Poll - JobCentre Plus 'Courses': Useful or Waste of Time?

hyperfunk_d

Hi everyone,

I am sure discussions regarding these 'back to work' groups and courses, that any of us who have claimed/are claiming benefits are forced to go on, have been carried out here already, but I just wanted to see if I could gather some numbers on how you all feel about them...

If you have been on one or more courses/workshops or any other enforced sessions outside of your normal signing-on/advisor interviews, either at at JobCentre or other establishment (or if you are scheduled to go on one), please choose one of the following to describe your views.

Select a number from 1 - 5, where 1 indicates you were very unhappy or thought the course was of no use (or both), through to 5 which indicates you were very happy and thought the course was extremely useful (or both).

Thanks for anyone who takes the time to answer! :beer:

Sambucus_Nigra

Why not spend your time applying for jobs, and improving your chances of getting a job - rather than creating pointless surveys?

By default they are useful surely, as by attending you continue to receive JSA benefit?

ohdamnit

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Why not spend your time applying for jobs, and improving your chances of getting a job - rather than creating pointless surveys?

By default they are useful surely, as by attending you continue to receive JSA benefit?

Interesting that there is another person who assumes attending courses should be a way of "earning your benefits", rather than the fact that my 16 years of paying into the system, and literally tens (hundreds?) of thousands paid already gained me the ability to claim in my hour of need.

The courses are pointless if they provide no benefit, and in fact cost many money to attend, as well as taking up time when you could, as you put it, be doing something more useful towards getting a job.

I rather expect most people spend quite a lot of time job searching, filling out applications and interviewing, and treat it as virtually a full time job (or maybe do other things to help household whilst not working). Of course some people won't, but often they are easier to weed out than you think (I know someone who worked as an advisor a few years ago).

hyperfunk_d

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Why not spend your time applying for jobs, and improving your chances of getting a job - rather than creating pointless surveys?

By default they are useful surely, as by attending you continue to receive JSA benefit?

Created at 6.38am this morning - not exactly key 'improve my chances of getting a job' time, but I apologise profusely for having not been trying at that time. Perhaps you should become an advisor for the Job Centre and make people job hunt 24/7?

Thanks for the positive reply anyway. Have a good day.

Sambucus_Nigra

ohdamnit wrote: »

Interesting that there is another person who assumes attending courses should be a way of "earning your benefits", rather than the fact that my 16 years of paying into the system, and literally tens (hundreds?) of thousands paid already gained me the ability to claim in my hour of need.

The courses are pointless if they provide no benefit, and in fact cost many money to attend, as well as taking up time when you could, as you put it, be doing something more useful towards getting a job.

I rather expect most people spend quite a lot of time job searching, filling out applications and interviewing, and treat it as virtually a full time job (or maybe do other things to help household whilst not working). Of course some people won't, but often they are easier to weed out than you think (I know someone who worked as an advisor a few years ago).

I didn't say it should - I was it was. It's a box ticking exercise at best.

So people need to understand this, get over it, attend, make the right noises and move on.

hyperfunk_d

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

I didn't say it should - I was it was. It's a box ticking exercise at best.

So people need to understand this, get over it, attend, make the right noises and move on.

Nobody is doubting that if you want your benefits without problem, then what you say above is true. What we are questioning the fact as to whether it is right/just/fair/helpful or whatever word you want to use.

And the answer appears to be a resounding no.

Nobody is trying to shirk benefits, only to change what people have to go through in order to get them - especially for people who have worked for years on end, paying into the systems that are then meant to help them in a time of need.

Sambucus_Nigra

hyperfunk_d wrote: »

Created at 6.38am this morning - not exactly key 'improve my chances of getting a job' time, but I apologise profusely for having not been trying at that time. Perhaps you should become an advisor for the Job Centre and make people job hunt 24/7?

Thanks for the positive reply anyway. Have a good day.

You may have created it but you are responding now and will respond to each sarky comment that you get. What are you going to do with the results? if you got 100% agreement with your view, you can pat yourself on the back. If you get 100% in disagreement, then you will spend hours arguing with them. What's the point?

A poll on the pointlessness of JSA courses is as pointless as the courses themselves.

I'm not an advisor - nor would I wish to be. You don't have to have been an advisor [or have known an advisor once] to understand the game.

hyperfunk_d

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

You may have created it but you are responding now and will respond to each sarky comment that you get. What are you going to do with the results? if you got 100% agreement with your view, you can pat yourself on the back. If you get 100% in disagreement, then you will spend hours arguing with them. What's the point?

A poll on the pointlessness of JSA courses is as pointless as the courses themselves.

I'm not an advisor - nor would I wish to be. You don't have to have been an advisor [or have known an advisor once] to understand the game.

OK, it is only 8.40am now?! You are still replying yourself, so it's a bit of a moot point.

It's not about patting anyone on the back, I would just like to understand how many other people feel that they are being fairly or unfairly treated.

The entire fact that you describe it as 'the game' highlights the appalling situation that people find themselves in - where most are treated with disrespect and treated as idiots not worthy of a place in society, through to those who 'play the game' as you put it, to abuse the system to their advantage.

Whichever side of the fence you are on, things do not work and need to change and as long as people just put up with it and accept the poor state of affairs, nothing will be done for the better.

morganedge

Completely pointless, but they have to be seen to be doing something even if it is just an identical CV writing 'course' every month or so, or a 'course' on sharpening pencils or something, lol.
No real qualifications that would ever help someone into employment unfortunately.

red_devil

pointless but they know you will attend dont they because you need your money.

dmg24

Surely if you are incapable of finding a job yourself, you should be grateful for any advice given?