Volunteer work with a difference how do I explain to JSA

Kittytumnus

Hi

I wonder if anyone can be of assistance with this matter.

I have been unemployed and on JSA for a year and NEVER had reason to miss or change a signing.

I have just taken a loan and invested £600 in myself to obtain the qualifications and safety certificates to change my career from a National Sales Manager in FMCG which spanned 15 years with various companys which I was made redundant from last year to a Marine Mammal Observer within the Offshore Industry. I am now a fully Qualified and over the years I have gained experience of surveys as a volunteer for marine charities.

Despite this experience if I want to be able to gain paid contracts. I really need ship based experience on a scientific survey ship. I have just been offered the career boost of a lifetime of two UK offshore trips on a UK government research ship on behalf of a marine charity. They are for 6 days and 14 days and will occur this january. The criteria for ths voluntary experience was very strict and to be offered it is an honour and genuine boost to anyone's CV and could open up a world of possibilities.

The reason for posting this is that I need to know how the hell I explain this to the jobcentre so that I can go on the two trips which both occur in January 2010 without losing my benefits. It does sound absurd that I should even be posting this question in the age of David Cameron's "arbright nicht nacht frie - work to be free" Big Society. But with no disrespect to the rural Jobcentre I attend those who work in them are not exactly equipped for quandry's such as this, they are not used to "higher level" vocations without appearing to be a snob. Both of the Trips would mean that I would miss two of the signings in January.

I have a massive quandry, there is no way I can miss out on this offer of what equates to 3 weeks direct work experience of a job that I seek to do and have just requalified for and that could even get me an opportunity to show my value to the government agency who owns the ship I will be working on which is based locally to me and often has vacancies.

As with many higher level careers the career I intend to follow means that experience on your CV matters and it does not come easily. The experience I need to have on my CV would have to come from working offshore on a boat that just does not come back to port within 48 hours to let someone off to go to a job interview. I fear I will fall foul of the system here when I am contributing on a voluntary basis to scientific study that benefits the UK's environment and gains me valuable experience that would remove the barrier for me being able to get a contract within this field and allow me to sign off and take a job that pays well over the average salary.

I am hoping that it I go in and talk to someone sensibly they may understand but I fear otherwise, does anyone have any idea as to how I approach this and get someone to understand that in some careers doing the odd days work experience will not remove the barrier to finding suitable work. If I am successful in my career chance I could end up paying into the higher tax bracket so there is a bigger picture that I fear will not be seen in the "system" in which the poor job centre advisors have to live in.

Any advice gratefully recieved

nearlyrich

My advice is don't assume they don't have the capacity to decide on this, some people who work in jobcentres do have brains training and experience in life ( not me I left a long long time ago)

If you have already invested in the course is it not worth investng in a few days lost benefit to get your self some valuable experience? I am pretty sure you can't claim JSA if you are not available for work.

dmg24

I am not sure if what you are describing is actually unpaid work experience rather than voluntary work. Also, even if it is classed as voluntary work you would normally be expected to give up that work if a paid position became available, and clearly you will not be able to do this.

Are you working with a New Deal provider?

AnxiousMum

I'm sure that the 'poor job centre advisors' who contribute a great deal to this forum would be able to understand your dilemna.

If in the system, you cannot be allowed to do this whilst still having a claim, can you not sign off for the two week, then one week period, and on your return, sign on for rapid reclaim?

Many of the people who offer advice on this board actually work within the system, so to describe them as thick because they're rural (I'm rural, and not the slightest bit thick.....and I would assume you are rural as well?) or 'poor job centre advisors' isn't going to get you a whole lot of help from them!

Well done on your retraining and the opportunity that you have - I hope that there is something in place to cater to your needs.

Sambucus_Nigra

I have the opportunity of work placements that means I can't sign on for these weeks [insert dates here]. I'll still be applying like billy-o for jobs and will obviously attend all interviews. What are my options?

Wow - that was hard.

dmg24

AnxiousMum wrote: »

I'm sure that the 'poor job centre advisors' who contribute a great deal to this forum would be able to understand your dilemna.

If in the system, you cannot be allowed to do this whilst still having a claim, can you not sign off for the two week, then one week period, and on your return, sign on for rapid reclaim?

Many of the people who offer advice on this board actually work within the system, so to describe them as thick because they're rural (I'm rural, and not the slightest bit thick.....and I would assume you are rural as well?) or 'poor job centre advisors' isn't going to get you a whole lot of help from them!

Well done on your retraining and the opportunity that you have - I hope that there is something in place to cater to your needs.

Plus at least the JCP advisors have a job!

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

I have the opportunity of work placements that means I can't sign on for these weeks [insert dates here]. I'll still be applying like billy-o for jobs and will obviously attend all interviews. What are my options?

Wow - that was hard.

The OP will not be able to attend interviews though, either at the JCP or with employers.

Sambucus_Nigra

dmg24 wrote: »

Plus at least the JCP advisors have a job!



The OP will not be able to attend interviews though, either at the JCP or with employers.

Unless the jobs that are being applied for are on the ship of course....

dmg24

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Unless the jobs that are being applied for are on the ship of course....

That would be unreasonably limiting her job search, which would lead to a sanction.

Sambucus_Nigra

dmg24 wrote: »

That would be unreasonably limiting her job search, which would lead to a sanction.

Have we clearance that there is no way off the ship whatsoever? For example, emergencies and interviews?

AsknAnswer2

If you are off-shore you may not be in a position to adhere to the conditions of your Jobseekers agreement; one of which is to be actively seeking and available for employment. In the middle of the ocean and the opportunity of an interview/employment comes up. Would the crew be in a position to take you back to shore, so that you can fulfil the obligations of your Jobseeker's agreement? Off-shore, would you be in the UK or abroad?

It appears that you may have to sign off JSA whilst away and do what is known as a "rapid reclaim" on return. As the name suggests, the reclaim is rapid. It's a fast track back on to JSA rather than the waiting game you have in an initial claim.

enabledebra

Apparently, there is this obscure possibility at least for the longer of the periods...

Work camp
21368 Claimants who are attending a residential work camp can be treated as available for a maximum of
1. two weeks at a time and
2. one period in any period of twelve months.


21369 A work camp is any place in GB (see DMG 070702- I checked this and the definition includes UK territorial waters adjacent to GB) where people
1. provide a service to benefit the community or the environment and
2. are supported by a
2.1 charity or
2.2 LA or
2.3 voluntary organization.

21370 A voluntary organization is a body
1. whose activities are not carried out for profit and
2. that is not a public authority or LA.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch21.pdf