DaleC
Contributor
It's not a stupid argument at all. If you don't think its worthwhile to take steps to secure your job or earn higher pay I don't know what to say. Since when did that become a dirty word? Groups all over the world band together to protect their common interests - it's not a new concept. Who's doing that for dive instructors and DM's?
Anyone...
Yes colleges etc... teach people and may over saturate a market in some areas but they do not do so in such an obvoius conflict of interest. They don't also control the employer and the professional association.
Universities and colleges do not charge thousands of dollars to train teachers and then turn around and propose to hire them for free. Nurses and computer techs do not spend thousands on their education and then stand by while volunteers are brought in to take their jobs. That is what we are talking about here. Yes those employees may face cut backs or may see their jobs sent overseas but, if they have a professional association of some sort, that association usually lobbies on their behalf and doesn't endorse the exploiter. And those teachers, nurses and computer techs don't stand around and actually argue with themselves as to whether their jobs should be done for free or not. Most other industry workers have no problem believing in the value of their work.
I don't think PADI should stop teaching instructors but at what point does this industry sit down and look at what exactly it is producing. Right now it just seems to be engaged in a race to the bottom. Everybody knows it and not to many seem to care. Is that because, like those who teach just so they can offset their scuba expenses, they were never that committed to the industry in the first place.
My question still stands. What's PADI doing in this case, to protect the dive professionals it represents, from exploitation by an employer?
And I'm not PADI bashing. In this case the employer is a PADI dive center so that is the agency that should be held to account.
Anyone...
Yes colleges etc... teach people and may over saturate a market in some areas but they do not do so in such an obvoius conflict of interest. They don't also control the employer and the professional association.
Universities and colleges do not charge thousands of dollars to train teachers and then turn around and propose to hire them for free. Nurses and computer techs do not spend thousands on their education and then stand by while volunteers are brought in to take their jobs. That is what we are talking about here. Yes those employees may face cut backs or may see their jobs sent overseas but, if they have a professional association of some sort, that association usually lobbies on their behalf and doesn't endorse the exploiter. And those teachers, nurses and computer techs don't stand around and actually argue with themselves as to whether their jobs should be done for free or not. Most other industry workers have no problem believing in the value of their work.
I don't think PADI should stop teaching instructors but at what point does this industry sit down and look at what exactly it is producing. Right now it just seems to be engaged in a race to the bottom. Everybody knows it and not to many seem to care. Is that because, like those who teach just so they can offset their scuba expenses, they were never that committed to the industry in the first place.
My question still stands. What's PADI doing in this case, to protect the dive professionals it represents, from exploitation by an employer?
And I'm not PADI bashing. In this case the employer is a PADI dive center so that is the agency that should be held to account.
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