Perceptions and needs of tutors regarding a support system in the Education and Youth Services Ltd in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Education and Youth Services Ltd. (E.Y.S.) is a private training organisation in the United Kingdom which aims to engage challenging, disengaged young people into further education, training, or the open labour market. The employees on the frontline of this battle are the tutors. The purpose of this study was to explore the current support system of E.Y.S., as well as the tutors’ real needs, experiences, problems, and perceptions regarding a support system, in order to enable E.Y.S. to support their employees more effectively. The objectives for this study were: --To conceptualise tutorship and support systems in a work situation, from a theoretical frame of reference. --To determine the nature of the current support system available to the tutors in E.Y.S. --To investigate the needs and perceptions of tutors regarding the current support system and requirements for an effective support system. --To make recommendations regarding a more effective support system for the tutors of E.Y.S., based on the results of the investigation. The researcher used a qualitative research approach within an applied research strategy. Data were collected by using focus group interviews. This approach lent itself well to exploring the perceptions, needs, and struggles of the tutors of E.Y.S. and provided the researcher with a pattern of data, to explore the overall needs of the tutors, to enable the researcher to have a holistic view of the phenomena, and to explore how best to meet the needs of the individual tutors and of the organisation as a whole. The most important empirical results and conclusions that the researcher was able to make, based on the empirical study, can be summarised as follows: --- E.Y.S. has a unique and flexible, learner-focused culture. It offers an alternative learning style and experiences outside of the formal learning structure. This unique approach is successful, as already mentioned, but it does place a tremendous amount of stress on the tutors, and they constantly deal with the learners’ learning problems, social and personal problems, and daily copes with, and manages, potential violence towards them. --- The responses from the tutors indicated that the current support system is not sufficient, does not meet their needs, and is almost non-existent. They requested a company structure which will enable them to have sufficient supervision, advice, goal setting, and guidelines to perform their jobs more efficiently. --- The tutors reported feeling under-qualified to do their jobs effectively. They felt vulnerable and near burn-out.