Q: I'd like to work in the sports and leisure industry so I would like to apply to a number of courses. What kind of job opportunities are there? What is the pay like?
- Kildare Leaving Cert
A: Because of increasing interest in sports and leisure, it's hoped that many more centres will open in the next few years. The Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management predicts a growth across the board from coaching to leisure management. There has also been a better organisational structure on a county basis, with new adventure centres in many rural areas as well as heritage parks and forest parks.
Many local authorities employ sports staff in parks and as swimming /life-savers. Hotels also are providing indoor leisure clubs and there are now six major waterworld centres.
Employment is expected to be at almost 10,000 full-time equivalents in the next years. Much of it is part-time and temporary and many of the jobs are not particularly well paid especially for attendants, receptionists, lifeguards and maintenance staff.
The following is a guide to pay scales: leisure attendants go from £9,500 to £11,000; supervisors from £12,000 to £15,000 and managers from £17,000 to £21,000.
Some courses provide both the academic and practical training. Work placement is sometimes available. A wide range of courses is available at undergraduate level in colleges such as DIT Cathal Brugha St, Waterford Institute of Technology, Sligo RTC, Cork Institute of Technology, Tralee RTC and Galway RTC (Castlbar Campus). Some colleges offer an add-on option at national diploma level and WIT has an add-on at degree level.
The PLC colleges have probably made the biggest and most creative contribution in this area - more than 20 courses are available, some of which would qualify you to work as an instructor. Some students transfer on completion of PLC courses to RTCs, institutes of technology or British universities. Some Dublin colleges such as St Kevin's Clogher Road, Colaiste Dhulaigh, Inchicore Vocational School and Colaiste Ide, Finglas, have a great selection of courses ranging from courses in association football to equitation studies to centre management and adventure sports. Some like Inchicore have options at HND (BTEC) as well as NCVA Level 2 in sports such as Gaelic football, soccer, hockey, basketball and rugby. Cavan College of Further Studies has a course in sport and recreation. Dun Laoghaire Community College has tennis coaching and management. Sallynoggin Senior College has fitness and leisure management and Colaiste Stiofain Naofa, Cork, has marine leisure management as well as general leisure and recreation, tourism and heritage management and sports leadership.
UCD also has a new diploma course in sports management.
More information is available from the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management - phone (01) 454 0399
Q: My daughter is under 16 and works in a local shop as a part-time worker but the owner wants her to work 40 hours or more. I think this is much too long a working week for her. What are her rights? How many hours can she work?
- Dublin reader
A: Your daughter's employer must abide by the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996 which states that she must be 16 to be in a regular full-time job. So she can't be legally employed for that number of hours. The work must not be harmful to her safety, health or development. However, during term time she may work eight hours a week on a regular basis and during holiday time she may work a maximum of 35 hours weekly.
However, if she is on work experience the total weekly working hours are 40, at a maximum of eight hours a day. After each four hours she is entitled to half an hour rest break and must have 14 consecutive hours off after a day's work. Each week she is entitled to two days off - they should be consecutive in so far as is practicable.
Since she is under 16, she may not be asked to work before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. Her employer must get your written permission and he must keep a record of her full name, date of birth, starting and finishing times for work, the pay rate and the total paid to her each week.
The employer is obliged to give her a copy of the official summary of the 1996 Act together with other details of the terms of employment within a month of taking up a job. Alternatively, you can get a copy of the summary of this Act from the Information Unit, Department of Enterprise and Employment, Davitt House, Adelaide Road, Dublin 2.
Since she is under the legal age for full-time employment, it should be possible to get the employer's agreement to give her a reasonable number of hours work per week. However, if you feel the work conditions do not meet the Act, you may make a complaint to the address above - remember, however, that you must do so within six months beginning on the date of the contravention to which the complaint relates. So, you should do so by the beginning of next May.
Q: Must I have an honours in Leaving Cert Irish to get into primary school teaching? I'd hope to get more than enough points in my Leaving Cert in June but I've just dropped down to the ordinary-level Irish.
- Meath student
A: You must have a HC3 in Leaving Cert Irish for entry to the bachelor of education degree for national teaching for any of the teacher training colleges. The only exception is the Church of Ireland Training College in Rathmines, Dublin - if there are insufficient candidates from the college with the higher-level grade C3, places may be offered in order of merit; first come candidates with Grade D3 on higher and then those with C3 on ordinary level. Candidates must meet all other specified requirements for the college and the degree course - one is that you must be a member of one of the Protestant churches.
Another option is to repeat in 1999 and hope to get your HC3 grade. You may then combine the 1998 points with the subject requirement in Irish from 1999 and gain entry in September 1999.
Questions can be answered only through this column and not by phone or post. Write to Sile Sheehy, Education & Living, The Irish Times, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 - or by email to education@irish-times.ie
