Pluspunten
You get trauma bonded with your peers (other tutors) and some of them are pretty cool.
Minpunten
Don't take the sudden influx of positive reviews at face value. After a wave of negative reviews, staff were encouraged by management to post positive ones while the company was struggling to recruit.
Benefits are virtually non-existent unless you work in administration or management. Those teams receive paid nights out and other perks, while frontline staff are largely excluded. Every year we have zero bonus or perks or even a thank you. When I’ve worked in minimum wage industries or jobs we even got a thank you and a present at Christmas, here you get nothing or a candy cain pen that fell to bits during use, while managers and selected staff get paid Christmas meals or nights out.
Raising genuine concerns is discouraged. If you challenge decisions or prioritise learner outcomes over financial targets, the response is often along the lines of, "If you don't like it, there's the door."
Staff are routinely forced to enrol on apprenticeships that appear to benefit the organisation financially rather than support their own development. Choices are limited, programmes don't always align with job roles, protected study time is difficult to access, and there is pressure to record off-the-job hours that don't accurately reflect reality.
The "bums on seats" culture creates constant anxiety. Learners are sometimes enrolled onto courses that don't feel appropriate, with the emphasis placed on getting them through rather than ensuring the programme is right for them.
Caseloads and deadlines are excessive, and despite working under immense pressure, you're regularly made to feel that your efforts are never good enough.
I've never experienced management speaking to staff as disrespectfully as I have here. There seems to be a belief that managerial status justifies speaking to employees without basic professionalism or respect.
Meetings often focus on telling staff they are underperforming rather than offering constructive support or solutions.
Caseload expectations are unrealistic. Staff are told not to complain because the "national average" is around 65 learners, despite many carrying workloads at or well above that level.
The role frequently consumes evenings and weekends, with an unspoken expectation to work unpaid. When overtime is approved, payment can take months to arrive or be split into small amounts over an extended period.
Staff turnover is incredibly high. It became common for employees to joke about how long new starters would last.
Career progression appears to depend more on favouritism than merit. Development opportunities are limited, and job security often feels uncertain or threatened.
Without question, this is the most toxic workplace I've ever experienced. I genuinely wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
During a so-called quality conference, an anonymous QR code was provided for feedback. However, when critical comments were submitted, a director challenged attendees to identify themselves if they were "brave enough," undermining confidence that feedback was genuinely welcome.
In my experience, workplace practices often failed to reflect the standards I would expect from a professional employer. I was concerned about how concerns were handled and whether proper processes were consistently followed.
I would think very carefully before sharing personal struggles or safeguarding concerns. In my experience, sensitive information was not always treated with the confidentiality or professionalism I would expect, and often gossiped about in the managers office.
I'm not someone who cries easily, but this role affected my mental wellbeing more than any job I've ever had. It left me feeling stressed, anxious and in tears on multiple occasions.