Job Discussion Forums

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

Any gossip on this outfit?

Golightly · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:55 pm Post subject:

A bunch of asset-stripping curs, owned by a property speculation company, who take over ESOL provision at FE colleges, then sack the staff and re-employ them with shittier contracts.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Thrifty, I thought you were getting out of EFL/ESL and starting a chip shop van empire.

Robski · Joined: 18 Feb 2007 Posts: 50 Location: Middle Europe

I was wondering if it was the same outfit that I worked for. I worked for Language Solutions based in Colbath Square, London. (website: langsols.com)

I have nothing bad to say about them as such, but I was not too happy with the management in Baku. The problem, as I see it, is that the local management have too much control, and decisions seemed to be a bit arbitrary. The 'manager' himself didn't really have control and decisions were very much in the hands of a couple of office doers who spent too much time tapping away on the computer and not enough time teaching. They would hand out the crap and difficult clients to others and keep the best ones for themselves.

There was a bit of a local power queen, which was a shame, because she just irritated other teachers into leaving. It could have been a fabulous organistation but just wasn't, and the London bosses never really checked what was going on. If they popped in on us in Baku they would never ask the teachers how things were going.

I would say that if the local manager is fair and equal it will be good. If he's a prat then it will be crap.

Rather than I chip van, I was thinking of learning to drive a tram in Wolverhampton.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

Golightly, do tell us more... I used to work in ESOL in FE (ah, I still dream of the codes, the codes I say, damn the codes)... Better slip out for an aperitivo and I'll calm down....

Thrifty, look forward to it...

Nashledanou · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 64

Cannot anyone give more info? I am interested too, as I have an interview in London with them next week

Nashledanou · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 64

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

Mark is not a TEFLer-he inherited some money and set up with a partner-Crispin.

JonnyB61 · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 216 Location: Japan

In Stegsy we trust · Joined: 08 Dec 2008 Posts: 1

"Mark" would be Mark Trier, he looks at people as a number on an accounts balance sheet not a person with needs. Ever heard of "trying to get blood out of a stone" ? Very apt for him.

Barry Shorten is the real villian of the story mind, a confirmed lier and alcoholic, he once demanded a DOS in Kuwait have a "bottle" waiting for him when he got off the plane. Its strange that out of all the staff that have gone through the door of PTC in Ahmadi via Langsols that only 1 DOS completed a year. An examinations officer worked 11 months and saved the final month as vacation and 2 teachers actually survived a full year and finished out their contract, more than 6 were fired and over 10 quit below the six month marker.

Hell it got so bad that MCSKW/Langsols almost lost the contract this year and so had to start offering 3 and 6 month temporary contracts to entice teachers so they could fill the required number of 12 Teachers, 1 Examinations Officer / Assistant DOS and a DOS. Despite efforts they have never managed it and by all accounts are normally operating at half the required number of staff.

I would be careful with these people and MCSKW, if you play ball with them make sure you know all the rules... Rolling Eyes

getbacktorussia · Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 3

I must say I am poorly disappointed with the quality of the discussion on this particular notice board. It contains niether specificty, detail or useful generalisations.

As one of the people described in these pages I clarify for you that Barry Shorten is not an alcoholic or villain. In addition, several members of staff were dismissed for pretty shoddy work or gross misdemeanour or just plain unprofessionalism.

This is a tough posting but probably suits teachers who want to break into the middle east and earn a bit more cash. Kuwaitis can be problematic to teach and this tends to put plenty of stresses and strains on teachers. Often this means poor performance in the classroom, or many and vaired neurotic episodes.

So teachers were sacked or chose to move on to better opportunities. This is fairly common in Kuwait especially since entry to the country requires purchase of a visa at the airport now. I worked for IPE before it was IPETQ, ILC, ELS, and BITE. All operate on a similar basis and as the marketplace is very competitive and the contract goes to the lowest bidder in the second stage of eliminations, initially tenders are subject to quality related criteria, salaries are bound to be retarded. As a package then the PLS one, bound as it was by the demands of the marketplace, was probably insufficient to retain good quality teachers with the requisite qualifications. This is more to do with maths than malevolent forces. While with ELS on the military contract in 1997, several American teachers were hired for a team totalling around 30. Teaching for the vast majority in Shabby Asylum Gulag was delayed for 2.5 months or thereabouts. Once teaching did begin the casualties were many. I think more than 10 teachers must have left.

There is probably a disjunct between the pedagogical and business cultures in PLS, but despite that Barry Shorten is a very capable and logical soul to have around and does his best to bridge this apparant gap.

Oh and by the way I am not Barry Shorten. Though I did spend a year of my time on the PLS Kuwait contract.

Marquess · Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 165

Barry is a joke-a alkie, sad useless lieing excuse for a human being. Mark and Crispin likewise.

getbacktorussia · Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 3

As I said, the level of discussion is poor. Today is 25 years since the British miners strike and I would strongly encourage a more intelligent and considered level of debate. At the moment, the discussion appears to be highly subjectivist, influenced by the prevailing culture of sniping generated by a Hit Man and Her hangover and Simon Cowell culture - ie the worker in the chicken factory who sings likes chickens and not his intended target. Stop doffing your cap with the path of least resistance and address the real world.

Please bring something baring rationally to the debate to the table, not some sour grapes dead chicken.

getbacktorussia · Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 3

As I said, the level of discussion is poor. Today is 25 years since the British miners strike and I would strongly encourage a more intelligent and considered level of debate. At the moment, the discussion appears to be highly subjectivist, influenced by the prevailing culture of sniping generated by a Hit Man and Her hangover and Simon Cowell culture - ie the worker in the chicken factory who sings likes chickens and not his intended target. Stop doffing your cap with the path of least resistance and address the real world.

Please bring something rational to the debate to the table, not some sour grapes dead chicken.