Seems A Bit Off

[sherrardk]

Boy #1 found out today (during his induction at uni) that if he is successful with his paramedic science degree he’s still got to fork out nearly 1k to pass the ‘ambulance driving licence getting bit’, seems a bit off considering the money he’s forking out for tuition, etc. (Oh, and he had to have a hep B injection (first of 3) and have his blood taken to be tested for TB, HIV and hep A).

[douglas9401]

Fair play to the young man. He could be spending money on wild women, drinking and dancing then wasting the rest.

It's a valued job and I hope it all works out. :-)

[sherrardk]

He just messaged to say he’s been charged £5.10 for a pint in rough pub with good ‘chill out’ music (where druggies go to come down) after passing a bloke in the street having a barbecue on a shopping trolley.

[maggiebee]

Wouldn't worry about it until he's actually graduated from Uni. He will then be applying for jobs and it may be that not all prospective employers will expect him to fork out for an ambulance driving licence. My son was put through his coach driving tuition and test by the firm employing him.

[ummmm]

Lol...My son goes back next week to a new house so I'll have to wait for any stories.

[retrocop]

//He just messaged to say he’s been charged £5.10 for a pint in rough pub with good ‘chill out’ music (where druggies go to come down) after passing a bloke in the street having a barbecue on a shopping trolley.//

Welcome to the land of reality and carp. A colleague of mine two weeks ago was charged nearly £7 for a pint of Bitter in a Knaphill, Surrey Pub. :-(

[sherrardk]

Retro, we live in a quiet village just outside Hereford, it’s not exactly rock and roll here (our post office is in a van). It’ll do him good to live a bit - he knows how to have a good time but does it sensibly (I was rat arsed for 90% of the time I was at uni).

[THECORBYLOON]

Only 90%? What a girly swot!

[Cloverjo]

// he’s still got to fork out nearly 1k to pass the ‘ambulance driving licence getting bit//

How ridiculous is that? Jeez.

[retrocop]

//(our post office is in a van)//

Post Office?. Ruddy Post Office you say? When I were a lad we only had carrier pigeons.!

[sherrardk]

TCL, I was there for 4 years so I was pacing myself.

Clover, it seems a bit much - he wants to be a paramedic (and help people) not drive a tour bus with his Madonna Studies degree.

Retro - it’s surreal, it’s like an individual post office cubicle but it’s wobbly.

[shoota]

I'd suggest he checks with the Ambulance service that the driving bit is actually required for his employment. I would have thought that would have been done 'in house' when he was deemed suitable for driving duties. It may just be an extraneous money spinning scheme...

[sherrardk]

Shoota - maybe they’re preparing them for the worst, the induction seems quite heavy going but I think it’s going to be quite a heavy going course (or it could be because I couldn’t possibly do anything with goo and gore and there’s a lot of real-life placements - bleugh).

[shoota]

I've found this: (I forgot about the new regs…)
Also, when applying to an ambulance service trust as a student paramedic or once you are are fully qualified, the trust will expect you to have a full, manual driving licence when you apply. If you passed your test after 1996, you may need an extra driving qualification to drive larger vehicles and carry passengers. Ambulance service trusts use vehicles of different sizes, so check carefully which classifications you need on your licence.

[sherrardk]

Thanks for that, I did look it up earlier. It seems ‘older’ people are exempt under some grandfather thing but younger people aren’t. But 1K, fresh out of uni. He’ll sort it out p, it’s just a lot of new stuff at the moment (the things have also started high school this year with mixed results).