to write it down, anyhow I was just after some opinions on whether I should go ahead and complete my diploma at Tafe this year or do you think I am too old to compete with young people for positions at childcare centres? Any advice would be welcomed.
,
Diana
I am now enrolled in TAFE to do my diploma, I am concentrating on getting it done as soon as possible. Hopefully it will improve my chances of getting work, I am going to have to find a centre to do my practs in, so maybe volunteer work might lead to something, although ideally I want paid employment. I have applied numerous times to the big franchises (Goodstart and Stepping Stone etc) online, but I never hear back from them, has anyone else had this problem? In the area where I live the franchises seem to have the monopoly and the only way to apply seems to be through their website. Once again thanks for your input, cheers Diana 