The Work Programme New Thread

AP007

donnajunkie wrote: »

yes you still do 1 hour. the apps take longer to do so it would take more time to do the same number but you wont be able to get the same number done because of them taking more time to do.

no it takes 3 mins to stuff 10 cvs and letters into envelopes and write the address and you have to get off the pc in an hour so no time at all

ryan21

I finished the work programme last week and attended my first post work programme support advisor interview today. Just created an account on here for anyone curious about what might happen to them.

What happens to me now is, I have to go in every week but I only see my adviser once every two weeks, the other week is just a regular signing on. So it alternates every week. Next week I just sign on, the week after I see my adviser, the week after that I sign on the week after that I see my adviser Etc. However it could change and I might need to see him every week as well as signing on later down the line.

He never explained to me what I will be doing when I see him every two weeks apart from he would look at my Universal Jobmatch account on one of the two computers in the jobcentre and see what I have applied for. I am one of the first to come back from the work programme so far but he said he is expecting a steady stream of people coming in.

I have to use Universal Jobmatch for everything now. The activity history part has a notes section on the right hand side where I have to write down what I have done for that day. If there are no vacancies on that day, I have to write "no suitable vacancies" to show that I have looked. I have to use UJ at least 6 days a week and since they can check whether I am or not, I have no choice really

Also about ticking the two boxes letting them see everything, Apparently I forgot to tick them when I created my account and that they need to be ticked (no mention that it wasn't mandatory). Anyway I ticked them (stupidly, If only I had more confidence and was more forceful) so now they can see everything I see on my account.

Apparently they aren't interested in anything being written down on paper or having hard copies, everything HAS to be done on Universal Jobamtch. I imagine this is why it said people would have to come in daily because if you didn't have a computer then you would have to use the jobcentre's computer everyday to apply on universal jobmatch.

Up next was the talk of courses. I told him I've had two jobs one in adminand one as a shop assistant so he has put me on a computer course, to help me get an admin job. It doesn't start until August as there are no spaces left. I have a grade B in dual award IT so it should be easy.

The annoying thing is that their is no set time to see my adviser. I see him in two weeks at 1 o'clock but that could change to the morning the next time I see him or 5 o'clock the time after that so its hard to plan anything on the adviser day.

So basically come in every week and use Universal jobmatch to show my evidence. See my adviser every two weeks (why I need to see him, I don't know) At least I have quite a friendly adviser for now, probably until his case load is full and he is stressed to hell.

ryan21

Another thing I just remembered was the threat of "dont just look on the Universal Jobmatch and apply for a load of jobs the day before you come in because we can check when you signed in to it."
A very needless threat really. I would still be applying for the jobs, who cares what day it's on, one day isn't going to make a difference

forgot to add they do pay bus fare tickets for non signing days with your adviser.

It does sound quite easy at the moment but it's a mess, instead of just going in and saying here is what I have applied for, you have all this other crap of them checking when you looked on the UJ website, having to fill the activity history "diary" in everyday as he called it and like I said even if there isn't a job to apply for on a certain day, you still have to write "no suitable vacancies today" onto the activity history notes just so they can see you checked.

I don't know if this will happen in every jobcentre though.

AP007

Ryan21 > what about all the other job sites out there? They don't want you to use any other than the UJM??


When you add notes to the notes section these only last 90 days which is no good to be fair.

Also when you are out of work 6 mths or more you go to the JC every week, 1 week you sign and the next week you see the advisor, so this sounds the same but they are just making you use the UJM

So they think all the jobs in the world are put on UJM?? LOL

This is going to be even less use than the WP and that was ZERO!!

ryan21

I should have clarified more, any job I apply for on whatever site has to be written into the notes section of UJ, you don't need to just use UJ to apply for jobs.

I didn't realize notes only lasted 90 days, will have to keep a record myself of what jobs I have applied for just incase they query anything.

AP007

ryan21 wrote: »

I should have clarified more, any job I apply for on whatever site has to be written into the notes section of UJ, you don't need to just use UJ to apply for jobs.

I didn't realize notes only lasted 90 days, will have to keep a record myself of what jobs I have applied for just incase they query anything.

And what format do they want the others jobs in?

date, job title, ref, website advertised on, applied to? contact details, how you applied, when you chase etc?

ryan21

AP007 wrote: »

And what format do they want the others jobs in?

date, job title, ref, website advertised on, applied to? contact details, how you applied, when you chase etc?

That I have no clue on.
On the work programme I just wrote the date, title of job, the company, location and how I applied. So I will just be doing that in the notes section unless I'm told otherwise.

donnajunkie

AP007 wrote: »

no it takes 3 mins to stuff 10 cvs and letters into envelopes and write the address and you have to get off the pc in an hour so no time at all

you find an employers address, then type the addressee at the top of letter, print it off, sign the letter, write the envelope and put both the letter and a cv in the envelope and do this 10 times in 3 minutes. you are fast arent you.

AP007

donnajunkie wrote: »

you find an employers address, then type the addressee at the top of letter, print it off, sign the letter, write the envelope and put both the letter and a cv in the envelope and do this 10 times in 3 minutes. you are fast arent you.

No their address was not at the top of the letter as the spec letters were printed before I knew who I was going to send them to - going back to what I said to them that ALL spec letters had to be for the company you were writing to so she gave me my CV and spec letter and shoved them into envelopes and wrote 10 random companies on them which did take me 3 mins.

All I had to do was put 3 sheets of paper in an envelope and if you have done this number of times in the work place its easy.

I used to send out 300 remittances to suppliers at work in 30 mins. We used to have a race as to who could get theirs in envelopes the fastest. Time waits for no one and time is £££

How long does it take really to write 10 addresses? 20 seconds for each surely no longer.

AP007

ryan21 wrote: »

That I have no clue on.
On the work programme I just wrote the date, title of job, the company, location and how I applied. So I will just be doing that in the notes section unless I'm told otherwise.

That all? Really? Not the site or where you found the job? How Who you applied to etc? Ref number?

I write all of this and they have never questioned anything I have done. The JC still tell me I am writing too much and too many jobs on the sheet for them

The WP just add all the jobs I apply to , to my file as a copy and paste exercise as they do not check them or do anything else with them