Academy vs. The Real Deal
- Thread starter Morty
- Start date
ruralfool et al -- " two subs hired two months ago, now two subs quit. One lasted 1 month the other 2 months! Do they really prepare them? "
-- Doubt if anything at the academy really prepares RCA's for what they will be facing - except to take them to a post office on the day after a holiday or a couple days after Amazon has a "special" sale.
-- Doubt if anything at the academy really prepares RCA's for what they will be facing - except to take them to a post office on the day after a holiday or a couple days after Amazon has a "special" sale.
Sprocket
Well-known member
Of course not.
Skierstmoritz
Well-known member
The new "covid normal " is not something anyone was prepared for, let alone the USPS with its astute management! The local grocery store starts shelf stockers at $18/hr with decent benefits. It also gives bonuses after 30 days, 60 days etc. For 3 years our office has been trying to hire rcas. Everyone who has gone thru the academy has quit. The most recent quit before the shadow day. We are f@$ked! According to our esteemed DR, the NRLCA is aware of the hiring difficulties and the increase in parcel numbers occurring in SOME offices and is "in discussion " with postal management regarding some relief for those offices.
those are the Drs exact words! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Truth be told, as a 3 year table 2 regular, I can stock shelves! No stress, and paid for everything I do! Smh. Meanwhile, my body is getting beat up!
those are the Drs exact words! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Truth be told, as a 3 year table 2 regular, I can stock shelves! No stress, and paid for everything I do! Smh. Meanwhile, my body is getting beat up!
Boston65
Well-known member
Years ago I was fortunate to get to do shadow, then work my assigned route before being sent to the academy. I believe this made a world of difference so that when I got there I was NOT overwhelmed.
Somewhere they decided to do shadow day, then orientation, drivers training then academy. Talk about overwhelming the RCA! They learn a case in class, then have to learn a new one when they work on their assigned route.
Somewhere they decided to do shadow day, then orientation, drivers training then academy. Talk about overwhelming the RCA! They learn a case in class, then have to learn a new one when they work on their assigned route.
Jiminy Christmas
Well-known member
I don't think academy really "taught" me anything much about carrying a route. It was really a brief orientation on most things. I know they had to skip some of the slides/videos. It seems like it was just a routine and a vacation for the instructors.
I do remember there being an emphasis about the shadow day and investing all this time and money into training a new hire if the job isn't for you ... blah blah blah. Why as a new hire should I be hearing that? Maybe that's on USPS for hiring the wrong people.
The hiring process is slow and dysfunctional. When someone submits an application to the time they are officially hired is around 3 months. Speed this up ... especially from the initial applicants. When someone applies, don't wait a month before contacting them... prioritize applicants based on their application. Communicate with them. I think we lose a lot of good people right from the get-go. They get hired on somewhere else and all we have left is people that couldn't get hired at the grocery store.
They should let new RCAs shadow and train with senior RCAs for a few days before training with their regular. And have a line of travel birds-eye map and a list of the roads of the route for new hires to take home to learn.
I do remember there being an emphasis about the shadow day and investing all this time and money into training a new hire if the job isn't for you ... blah blah blah. Why as a new hire should I be hearing that? Maybe that's on USPS for hiring the wrong people.
The hiring process is slow and dysfunctional. When someone submits an application to the time they are officially hired is around 3 months. Speed this up ... especially from the initial applicants. When someone applies, don't wait a month before contacting them... prioritize applicants based on their application. Communicate with them. I think we lose a lot of good people right from the get-go. They get hired on somewhere else and all we have left is people that couldn't get hired at the grocery store.
They should let new RCAs shadow and train with senior RCAs for a few days before training with their regular. And have a line of travel birds-eye map and a list of the roads of the route for new hires to take home to learn.
Love this idea, we have some RCAs who would be great at training.
The USPS has been sued by some for study times at home. P.O. lost.
They will not officially sanction at home training. (They'd rather not pay for any training!)
By all means, give this thought a try as a resolution to be submitted to the Union! Due to Covid cancellations, any carrier can submit their ideas "directly" this year, bypassing the usual procedure to get something to the national level. Look at most recent carrier mag. for details. Unprecedented chance to be heard. Deadlines approaching fast.
See my post above. Pass your idea on!
flash
Well-known member
Wait, what??!! I can give someone my ideas??? I need more info!
Can someone copy and link to p. 162 and 163 of the June carrier mag? Or is that not allowed?
it's posted online, look at the nrlca website.
HardearnedTan et al -- " Can someone copy and link to p. 162 and 163 of the June carrier mag? Or is that not allowed? "
-- Without incurring the wrath of the NRLCA or RI, the article deals with the Resolution Process for 2020 because of meetings and conventions being cancelled. Form included.
-- Without incurring the wrath of the NRLCA or RI, the article deals with the Resolution Process for 2020 because of meetings and conventions being cancelled. Form included.
got mine yesterday.
here's online link, you must be a member to access:
deadline to be received is July 1.
here's online link, you must be a member to access:
deadline to be received is July 1.
Voglio-il mio
Well-known member
TOP FOUR REASONS RCA,S LEAVE!
1) Not working enough (1 day a week or less)
2) Working too much. (6 or 7 days a week)
3) Lack of training, coaching or support both physically and mentally
4) Being used and abused in general being treated like crap
ITS UP TO EACH OF YOU TO REMEMBER WHAT WAS LIKE AND EFFECT CHANGE!
1) Not working enough (1 day a week or less)
2) Working too much. (6 or 7 days a week)
3) Lack of training, coaching or support both physically and mentally
4) Being used and abused in general being treated like crap
ITS UP TO EACH OF YOU TO REMEMBER WHAT WAS LIKE AND EFFECT CHANGE!
The academy trainer I nominated from our office quit as trainer after about 6 sessions. She's a 15 year regular, decent carrier and good communicator. Why did she resign her academy job and return to delivering?
The curriculum was in serious need of revision. Yeah, I know there's a task force who just did that. Hello, it's all stuff directed my management to be included, in the flow they approved. Teaches lots of what a new carrier doesn't need to know and not much of what they do need. The trainers have ZERO flexibility in what and how they train. As long as you spout "safety" every other word you're half way trained.
I've seen the package. (Sidebar disclaimer: I ran a training department for a Fortune 100 responsible for training 15,000 employees years ago) I was asked about it -- I REFUSE to get involved because I REFUSE to be a puppet for management as they're going to dictate what is included and how it's presented no matter WHO or WHAT tries to change it.
Our solution? We push anyone in our offices who does the interviewing to look for the right type of candidate, share some of the REAL truth up front with them, put them through academy, THEN retrain them using our senior carriers and RCA's so they know the right stuff they need. Our group bring them into the team, helps, responds even after hours. The newbie better return the effort, or the whole team shows it's displeasure and if they don't fit they leave on their own. We have a good team.
The curriculum was in serious need of revision. Yeah, I know there's a task force who just did that. Hello, it's all stuff directed my management to be included, in the flow they approved. Teaches lots of what a new carrier doesn't need to know and not much of what they do need. The trainers have ZERO flexibility in what and how they train. As long as you spout "safety" every other word you're half way trained.
I've seen the package. (Sidebar disclaimer: I ran a training department for a Fortune 100 responsible for training 15,000 employees years ago) I was asked about it -- I REFUSE to get involved because I REFUSE to be a puppet for management as they're going to dictate what is included and how it's presented no matter WHO or WHAT tries to change it.
Our solution? We push anyone in our offices who does the interviewing to look for the right type of candidate, share some of the REAL truth up front with them, put them through academy, THEN retrain them using our senior carriers and RCA's so they know the right stuff they need. Our group bring them into the team, helps, responds even after hours. The newbie better return the effort, or the whole team shows it's displeasure and if they don't fit they leave on their own. We have a good team.
True. Totally.
Voglio-il mio
Well-known member
Your last paragraph speaks volumes as to how it should be done! We at my PO have an excellent reputation for training and keeping RCA's. We only lose them to career opportunities for them through transfers. They are very well equipped when leaving us to succeed anywhere.
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