100 signatures reached
To: Fair Work Commission
Support Our Swimming Teachers
This petition is in support of our trainees and swimming teachers who have a chance to change the system for their newest instructors.
Sign the petition if you know of unqualified swim teachers or teachers being asked to teach swimming lessons. Show your support for swim instructors teaching our kids this important life lesson. Help our youngest instructors speak up!
Why is this important?
The Fairwork Commission is undergoing a review that focuses on swim teachers pay for the industry.
Most of the swimming instructors we work with will train for anywhere between 6 and 12 months. The process to become a swimming teacher is quite long and arduous. We do internal train, we do training courses we must have Working with Children and CPR certifications. We would cover these requirements over the 6 – 12 month period. During this time, however, we would at times still be required to teach classes generally due to the lack of teachers on a given shift. So, there we are, teaching kids to swim but technically still a ‘trainee’ and being paid that way.
Given their way employers want this sort of practice to be written into the Fitness Industry Award by having a ‘trainee swim teacher’ role at level one. Given that the words ‘swim teacher’ don’t come into the Award until level 3, this would blur the lines terribly for new swimming teachers coming into the industry.
We want to make a difference. We want to change the rules, so they support young workers not exploit them. We would really appreciate your support!