26 weeks work experience

cit_k

BigAunty wrote: »

Recent work experience does considerably improve a person's chances of securing employment. The longer a person is out of the workforce, the harder it is for them to re-enter it.

The poll on the Discussion Time forum shows that giving community placements to those claiming JSA for 2 years is very popular with forum members - nearly as 3 times as many people are in favour of the scheme than are against it.

Your view is that you only receive the equivalent of £2 an hour because you 'work' 30 hours and only get JSA, but do remember, that it would only kick in after 2 years of being on JSA, and many JSA claimants also receive benefits like child benefit, tax credits, housing benefit, council tax discount.

At the point when they report for community duty, they'll have received at the minimum £7000 in JSA alone but since many receive other income or means tested benefits, this may be two, three, four or more times greater.

Yes, but DT and this site is well known for being a benefit bashers paradise, and it attracts lots of very strange people, some with pyschopathic tendancies.

Its not exactly well respected for being a place where considered debate goes on regarding anything benefit related, as any attempt to do so, results in the usual crowd wrecking the thread with pointless distractions and or insults.

cit_k

CKhalvashi wrote: »

Another point to remember is that following the 26 weeks of employment, there’s a good chance of being offered a job with the company. I’ve taken on several staff who have been drafted in by an agency for ‘4 weeks holiday/sickness cover’ who have been immediately looked upon when a permanent role has become available.

It’s all about the reasonableness of the employer, however I personally feel that if the ‘employee’ has done well and is offered a job, they should have NMW-JSA and tax deducted for the 26 weeks, even if there is no job offer. This will beat unscrupulous businesses who are trying to gain free staff.

On the contrary, these schemes are designed the very opposite of what you would expect.

Remember, this is a Cameron & Clown scheme, so logic is non existant.

The jobs on these schemes must be 'adittional' to any real vacancies, they must not be real jobs, as if its a real job, they should hire a person on the open labour market.

The DWP etc are very clear on this, so any company that takes on a person to do the job they did in the placement, and pays them a real wage at the end of the placement has exploited the rules of the scheme and acted outside of the law....

BigAunty

cit_k wrote: »

Yes, but DT and this site is well known for being a benefit bashers paradise, and it attracts lots of very strange people, some with pyschopathic tendancies.

Its not exactly well respected for being a place where considered debate goes on regarding anything benefit related, as any attempt to do so, results in the usual crowd wrecking the thread with pointless distractions and or insults.

I agree with you on many of your points. DT can be a quite unkind and rude forum and posters breach forum etiquette on this one too.

However, I support the move to make the long term unemployed undertake work placements. The abuse I've seen of the benefits system among my own friends and relatives has convinced me of this, plus I've seen some friends and relatives lose hope and structure in their lives during lengthy workless periods.

I claimed JSA for 6 months around 15 years ago and had started to apply for work and voluntary placements, look into internships, etc, finally I moved 300 miles away to take up a low paid job. Seeing some of my relatives loaf around on IB, IS or JSA for most of their adult lives has been very sobering to me.

So when people who have been out of employment for years take umbrage at contributing back to the communities that have sustained them and cry 'exploitation', I think they are just scared of change, not to paying their own way.

john539

There are 2.5 - 5+ million unemployed, with uk, EU & world economies entering a depression.

Workfare schemes were dreamt up in the good old days a few years back in the fake "boom" times, when the bankers were scamming the country with fake money & fake loans.

They were dreamt up when unemployment was much lower & economies were growing, creating jobs.

That has all changed.

You need real jobs, not fake jobs that will undermine the real economy.

Thee are many economic fundamentals that should be addressed before targetting, blaming, using, exploiting the unemployed.

BigAunty

john539 wrote: »

..

You need real jobs, not fake jobs that will undermine the real economy.

I agree, I wish there was more explicit and sustained policies to create more employment.

However, in the meantime, and even though we are in recession, there's no point in letting people waste away for years waiting for benefits to drop into their bank account.

The best way to make people ready for work is with on the job work experience. It will stop the notion of employment, it's routine and responsibilities, from being scary to them, will rebuild their confidence.

john539

BigAunty wrote: »

I agree, I wish there was more explicit and sustained policies to create more employment.

However, in the meantime, and even though we are in recession, there's no point in letting people waste away for years waiting for benefits to drop into their bank account.

The best way to make people ready for work is with on the job work experience. It will stop the notion of employment, it's routine and responsibilities, from being scary to them, will rebuild their confidence.

And if the jobs aren't there ?

What are you training them in, what are they getting work experience in ?

Being exploited by private companies like high street chains & private companies that run these schemes.

How many shelf stackers can you have ?

Why would working on a work placement for no wage, being used & exploited rebuild someone's confidence ?

BigAunty

john539 wrote: »

..

Why would working on a work placement for no wage, being used & exploited rebuild someone's confidence ?

The type of joy that you give from giving and be of service to others. Knowing they can hold their heads up high and counter accusations of being a lazy sponger.

Gets them out of the house for at least 30 hours a week, in the company of people, gives them structure and routine, a social outlet, gets them used to working with others and providing a service, helps rebuild their pace and stamina, gives them a purpose, helps kick start basic time management.

I've seen (and felt) how small the world shrinks for those who are workless for a long time, how withdrawn they can become, a horrible spiral of negativity, the feeling of not being wanted.

How is passively receiving JSA for an unlimited number of years going to help their position, health or spirits?

CKhalvashi

cit_k wrote: »

On the contrary, these schemes are designed the very opposite of what you would expect.

Remember, this is a Cameron & Clown scheme, so logic is non existant.

The jobs on these schemes must be 'adittional' to any real vacancies, they must not be real jobs, as if its a real job, they should hire a person on the open labour market.

The DWP etc are very clear on this, so any company that takes on a person to do the job they did in the placement, and pays them a real wage at the end of the placement has exploited the rules of the scheme and acted outside of the law....

That’s surely defeating the point if the object, which was why i suggested what I suggested before exploring the idea with charity work.

If I was taking someone on with this, they would need to be trained, leading me to be out of pocket over a government scheme. I would happily take these staff on at the end, backdating minimum wage and paying the government back for the JSA, however this needs to be made perfectly clear to employers from the start.

Do I defy common sense, or does the government? :rotfl:

Polyhymnia

I would rather just have the wage.

CKhalvashi

CKhalvashi wrote: »

That’s surely defeating the point if the object, which was why i suggested what I suggested before exploring the idea with charity work.

If I was taking someone on with this, they would need to be trained, leading me to be out of pocket over a government scheme. I would happily take these staff on at the end, backdating minimum wage and paying the government back for the JSA, however this needs to be made perfectly clear to employers from the start.

Do I defy common sense, or does the government? :rotfl:

Edit: Cameron, sort it out or I’m not open to offers on the scheme!