Over 50 teachers at Southmead College went on strike over staff restructuring plans set out by Trish Dagg, the principal. She argued that restructuring was necessary to cut costs and to generate funds to invest in equipment and training for the College's 150 staff members. The restructured organization would generate minimal redundancies and some middle managers would be demoted to classroom teachers to cut costs. Staff at Southmead College were angry as the restructuring meant that some teachers would get a pay c u tof up to $11,200 a year. (a) Define the term training. (b) Discuss the decision to restructure Southmead College.

(a) Training refers to the process of teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of technology. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance.

(b) The decision to restructure Southmead College is a complex one with both potential benefits and drawbacks. On one hand, the principal, Trish Dagg, argues that the restructuring is necessary to cut costs and generate funds for investment in equipment and training. This could potentially improve the quality of education provided by the college and ensure its financial sustainability in the long run.

However, the restructuring plan also involves redundancies and demotions, which have understandably upset the staff. The potential pay cut of up to $11,200 a year for some teachers is a significant amount that could negatively impact their livelihoods.

Moreover, the demotion of middle managers to classroom teachers could lead to a loss of managerial expertise and negatively affect the college's operations. It could also demotivate the staff and lead to a decrease in job satisfaction, which could in turn affect the quality of education provided.

Therefore, while the decision to restructure may have financial benefits for the college, it also has significant potential drawbacks that need to be carefully considered and managed. It would be important for the college to engage in open and transparent communication with its staff to address their concerns and find a solution that is acceptable to all parties.