AV CPG

[melclin]

I guess this really is the crux of the problem, Universities advocate that degreed students are "qualified" but "not yet road ready"

Yes, I think it might be nice to see education and better integration between the unis and AV, take a higher priority over internal (university and AV) and state politics, but I'd also like a date with Megan Fox. The probability of either of those two things happening are roughly equal it would seem.

I think you need to seperate your ride along time and the AV GAP program. Your ride alongs are nothing more than a fimiliarisation. The GAP program is where you are expected to develope as an ambo. You must remember that academic knowledge is the only thing expected of you when you get a job, and that you meet your 16 and 24 week targets. most new grads come unstuck at 16 weeks when they STILL dont know their CPG's.

As to being jerked around by AV, dont take it personally. Its just typical large government department dysfunction. We are chronically short of CI's for our own students, we are understaffed and our rosters are a mess because of the increasing workloads and changing demographics. We can barely maintain a training capacity to train QAP's, unfortunately in this regard you guys will always be a lower priority. While "ride hours" may be compulsory requirment for VU or Monash, its certainly not a requirement for us.

Fair point. Acknowledged.

As to the VIC GOVT being a stakeholder that should be consulted with, the real issue is that AV is apuppet, we dont consult with them, we get told what to do, quite evident in the last EB

I wasn't saying they should be consulted with, just that they had pressured AV to push through grads that were marked for performance management (I think I'm getting the term right) to make up the numbers, as you mention bellow.

In fact a great example of this is the transion program that was suposed to be done away with. It was regularly noted by the clinical department that taking grads at the end of their second year while they finished their degree idea SEEMED like a good idea, in reality did not work nearly as well as it was hoped. The reality is that SPT's were spending all their energy on uni subjects that they were failing in their clinical practice. RAV did away with this program, only to be MADE to bring it back when VIC GOVT made a public announcement about recruiting numbers that they could not meet, and it was quickly re-instated.

this was wholly appropriate at the time because the RAV GAP program was 2 years long, making a total of 5 years to become a QAP (uni included), under the new AV (read MAS) GAP program, its less than 12 months.

I read about the two year GAP program in a book recently published by Peter O'Meara amongst many others, and it sounded excellent. Shame.

RAV was far ahead of MAS in the way its students were brought into the system, and its very frustrating we have regressed because of this "merger"

Very interesting post indeed, Bushy.

While I hate to say it; I think a big improvement in the quality of graduates would come from not taking 18 year old's out of school and perhaps shifting back to taking people a few years older who have done something out there in the big wide world; work, travel etc so they know how to talk to people and have general life skills which I know first hand, school-leavers just don't have.

Yes well, I hate to agree with you. It sure would have been a pain in the arse if I had to wait, as it would have been for the numerous other students in my course who are mature, who work hard, and who are dedicated to becoming excellent paramedics. Because of that group, I think it would be unfortunate to make people like that postpone their education to weed out the idiots or those who are otherwise unsuited. I think you are right that it would work, at least in part, but I think there is probably a better way of doing it, that can achieve the goal of better selection without preventing competent youngsters from at least beginning their education. Like requiring more years to qualify, whatever that may end up meaning.

On a side note, the fact that a degree/full license is required does effectively make the minimum age at least 21, which is no different to the police cops, still I have my issues with them as well .

[BushyFromOz]

You lost me at Meagan Fox!

I wasn't saying they should be consulted with, just that they had pressured AV to push through grads that were marked for performance management (I think I'm getting the term right) to make up the numbers, as you mention bellow.

Actually, with th reduction in time flexibility given to the GAP program, there was a significant increase in the number of students in the metro area on performance management contracts! This is not exactly documented, anecdotal i know, but my sources are at least 4 CSO's so im inclined to believe it!