More university faculties require their potential students to go through the Preparatory Year. With so many universities now offering a Preparatory year, the number of students in some universities exceeds 5,000!
With the need to provide teachers, sub-contracting companies are filling the vacuum.
There are potential pitfalls though. As it becomes harder to reruit 'qualified' staff, and with a shortage of visas for direct staff, the number of sub-contractors are now outnumbering direct hire staff.
For some, sub-contracting companies take the 'hassle' out of recruitment. No need to deal with the 'headache' of direct hires. Just let the 'contracting companies' deal with 'problem'.
Whereas the solution may appear simple, is this really the right step forward?
Direct hire staff, are obligated to their employer ( the university) and contract renewal usually reflects performance on the job. Further, direct hires will go through a much more rigorous recruitment process.
Sub-contracting forms on the other hand, need to provide the numbers to fulfil the demand for teachers by their clients (the universities). How does this impact on quality? And, sub-contracting firms are probably concerned about the bottom line. Profit and Return on Investment matters.
Further, when one thinks of sub-contracting firms, one thinks of 'mercenaries'. Are their interests the client, or making a hefty buck! Sub-contracted teachers are also open to exploitation. Sub-contracting requires heavy capital investment. A shortage of liquidity could sometimes mean delay in salary payments.This blog suggests that the way forward in the short-term may be sub-contracting firms, but for the medium and long-term, there needs to be a strategy for ensuring that properly qualified and direct hire staff are employed.
The danger however, is that with so much money being banded around by the sub-contracting firms the future of our students may not be the priority.
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