Work Experience Placements for Job Seekers

petert1003

I'm interested in the opinions of people on Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)

I was wondering if people that are on JSA would be prepared to work a maximum of 15 hours (2 days) per week on work experience placements. They would be paid £50/day, £100 per week. The placements would last for four weeks, therefore total of 8 days.

Working only two days per week would leave them with enough time to "actively seek work", attend interviews, etc.

The placements would provide valuable work experience, networking with other workers and the possiblity of full-time employment.

I believe that Job Seekers are allowed to work less than 16 hours per week to remain "signed on". Obviously they would not be allowed to receive their normal allowance of £65.40 / week during the four weeks as they would be earning £100 / week. After their four week placement they would automatically return to their allowance without the hassle of having to resign back on

If you're a job seeker what do you think of the idea?

Charlie1986

petert1003 wrote: »

I'm interested in the opinions of people on Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)

I was wondering if people that are on JSA would be prepared to work a maximum of 15 hours (2 days) per week on work experience placements. They would be paid £50/day, £100 per week. The placements would last for four weeks, therefore total of 8 days.

Working only two days per week would leave them with enough time to "actively seek work", attend interviews, etc.

The placements would provide valuable work experience, networking with other workers and the possiblity of full-time employment.

I believe that Job Seekers are allowed to work less than 16 hours per week to remain "signed on". Obviously they would not be allowed to receive their normal allowance of £65.40 / week during the four weeks as they would be earning £100 / week. After their four week placement they would automatically return to their allowance without the hassle of having to resign back on

If you're a job seeker what do you think of the idea?

My partner would jump at something like that, £50 a day is more than I earn in employment :eek:. He's on a placement through the job centre at the moment and gets his Job Seekers (£50 ish a week) and has to do 40 hours!

petert1003

thanks for replying Charlie1986 - much appreciated.

£50 / day is just above the current National Minimum Working Wage (£5.80/hour) = £43.50. £50 / day is a 'safe' amount to pay.

I'm curious. How many hours do you work a day? Also, is your partner on a "Work Trial" or "New Deal" placement? I believe these are unpaid and compulsory for job seekers who have been unemployed for longer than 12 months.

bristol_pilot

Might be OK for long-term job seekers. TBH when I was job-seeking I needed 5-6 days per week at job-seeking activities - driving all over the country for interviews, making applications, job searching etc - that I would have found it extremely frustrating to have to spend 2 days per week doing something else.

petert1003

you make a good point Bristol. But, would you have turned down the oppurtunity to get your foot in the door of a local company that provided the same jobs as the ones you were driving around the country for?

You could have used the two days a week proving how good you are to them. Possibly leading to fulltime employment. Also keeping your CV up to date and networking with other people of the same skillsets.

patman99

So long as it has no effect on other benefits such as Council Tax Benefit, rent etc.

PasturesNew

I'd shovel animal droppings for £50/day. £100 for 15 hours' work is £6.66/hour and more than most temping agencies pay in a lot of areas.

Well, I wouldn't really. I'm not on JSA though, but I am on some temp agency lists and turn down jobs that are under £10/hour as a general rule. But if I was on JSA, £50/day would have me camping outside the night before so I didn't oversleep and miss it!

book12

petert1003 wrote: »

thanks for replying Charlie1986 - much appreciated.

£50 / day is just above the current National Minimum Working Wage (£5.80/hour) = £43.50. £50 / day is a 'safe' amount to pay.

I'm curious. How many hours do you work a day? Also, is your partner on a "Work Trial" or "New Deal" placement? I believe these are unpaid and compulsory for job seekers who have been unemployed for longer than 12 months.

Work trials are optional. New Deal placements are compulsary.

heretolearn_2

I think you might have a problem finding employers to offer work experience 2 days a week for 4 weeks. Are the employers going to be paying the people or are you thinking of setting up some sort of funding scheme?

but the main problem is that it takes a certain amount of time to train people in a job. Someone who's new is more work and effort for the managers, than they can contribute in work, if you see what I mean. 8 days is barely time to make any real contribution, unless the work is extremely unskilled, but even then it takes time to settle someone in. Especially if its a couple of days on, then a week gap, then another couple of days, you can't make progress as well as you would during 8 days solid. What's the advantage to the employers?

We have a usual minimum of 2 weeks for work experience here. I do have someone on 2 days a week right now, but she's made a long-term commitment. If she had said 4 weeks then I'd have turned her down as it's not worth all the effort of training her otherwise.

One day induction - that leaves only 7 actual working days spread out over a long period. What's the advantage to the employers? Maybe if it were for 3 months or something...but then again, their being jobseekers means they might start and then disappear pretty quickly if they get a job.

jimbms

£50 a day, fantastic I bet a good percentage of the working population would sign on and do that plus get all the benifits that go wioth it. How about a better idea, you do the placement and get your expenses paid or your JSA gets reduced.

donnajunkie

petert1003 wrote: »

I'm interested in the opinions of people on Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)

I was wondering if people that are on JSA would be prepared to work a maximum of 15 hours (2 days) per week on work experience placements. They would be paid £50/day, £100 per week. The placements would last for four weeks, therefore total of 8 days.

Working only two days per week would leave them with enough time to "actively seek work", attend interviews, etc.

The placements would provide valuable work experience, networking with other workers and the possiblity of full-time employment.

I believe that Job Seekers are allowed to work less than 16 hours per week to remain "signed on". Obviously they would not be allowed to receive their normal allowance of £65.40 / week during the four weeks as they would be earning £100 / week. After their four week placement they would automatically return to their allowance without the hassle of having to resign back on

If you're a job seeker what do you think of the idea?

its a better idea than the existing new deal but it still has faults.