BSc (Hons)Fire and Rescue

[longjohn]

I know of a firefighter overseas who sent me this link, its for a 3 year full time or 5/6 years part time or distance learning. just wondering if anyone on firenet is aware of it? It seems to be a brand new course, just interested in the background, level of moderators/teaching etc. 



http://courses.wlv.ac.uk/course.asp?code=LW030H31UVD

[Dinnertime Dave]

Similar course here at UCLAN

http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/bsc_hons_fire_leadership_studies.php

They've been doing this course for a number of years.

[longjohn]

Thanks Dave I'll get him to have a look

[Tom Sutton]

A big difference is Wolverhampton offer part time and distance learning, Central Lancashire has offered theirs for sometime like the first and considered the best Edinburgh, ask Colin.

[Mike Buckley]

There appear to be a number of these courses about the place. There is an issue in that these courses claim to prepare a person for a post in the fire service the problem being that there is very little recruitment going on at the moment. Also you have to predict whether or not the recruitment will have changed in 3 years time when you graduate.

I know someone who did one of these courses and graduated last year, not only could he not get a job but a number of his colleagues who had been promised jobs in the fire service when they started were told very sorry there are no jobs available.

[wee brian]

You'd be better off doing a conventional degree. Maybe management, engineering or one of the sciences.  Saying that I know a fire-fighter with a degree in philosophy.

[longjohn]

There appear to be a number of these courses about the place. There is an issue in that these courses claim to prepare a person for a post in the fire service the problem being that there is very little recruitment going on at the moment. Also you have to predict whether or not the recruitment will have changed in 3 years time when you graduate.

I know someone who did one of these courses and graduated last year, not only could he not get a job but a number of his colleagues who had been promised jobs in the fire service when they started were told very sorry there are no jobs available.

Thanks for this Mike, He is already in the service in one of the Gulf states, been in about a year. I think the distance learning element appealed to him

[longjohn]

Just to add a point, this degree is no different to the 100's of other (mostly)young folks coming out of the other end and lucky if they get bar work or similar! At least this chap is already employed in the service thank goodness, you can't help feeling for some of them being given such false hope and parting with their cash can you.

[Dinnertime Dave]

I think the idea of these courses is to prepare the student for a career in the fire service. Not necessarily operational, part of the UCLAN course used to be a retained firefighter course although this I believe was optional.

Incidentally I've seen more brigades recruiting in the last few months than in the previous 3 years.

[colin todd]

Demographic time bomb, Suppers.

[nearlythere]

Wouldn't help in NI. Everybody goes through the same mincer. Even Dotty would have to climb a ladder to show he was listening to the instructions from the assessor. Is that possible?