25th August 2010, 10:52 AM
I think part of the problem is a lack of training from the ground up. It's probably clich?, but a degree lays the bare-bones for learning to be an archaeologist but doesn't teach you much about the commercial sector. I'm sorry, but its true. If we had better training from the minute new diggers walked out on site you'd end up with much better trained and qualified supervisor several years down the line. Unfortunately there is a complete lack of anything approaching a long term view with regards to most of the units I've worked for. As somebody said above, most diggers are just seen as numbers in a column somewhere. And until that situation is addressed, you will continue to have newly promoted supervisors who may be a bit too intimidated to stand up for themselves, and the archaeology will suffer.
Now, I've had some supervisors who were absolutely brilliant and would take their time out to try and teach, but I've seen that happen less and less over the last few years as budgets get tighter and time-scales shorter. It's a crying shame, and an absolute waste of the talent pool that is in the field.
If this situation doesn't change, then we're going to continue to haemorrhage talented individuals who just don't want to put the time in for an industry that doesn't value them.
Now, I've had some supervisors who were absolutely brilliant and would take their time out to try and teach, but I've seen that happen less and less over the last few years as budgets get tighter and time-scales shorter. It's a crying shame, and an absolute waste of the talent pool that is in the field.
If this situation doesn't change, then we're going to continue to haemorrhage talented individuals who just don't want to put the time in for an industry that doesn't value them.