Refuse Work Placement on Flexible New Deal

LadyMorticia

In my opinion, any work experience, no matter how little is paid (or sometimes not paid at all) is good to have on the CV. Hopefully it will lead to better job opportunities with better pay.

Edward1965

dodger1 wrote: »

And don't forget they've been getting all this for the past 12 months without having to lift a finger.

Don't lift a finger?, I'm Unemployed, I have to write down everything I do to find work, and have to apply for 3 jobs a week, if I don't show the jobcentre this evidence, I get a sanction.

So I don't know where you get off, saying "I don't lift a finger"

Hope you lose your job, and then you will see, stuck up idiot.

CurtSeavers

I find this whole Work Placement/Seetec/New Deal thing a massive waste of tax payers money. They tell/demand you to go to their "training centre" every day for 3-6 hours (9 30 - 4-30) where you must do a job search. Problems with this are I have to travel by bus and train which means I spend £20 a week on travel alone. Sure, I only pay £4 and they pick up the rest - but this is a waste of money, surely?
I say this because all I'm able to do on a "job search" at this training centre ( overpopulated/ understaffed) is read job sheets ( unrealistic jobs ) and outdated newspapers. You might be lucky to get on a computer that actually functions and do a job search that way but really - I can do all this and more at home. I can do more because I would prefer a job in my locality so I can actually go to places and look around in my area - not stuck in some office block miles away.

They told me to go to an interview for a work placement ( back where I live) at the last minite - literally within an hour, which I said I would have to rearrange for the next day because there was no way I could get back home, freshen up and attend in time. Needless to say, there is very little organization going on in these places.

At this work placement interview ( something completly diferent to the type of job I'm looking for or have vast experience in) I was more or less told to start on Monday - to which I said I'm not even sure of how this works; I'd like to know what job I'd be doing, the hours I'm doing, how many days and if I'd get extra money as my only claim to benefits is JSA/FND. These work out at £80 a week.

I was told I'd be working 12am-9pm four days a week. For no extra money. For three months.
I said I'd be in contact with them once I'd had a word with my work placement advisor. In other words, I declined their offer.

I'm now waiting to speak with the advisor as she has been away for a week, so I have no idea what the outcome of this will be.
The way I see it is I would do this placement as long as I got the equilevant to what everyone else was paid - I'd even do it for a little less. But to do a 32 hour week every week for 3 months for £80 a week is nothing short of slave labour.

milfield

Mr_Falling_Star wrote: »

You can chill out, if you started FND after 15/08/2010 then you don't need to do a work placement. Now you can concentrate on looking for work

Not true i'm afraid. All depends on where you are in stages 3 and 4 of FND, age group (18-24 or 25+) and geographical location.

As for JSA and mandatory work placements - been there myself, got the t-shirt, etc., and employers like to see people who have been doing something with their time whilst unemployed (other than job searching obviously which I know is a full-time job in itself). Placements will give a good, up to date reference, new skills, etc. Some of the younger age group have never had the chance to work so it gives them a skill set to sell to potential employers. I know this because I speak to employers daily.

What some people also forget is that they are not made to claim JSA, it is their choice, and with that choice comes responsibilities, i.e. complying with the rules and regulations laid down by the Secretary of State, etc. If the rules are not to somebody's liking then the answer is not to claim JSA.

Arg

milfield wrote: »

What some people also forget is that they are not made to claim JSA, it is their choice, and with that choice comes responsibilities, i.e. complying with the rules and regulations laid down by the Secretary of State, etc. If the rules are not to somebody's liking then the answer is not to claim JSA.

Don't be !!!!ing stupid milfield.

donnajunkie

CurtSeavers wrote: »

I find this whole Work Placement/Seetec/New Deal thing a massive waste of tax payers money. They tell/demand you to go to their "training centre" every day for 3-6 hours (9 30 - 4-30) where you must do a job search. Problems with this are I have to travel by bus and train which means I spend £20 a week on travel alone. Sure, I only pay £4 and they pick up the rest - but this is a waste of money, surely?
I say this because all I'm able to do on a "job search" at this training centre ( overpopulated/ understaffed) is read job sheets ( unrealistic jobs ) and outdated newspapers. You might be lucky to get on a computer that actually functions and do a job search that way but really - I can do all this and more at home. I can do more because I would prefer a job in my locality so I can actually go to places and look around in my area - not stuck in some office block miles away.

They told me to go to an interview for a work placement ( back where I live) at the last minite - literally within an hour, which I said I would have to rearrange for the next day because there was no way I could get back home, freshen up and attend in time. Needless to say, there is very little organization going on in these places.

At this work placement interview ( something completly diferent to the type of job I'm looking for or have vast experience in) I was more or less told to start on Monday - to which I said I'm not even sure of how this works; I'd like to know what job I'd be doing, the hours I'm doing, how many days and if I'd get extra money as my only claim to benefits is JSA/FND. These work out at £80 a week.

I was told I'd be working 12am-9pm four days a week. For no extra money. For three months.
I said I'd be in contact with them once I'd had a word with my work placement advisor. In other words, I declined their offer.

I'm now waiting to speak with the advisor as she has been away for a week, so I have no idea what the outcome of this will be.
The way I see it is I would do this placement as long as I got the equilevant to what everyone else was paid - I'd even do it for a little less. But to do a 32 hour week every week for 3 months for £80 a week is nothing short of slave labour.

it sounds like you are on the old new deal 13 week course. you will have to accept a placement sooner or later. you are allowed to find your own placement so if you know of anywhere that may be willing to take you then why not ask them and then pass on the details to your adviser. as far as the one you turned down goes. tell your adviser you dont want to do a placement that involves working shifts, they should accept that if they are reasonable. 12 noon to 9pm would be classed as shiftwork surely.
when on these courses you need to have a talent for good judgement and know how far you can push things. also know when to say yes and when to say no.

donnajunkie

milfield wrote: »

What some people also forget is that they are not made to claim JSA, it is their choice, and with that choice comes responsibilities, i.e. complying with the rules and regulations laid down by the Secretary of State, etc. If the rules are not to somebody's liking then the answer is not to claim JSA.

saying people dont have to claim jsa is like saying people dont have to eat.

milfield

Arg wrote: »

Don't be !!!!ing stupid milfield.

Thank you for your intellectual contribution Arg, most enlightening.

I registered with the board last night, made a couple of posts and immediately get some ignorant, abusive comment. You must be quite pleased I'm sure. Strangely, this is the sort of diatribe Job Centre staff have to put up with every single day, although your little comment is trivial by nature in comparison.

It's quite simple, if you choose to claim JSA you must abide by the rules that come with it. If you don't like the rules then don't make a claim to JSA. Why claim something and then complain about it?

I take it you would also think it right to take out a loan then complain about the terms and conditions afterwards?

I would also point out that some people are very selective about what they will quote to the Job Centre staff, i.e. the law says I am entitled to £X per week to live on, etc. Very true, but they conveniently forget to quote the other bits in their paperwork that mentions conditionality, including attending placements. Funny that isn't it?

When mandatory training courses arise, people have been claiming for a fair while, 6 - 12 months or longer, so whatever they have been doing to try and find work has unfortunately been unsuccessful. This is the reason for training courses, placements, etc. Unless of course Arg you think continuing to do the same thing without a positive outcome is a good idea?

Now that would be stupid wouldn't it?

Out of curiosity Arg, what would you suggest we do?

magertus

Instead of pointless schemes and useless paperwork how about spending the money on trying to create decent jobs.

milfield

magertus wrote: »

Instead of pointless schemes and useless paperwork how about spending the money on trying to create decent jobs.

Businesses could help out a lot more and take the lead by investing in people, taking people on and training them, although this costs money of course.

The recent Future Jobs Funds jobs are a good example where Government intervention can help businesses, but this was generally for 18 - 24 years olds only. There is such a wide range of skills and talent going to waste where people cannot get back into work easily.