NVQ queery

[southportram]

I work in a nursery as a nursery assistant and have been doing my NVQ level 3 to become a nursery nurse for a year, my boss is carrying out appraisals at the minute and today, one of the other girls, who has just started her NVQ, was in her appraisal and was given a letter that had to be signed and returned to the bosses saying that if she leaves in the next three years (2 years for her NVQ and twelve months as a qualified) then she will have to pay the nursery �1100.

Noone is quite sure what will happen if she doesnt sign it but all of us that are doing our NVQ are to expect one.

I, however, have recently applied for a position with the police and am now worried that i am going to get charged, even though i don't wish to carry on with the NVQ.

also the nursey does not pay anything for us to complete our NVQ as we are all under 25 and so recieve funding.

any ideas? i dont have �1100 available to buy myself out of a job!!!

[xrayspecs]

If the nursery were paying for you to do the NVQ they have a right to expect a "reasonable" return for their investment. Often employers that pay for work based training which improves the prospects of an employee (and therfore makes them more employable outside the company) will ask that the cost of the training be repaid if they leave within a given period. If the nursery is not funding the training then they can not expect you reimburse them if you should find better employment. You should seek advice from an employment specialist (try the CAB in the first instance) It sounds like your employer needs a crash course in employment law and industrial relations. I'd refuse to sign then take them to a tribunal if they sack you. It sounds very much like a restrictive practice.

[southportram]

thanks xrayspecs, but what is the CAB? do they have a website?

[xrayspecs]

It's the Citizens Advice Bureau there web site is

www.citizensadvice.org.uk