Exhausting Telecom Contracts

PLEASE allow me space in your newspaper to air my concerns over Telecom Namibia contracts of engineering technicians in training (ETiTs). ETiTs are graduates who enter the company with a diploma in electronic/power engineering.

I think the contract that Telecom let us sign is very unrealistic. The contract states that we will be in training for three years, and after the training programme is over, we will have to pay back the company by working for them for another three years before we can leave the company. That is six years on a contract.
Also, if you happen to obtain your Btech degree while you are on the ETiT contract, you cannot join the engineer in training (EiT) programme, which is an additional three years. You have now to wait until your six year contract is over, before you can apply to join the EiT programme, meaning if you want to be in Telecom after your six years ETiT program, you will be on a contract for nine years.
This is very unrealistic as there is actually nothing at all motivating us at the company: we are unable to buy houses, cars, etc, while we are in training. I have spoken to a lot of ETiTs, and they also feel the same way as me, in fact some even choose to leave earlier than their contracts end because they get better jobs.
I know of a people who now owe the company as much as N$700 000 for leaving the company few months before their contracts end. People who we have studied with, who now work at other companies have already bought houses and cars while we at Telecom have nothing.
My recommendation is that Telecom should put us on a six month probation period and see if we can do our job according to their standards, and employ us, instead of wasting our time on long exhausting contracts.

Anonymous
By email

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