Can you do volunteer charity work for a work trial??

UnemployedAndEnjoyingIt

Hi i was wondering if anyone knows if you can do charity work as a jsa work trial??

Because ive looked on the website- http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/programmesandservices/DG_173561

But it doesn't specify exactly if you can do charity work as your work trial or not.


Please only answer if you know the exact answer and have a source to back it up.



Thanks

tsimehC

If you do a work trial, you have to be sure there is a vacancy at the end of it. Why not just volunteer at the charity or have you started that already?

vaporate

I was going to do that. I got lucky now and now I will start a 6 month part-time stint for the county council (communications assistant) while looking for full time work.

UnemployedAndEnjoyingIt

tsimehC wrote: »

If you do a work trial, you have to be sure there is a vacancy at the end of it. Why not just volunteer at the charity or have you started that already?

It's because ive already passed the 6months jsa line, and so i could have to start some kinda of new deal course or placement soon.

However i have no interest in doing a 13weeks waste of time 'course', or getting put into some kind of low paid dirty job work placement,
and so instead i wanted to arrange my own work trial myself now instead of having anyone else do it for me.


I have done charity work before and it was ok, but wasn't sure if it will count as a 6weeks work trial and so id get ally my travel expenses to it paid plus the £3 per day lunch money like you get when you do other work trials.

dugdale_2

No you cannot do a work trial for voluntary work.

Source: JCP adviser (me)

tsimehC

UnemployedAndEnjoyingIt wrote: »

It's because ive already passed the 6months jsa line, and so i could have to start some kinda of new deal course or placement soon.

However i have no interest in doing a 13weeks waste of time 'course', or getting put into some kind of low paid dirty job work placement,
and so instead i wanted to arrange my own work trial myself now instead of having anyone else do it for me.


I have done charity work before and it was ok, but wasn't sure if it will count as a 6weeks work trial and so id get ally my travel expenses to it paid plus the £3 per day lunch money like you get when you do other work trials.

I was on the programme myself and found the Options part dreadful but managed to get my "dirty" placement in a decent voluntary organisation which I sourced myself. It took some effort to arrange this like what you're doing except I didn't mind going on New Deal at the time.

It does sound like you've been on New Deal already so why are you going back on it?

UnemployedAndEnjoyingIt

tsimehC wrote: »

I was on the programme myself and found the Options part dreadful but managed to get my "dirty" placement in a decent voluntary organisation which I sourced myself. It took some effort to arrange this like what you're doing except I didn't mind going on New Deal at the time.

It does sound like you've been on New Deal already so why are you going back on it?

Hey and thanks for the info.

Ive never been on a new deal placement or centre before though.
Have gone well past the 6months of jsa, but just do my normal sign-on every 2weeks at the jobcentre.


This question is relevant for me in the future, although the main reason why i asked is for my girlfriend, as shes was going to be starting that ridiculous 3months 'daily course' of new deal in 2weeks,
and so i am just going to set her up with a 6weeks (16hours per week) work trial for a company instead so she won't have to do the new deal course.

But just thought itd be easier if charity work would count for it though, as she could just walk straight into that, instead of having to have interviews n stuff.

UnemployedAndEnjoyingIt

dugdale wrote: »

No you cannot do a work trial for voluntary work.

Source: JCP adviser (me)

Ah ok thankyou. :beer:

Can i also ask you though,
for work trials with companies,
are you allowed to just phoneup companies and ask them if you can do a 6weeks unpaid work experience trial with them to gain some work experience in that industry??

Or do you have to find a specific job vacancy that they have, and then have to apply if you can ''do a work trial as a test to see if you can get that specific vacancy''??



Thanx

ChabbyAlonso

I don't think it works like that, UnemployedAndEnjoyingIt. I'm in a similar position myself as my new deal interview is on the horizon and I'm desperately looking to avoid new deal placements by looking elsewhere.

To my understanding, before you sign your new deal agreement and only before, you're entitled to a 'taster session'. This means instead of signing away the next few months away to the hell hole they have planned for you, you'll instead spend a day (I think!) to observe and experience the conditions. Apparently, you're allowed as many of these sessions as possible, granted you can make a reasonable case for each refusal. I'm guessing they refer you to another vacancy, at which point you should make another plea for a taster session. Ad infinitum.

It's pretty much general consensus that A4e's (the organisation that sources these vacancies in conjuncture with the job centre/government) vacancies are a disgrace, so I wouldn't hold my breath at something worthwhile and rewarding.

dmg24

ChabbyAlonso wrote: »

This means instead of signing away the next few months away to the hell hole they have planned for you, you'll instead spend a day (I think!) to observe and experience the conditions.

How do you know it is a hell hole, if you have not attended yourself?

ChabbyAlonso

dmg24 wrote: »

How do you know it is a hell hole, if you have not attended yourself?

Did you read the last part of my post? :rotfl:

I've yet to read anything positive about A4e, but if you do happen to come across some literature that can dispel the countless horror stories about that particular organisation, I'd appreciate it :beer: