[Bcma-l] Summer Students

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

I will add my voice to the others that have said that there is some kind 
of overhaul needed. While I appreciate the need for budgeting on an 
annual basis by the Federal Government, which leads to log jams and 
back-ups at all levels, a simple change in one year may make vast 
differences for planning in succeeding years.

What if, in one year, the budget for both YCW and CSJ was announced for 
the current and the following year? The current year would be covered, 
and the following year’s amount would be known to all. I know this is 
simplistic, and doesn’t reflect the vagaries of tax based financing, 
however, I have to budget for next year’s spending in both my personal 
finances, and within my institution. I have seen budgetary promises for 
programs and purchases by governments several years into the future. 
Surely one year advance is not too far into the future for a government 
to predict what they can afford, or what they can offer in the coming 
fiscal year.

If they are able to make a one year advance estimate of funding that 
should be available the following year, then funding decisions can be 
made much earlier. I would much rather know in March that in May I can 
hire someone for 14 weeks. If the funding does need to be cut back 
later, my organization can make a decision to retain the student for 
longer, or expose the student to the stark reality of government funded 
agencies. I would be able to make better planning decisions instead of 
sitting around with my fingers crossed hoping that we can move forward 
with projects.

Also, the problem of finding appropriate students is not unique to the 
North, as has already been stated. There are declining population trends 
in almost all small towns. While the South Okanagan seems to be gaining 
in population on the surface, this population tends to be older, 
transient retirees who are not growing families. The artificially 
inflated housing market further discourages young families from moving 
in to establish themselves. Students cannot afford to find housing on a 
temporary basis in a market which is dictated primarily by earnings 
acquired during the summer tourism season. We simply cannot afford to 
pay an amount that would offset housing costs while permitting saving 
for tuition. Younger families who do have employable students do not 
attract their children back from University for summer jobs, because 
prospects are better elsewhere (I have two children that fall into this 
category).

The decline in young population in Oliver has been projected out for 
many years, and indicates that our local high school, which had 800 
students 5 years ago, will likely decline to less than 400 students in 
the next 5 years. If these population statistics are known, and the 
trends are clear, the funding formulas of the past prove themselves to 
be increasingly less relevant. Greater funding for areas that are 
declining in population may spark more balanced growth. That is, while a 
position in a large center might be funded to $8/ hour, a position in a 
rural area might be funded to $11/ hour. This would still require that 
positions be topped up, as we cannot expect to nurture better prepared 
and enthusiastic emerging professionals if we pay our students $8/hour, 
or even $14/ hour. Of course, that means that we have to re-evaluate how 
much we pay year-round professionals. We cannot expect to run Mercedes 
class operations on Yugo class budgets.

Further, I agree with the age restriction problem. As someone who 
entered this field after returning to school in my 40’s, I could not 
support my family of 5 children on $8/hour for a summer position to 
acquire experience, even if the age restrictions were modified. This 
forces individuals entering the field to compete for positions where the 
advertised required experience level is far beyond their current scope. 
It is discouraging. I was fortunate to come to my position with 
tremendous experience in other fields, however, the expectations for 
older emerging professionals are simply unrealistic.

There needs to be a better awareness of all of these competing needs, 
and I believe while government needs to change its policies and 
practices, the concerns also have to be addressed by the profession 
itself. Greater evaluation and assessment of what museums can and should 
expect in terms of professionalism is required, and that does mean 
better wages to attract the best professionals. We may not ever be rich 
in this profession, but we don’t have to take a vow of poverty to do the 
work we so dearly love.

Having said all this… thank you thank you thank you for the funding that 
we do receive… There simply needs to be some changes to the system..

Darryl MacKenzie, BSc(CD), MA

Museum Director/ ODHS Administrator

Oliver and District Heritage Society

Box 847

Oliver, BC

V0H1T0

250-498-0490