Rich Facey
Well-known member
I'm going to jump in here and present a trainer's perspective:
I am a trainer and I'm not actively looking for trainees. I don't need too as this year alone I've had seven training requests. None have been taken on. Why? I already have three trainees and do not have the capacity to take on more.
My decision is not about maintaining a clique. And its not because I'm not '...looking to help others'. Its about time or more importantly the lack of it.
Like the vast majority of BTO trainers I am a volunteer, I have a full time job and other draws on my time such as a partner; she is very understanding but does like me to spend time with her. I therefore do not do as much ringing as I would like. I work in partnership with another trainer who has more commitment in the form of a wife and toddler.
Therefore I take on as many trainees, as will all trainers, as my activity allows. I do this to ensure people are trained in a reasonable time. It takes at least two years to train (in the UK at least) for a "full" C-permit. If I took on more trainees, it would take even more time. Would you be prepared to take 5 to 10 years to train because your trainer keeps taking on trainees? Because if I was to take on everyone, every year, that asks me to train them that would be the time frames involved. So where do I draw the line? You? The next person? The person after that? No, I stick to three as that is as many as I can teach and pass on my skill too in a reasonable span of time without compromising the standard of tuition. I work with each of those as intensely as time allows, get them on to permits as quickly as their development allows and take on a new trainee when one "graduates".
If people happen to contacted me when I don't have a space I estimate when the next will come available and tell them to contact me then. Or offer for them to tag along on a few sessions. Most don't come back to me on the former and a surprising number bail on the latter when I mention a meeting time of 5am.
It also takes time to manage and run sites and training someone comes with paperwork too. Permit renewal is coming up soon which will mean a training review with each of my trainees which will involve meeting each individually to go over their training over the last year and plan for the year head. This is on top on ringing sessions and everything else I need to do.
The issue, at least in the UK, is not that trainers are unwilling to take on trainees or to help others. No the issue is that demand out strips supply - there are far far far more people wanting to train to ring birds than there are trainers. Plain and simple. I would dearly like to be able to train more people but I just don't have the time and therefore capacity to do so, and I am not willing to compromise on standards or the experience.
I am a trainer and I'm not actively looking for trainees. I don't need too as this year alone I've had seven training requests. None have been taken on. Why? I already have three trainees and do not have the capacity to take on more.
My decision is not about maintaining a clique. And its not because I'm not '...looking to help others'. Its about time or more importantly the lack of it.
Like the vast majority of BTO trainers I am a volunteer, I have a full time job and other draws on my time such as a partner; she is very understanding but does like me to spend time with her. I therefore do not do as much ringing as I would like. I work in partnership with another trainer who has more commitment in the form of a wife and toddler.
Therefore I take on as many trainees, as will all trainers, as my activity allows. I do this to ensure people are trained in a reasonable time. It takes at least two years to train (in the UK at least) for a "full" C-permit. If I took on more trainees, it would take even more time. Would you be prepared to take 5 to 10 years to train because your trainer keeps taking on trainees? Because if I was to take on everyone, every year, that asks me to train them that would be the time frames involved. So where do I draw the line? You? The next person? The person after that? No, I stick to three as that is as many as I can teach and pass on my skill too in a reasonable span of time without compromising the standard of tuition. I work with each of those as intensely as time allows, get them on to permits as quickly as their development allows and take on a new trainee when one "graduates".
If people happen to contacted me when I don't have a space I estimate when the next will come available and tell them to contact me then. Or offer for them to tag along on a few sessions. Most don't come back to me on the former and a surprising number bail on the latter when I mention a meeting time of 5am.
It also takes time to manage and run sites and training someone comes with paperwork too. Permit renewal is coming up soon which will mean a training review with each of my trainees which will involve meeting each individually to go over their training over the last year and plan for the year head. This is on top on ringing sessions and everything else I need to do.
The issue, at least in the UK, is not that trainers are unwilling to take on trainees or to help others. No the issue is that demand out strips supply - there are far far far more people wanting to train to ring birds than there are trainers. Plain and simple. I would dearly like to be able to train more people but I just don't have the time and therefore capacity to do so, and I am not willing to compromise on standards or the experience.
