Your tax dollars at work...or not.

[The Captain]

So DH is in training all this week.  His company is highly regulated and team members that provide support to outside contacts have to achieve several certifications (as in take a test and pass it).

One of the newly required certifications is in some type of IT system (Installing and configuring Windows Server 2012 - hey don't ask - I'm a tax person dammit, not an IT person).  The company is sending everyone in his department to some VERY expensive training ($2400 for one week and course materials) to give them the tools they need to pass the certification.

DH is in class with two other people from his team (they can't all be out at the same time so they're going in groups).  They get the course materials in advance (mailed to the home) and they have to do so many pages of review (DH spent half a Sunday and two weeknights on it).

There are three other people in DH's class besides his co-workers.  According to DH all admitted to being unemployed and attending the class on a work training grant. 

The first day one of the grant guys slowed the entire class down by asking questions which made it apparent he didn't do any of the advanced prep.  DH complained about him monopolizing the class to the instructor who promised he'd take control the second day.

Oh, and DH has 60 pages of reading and 10 pages of problems he has to do after class.

Second day same guy doesn't even show up until noon, forgets his book, and tries once again to make the class his personal tutoring session.  Instructor puts the brakes on him but still slows the class down.  DH says it's obvious he didn't do the assigned homework.

Today same guy isn't there now (DH isn't sure if he'll show up) and another one didn't show either.  So two of the three grant guys not really getting their money's (or rather - the taxpayer's money's ) worth out of the class.

Pretty sad, actually.

I just don't get it. 

[Tiny]

Human Nature is pretty interesting... there's the push and pull between "doing what you ought to do" and "doing what you want". I bet some of the 'grant' guys went with the 'pressure' they felt to take the grant money and go to the class - without really wanting to do it. It's better to take the grant/class and do nothing than to NOT accept/apply for the grant. In the former - they can "complain" about the quality of the class OR that something personal happened (their 8th cousin died unexpectedly - she was like a 'mother to me"!) to explain why they failed. If they didn't accept/apply for the grant they are admit they don't really want to do/be whatever it is they say they want to do/be.

It's sad, but not everyone can be helped...

[The Captain]

DH just texted me.  Private tutor guy showed up around 10 and is once again slowing down the whole class (it started at 8am btw).  DH is all raging CAPS on me and I'm telling him to tell the instructor to throw the guy out.

DH and his two coworkers (and I'm assuming grant guy who actually showed up on time and prepared) really need this class.  You shouldn't let one sabotage it for four.


I'd be going absolutely ballistic and not sitting there fuming.
 

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Grant guys and private pay professionals should not be in the same class. Pure and simple. Your DH should go above the instructor to complain. He has something at stake. Grant guy is probably just fulfilling an unemployment requirement.

[Opti]

There are three grant guys according to the OP and only one is being a jerk. Just because one is being a jerk should not mean anything more than one person is being a jerk for whatever reason. Maybe he is lazy, over his head, or whatever.

One person is just one person.

[zibazinski]

Yup, I stopped being polite about a classroom time waster in college and started telling them to SHUT UP and save their questions for after class. You'd be amazed at how that works. If the teacher has no balls, then the student has to.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

One guy is doing this, not all grant guys.  It could just as easily have been one of the company paid guys.

I've gotten sent to a lot of these in my career.  It seems like there is always one in the crowd.  It's frustrating as hell, agreed.  But it happens.

[The Captain]

I just think it's really sad and pathetic that two out of the three people that are having this opportunity handed to them on a silver platter, free of charge, are not taking full advantage of it.

DH texted me during his lunch.  The instructor has repeatedly told private tutor guy that he'll answer his questions after class or during break.  DH spoke to the instructor and apparently this class covers a lot of the same material as the MCSE (sp?) certification class and they get people trying to switch careers popping in every now and then.

I texted DH and told him to inform the instructor in no uncertain terms that if he doesn't get the class situation under control, they will expect a full refund for all three students as well as some form of compensation for their lost time.

If DH and his two co-workers have to re-take this class, just time wise - that will cause a huge cluster f@ck in departmental scheduling for the next 2-3 months.  The can't take certain types of customer support calls until they get this certification.

[zibazinski]

I think your DH needs to inform his business at what is going on as well.

[The Captain]

He did, on Monday.  Sent his boss a rather detailed e-mail after class ended.  

DH checked with one of his staff that went to the class two weeks ago and apparently the material that took DH's class a whole day to cover, was covered by the other class well before lunch the first day.  DH is wondering how much of the assigned reading and homework is really just stuff to keep them caught up.  DH spent three hours each night (Monday and Tuesday) doing what was assigned.  Focused and uninterrupted.

His boss called the training company and the sales rep stopped in during lunch yesterday to check in on things.  Both DH's boss and the training company are very aware there is an issue.