What is new deal?

shelovestobuystuff

Hi,can anyone explain New Deal and Flexible New Deal to me please.I have looked on DWP website and it mentions New Deal but doesn tgive much info or go into any details.

DaisyFlower

There is some info on the government website that the final stage of the new deal can last upto 26 weeks. Has your friend been on benefits for a long time?

Its not the end of the world, people who work full time still manage to job seek if they want to move firms or progress etc.

shelovestobuystuff

Hi,thanks for your reply DaisyFlower.My friend has only just turned 18 so has not been unemployed long.

Prinzessilein

From my personal experience of New Deal...I used to work as a tutor for a number of providers....they are a colossal waste of time. You sit around in a room, sharing a newspaper to search for jobs. There is supposedly a computer available - but it is generally used by people typing out a CV. However good your CV is, the provider will slate it because it is the only task they have for you to do. Then you will be sent out on work-experience. This will likely as not be a charity shop or a pound shop who will take you on for up to six months - they are delighted as they get a free employee - don't expect any training there, and certainly don't expect it to lead to a job. In fact, don't expect any aspect of the New Deal to lead to a job. Its sole purpose is to get people off the unemployed list and artificially boost the government figures.

Oldernotwiser

I have also been involved in working with people on New Deal schemes and I've known several people to have positive outcomes from it. Your friend will get an up to date reference and will learn useful new skills to help her jobsearch, although she shouldn't expect to necessarily get a job directly from her placement.

The people who get something out of New Deal are those who go into it with a positive attitude and who make the most of the opportunities offered.

Wutang_2

Prinzessilein wrote: »

From my personal experience of New Deal...I used to work as a tutor for a number of providers....they are a colossal waste of time. You sit around in a room, sharing a newspaper to search for jobs. There is supposedly a computer available - but it is generally used by people typing out a CV. However good your CV is, the provider will slate it because it is the only task they have for you to do. Then you will be sent out on work-experience. This will likely as not be a charity shop or a pound shop who will take you on for up to six months - they are delighted as they get a free employee - don't expect any training there, and certainly don't expect it to lead to a job. In fact, don't expect any aspect of the New Deal to lead to a job. Its sole purpose is to get people off the unemployed list and artificially boost the government figures.

What a load of rubbish..

My best mate is using the new deal to start up a business. He had been on the dole for about 6 months and after no luck decided to try for himself. The New Deal then provide him with a few more quid a month, continuation of mortgage payment help and a 6 month opportunity to get started.

He sees an adviser every week or two for progress reports and help and he's loving it. After 4 months looks like he is making some cash and this would not have been possible without the New Deal to help ease him from unemployment to self-employment.

donnajunkie

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

Hi,can anyone explain New Deal and Flexible New Deal to me please.I have looked on DWP website and it mentions New Deal but doesn tgive much info or go into any details.
I have a friend who just started a work placement in a charity shop last week menat to be for a 6 week period,she has just been told that the placement period has been increased to 6 months.They just phoned the shop and told the manager this who passed it onto my friend,she was shocked as she has signed an agreement for a 6 week placement and they didnt even inform her personally of the increase to 26 weeks.
This is in Ayrshire so I am sure its called Flexible New Deal here,but what exactly is it and what hours etc is she meant to have to do.
I do know that New Deal is supposed to get people back to work but my friend is going to be too busy to look for work for the next 6 months as she is working full-time(40 hours 9-5 mon-fri,lunch breaks etc bring the time down to 35) on this placement.

i have never heard of someone agreeing to doing 6 weeks and then being told they have to do 26 weeks. could it be that they agreed to try it out for 6 weeks. if they are in an old new deal area then the course usually lasts for either 13 weeks or 26 weeks. you are usually expected to spend the whole of that time on work placement. they are often flexible in that you can sometimes change placement after a certain amount of time and go and do a placement elsewhere. do they have to go to a centre 1 day a week? if they do then it is likely to be the old new deal that they are on. if they are unhappy with their placement they should take it up with their tutor on their day in the centre. if they are doing 5 days a week on their placement then it seems like they are on fnd. the rules on this state that you are only required to do 4 weeks placement. anything after that is voluntary. if their advisor at the centre has committed them to 26 weeks without them agreeing then it sounds like they have a really bad advisor.
edit.
i just noticed that they are 18. i'm afraid once someone under 25 has been out of work for 6 months i think they are destined to be doing something until they turn 25 if they want to keep their benefit. the only way out of it is to get a job or become a full time student.

donnajunkie

Prinzessilein wrote: »

From my personal experience of New Deal...I used to work as a tutor for a number of providers....they are a colossal waste of time. You sit around in a room, sharing a newspaper to search for jobs. There is supposedly a computer available - but it is generally used by people typing out a CV. However good your CV is, the provider will slate it because it is the only task they have for you to do. Then you will be sent out on work-experience. This will likely as not be a charity shop or a pound shop who will take you on for up to six months - they are delighted as they get a free employee - don't expect any training there, and certainly don't expect it to lead to a job. In fact, don't expect any aspect of the New Deal to lead to a job. Its sole purpose is to get people off the unemployed list and artificially boost the government figures.

i wish you would post more often in threads related to new deal.

donnajunkie

Wutang wrote: »

What a load of rubbish..

My best mate is using the new deal to start up a business. He had been on the dole for about 6 months and after no luck decided to try for himself. The New Deal then provide him with a few more quid a month, continuation of mortgage payment help and a 6 month opportunity to get started.

He sees an adviser every week or two for progress reports and help and he's loving it. After 4 months looks like he is making some cash and this would not have been possible without the New Deal to help ease him from unemployment to self-employment.

when i was on new deal there was no help available at all for setting up your own business.

Oldernotwiser

donnajunkie wrote: »

i wish you would post more often in threads related to new deal.

Interesting that you are only interested in hearing the negative side of things.

Kaleidoscope27

I had my 6 month review yesterday and have been told I'm now on the Flexible New Deal. So bare with me whilst I try to remember all the information which was rammed down my throat.

Firstly, I got put forward for jobs on a scheme which I want to call FJF? F something F anyway. I didn't quite understand what it all was but I THINK (please, if someone can explain this better, do!) it means the jobcentre apply for jobs on my behalf and if I get offered one, it'll be for 6 months on minimum wage. The job could be anything. I've got a general interview for 4 of these jobs a week on Wednesday with somebody on the other side of Manchester. If this person thinks I'm any good for any of these jobs, they pass my details onto the companies and they get to pick if they want me or not. I think. (That was a really bad explanation but I can't find an easy way of explaining *looks around for someone to step in*)

Aside from that, I'm being forced on a course which I will find out more about when I see my advisor in two weeks time. That's all I was told, I don't know what it is or how long it's for. He said there will be voluntary courses throughout the next 6 months but only one compulsory one (I'm a bit skeptical about them being "voluntary" but I'll go with it for the time being.)

He looked at my CV, said it was very good, then changed his mind (I got the impression I wasn't allowed to have a good CV and he wasn't sure what to say) and tried to get me to switch things around on it so it was specialised for retail jobs. I told him it used to be like that until someone from Seetec saw it and told me to have it like it is now (note: I do have different ones for other roles but this CV is the one I use the most.) He went quiet after that and just stuck it in my file. *shrugs*

If I'm still on JSA in 6 months time, I get put on a 12 month course... which I know nothing about because I "don't need to yet." (What if I want to know about it?)

And he asked if my parents were happy with me being unemployed. I don't know why that was relevant.

(I don't like my advisor. He made me feel like a bad person because I have a degree and yet I'm unemployed. I didn't appreciate that.)