New to new deal

wishface

work experience without pay and only your benefits is too attractive a proposition to be taken seriously by the system. Part of the experience of work is getting paid. It's one thing for an individual to offer a trial; it's another to allow the state to coerce people into such positions as we all know there will be a steady flow of people able to sweep the floors and clean the toilets of the local Asda for no wage. That's fundamentally wrong IMO.

I'm not even sure if two weeks work experience is of any realistic worth. yes it is objectively better than nothing, but then who else is applying for these jobs - anyone with more than two weeks work experience? I'm not even sure this can properly be called experience and I'm very concerned with the government and it's appalling welfare reforms as they are little more than a populist sop and an excuse to treat people like crap.

Don't forget unemployment is part of the system; capitalism depends on it and the government only seeks 80% of the workforce to be employed to say they have full employment. I doubt we have more out of work than that, even now.

Culater_2

How long do u need to be unemployed before they put you on New Deal? also do they put everyone on it or only some and whats the criteria to be selected for it??!

mr.brightside87

Culater wrote: »

How long do u need to be unemployed before they put you on New Deal? also do they put everyone on it or only some and whats the criteria to be selected for it??!

Everyone goes on it unless you have a damn good reason.

Because my partner works (we don;t live together), we have nobody to look after the little sprog. I now have to put her into a day care at my expense just to go on this again even though I explained. She's 1 this month and we dont want her chucked around everywhere like we may well have to be.

Culater_2

yes but how long do u need to be unemployed before they send u on it? I have been unemployed for nearly 6 months....

mr.brightside87

Culater wrote: »

yes but how long do u need to be unemployed before they send u on it? I have been unemployed for nearly 6 months....

6 months 18-25

18 months 25+

Culater_2

Thanks! - guess Im safe for now then - dont really relish the thought of sitting in a room with some stereotypical chavs doing nothing whilst Im trying seriously to find a job on my own. Being an ex GM for the last 8 years would probably bring me grief?!!

mr.brightside87

Culater wrote: »

Thanks! - guess Im safe for now then - dont really relish the thought of sitting in a room with some stereotypical chavs doing nothing whilst Im trying seriously to find a job on my own. Being an ex GM for the last 8 years would probably bring me grief?!!

I never had that problem last time. The young people on the course were like me so i got on well with them. You do notice cliques forming though which makes it awkward sometimes. With the group I was with, it was seperated by football teams which I found rather pathetic. Especially seeing as though I play, and follow, rugby.

Depends on what you want to get out of it, it can be a good experience. You get qualifications and a work placement which can give you up to date work experience which is valuable.

They may suggest you go on it after 6 months though

wishface

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

No employer has to give a reference if the worker doesn't deserve one, as seems to be the case in your example.

how did the person in that example not deserve a reference?

i see a lot of people on this forum think they know who deserves what and who doesn't. I wonder what their qualifications are to make these judgments, other than a subscription to the Daily Mail.

secretspender_2

my friend is going on this today. She was on the phone to me yesterday moaning about it as she isd doing it 9-4 Mon to Fri and only getting her JSA as payment for it.

She gets more in benefits than I do for working two jobs 7 days a week. So excuse me if i sound bitter, but why would you want to turn it down? it shows you are proactive and serious about looking for work.

wishface

no it doesn't.

people want to turn it down because it's no help at all (unless you're one of the private providers the service has been farmed out to, in which case it's £££ at the expense of people on the course).

People who think it's a good thing need to do some research into what it's really like.