Warning to all jobseekers

TeaCake

Could finding his own volunteering role in something he wants to end up doing for a job be viable?
Does his college or place he was previously studying in have a career service he could use for ex students? Sometimes they have short hours work vacancies available which would get him out of the charity shop position and into a part time job even if he was still having to claim JSA.

kizzie_nikita

Like i commented on the last post like this one, lots of job seekers have had to do this, not just your son. I had to do 35 hours a week at the British Heart Foundation, for 13 weeks. There's no choice in the matter, they see it is if you don't have the experience they will send you to do some at 30 hours a week.

The abuse- He can easily get changed from one Charity shop to another, let the job centre know, and they will send him to another one to carry out hte last of his 8 weeks.

kizzie_nikita

TeaCake wrote: »

Could finding his own volunteering role in something he wants to end up doing for a job be viable?
Does his college or place he was previously studying in have a career service he could use for ex students? Sometimes they have short hours work vacancies available which would get him out of the charity shop position and into a part time job even if he was still having to claim JSA.

Once you have been put on the 8 weeks volunteering you cannot get out of it, so even if he got offered / looked for different volunteer work he would still have to do this one.

i tried that when i was on it, didnt work

strangeotron

MoneySavingUser wrote: »

what does one have to do to be a 'proper' volunteer?

Not be threatened with poverty by a government of millionaires and playboys.

strangeotron

wellused wrote: »

It sounds like your son needs some experience of the working environment so look on the positive side this experience might do him good. As for job centre staff sending people to do work in a normally voluntary roll why should anyone expect to receive benefits when they could be doing something useful?

Then pay him for his time.

strangeotron

wellused wrote: »

Maybe you missed the bit where it said that the job was for a charity done by volunteers? The op's lad has been volunteered so he will I presume still be getting his benefits, the only difference being that he will be working and getting experience for a short while instead of looking for jobs. It will make a change no doubt doing something positive instead of getting disappointed in his job searching. No there is no place for "little Hitlers in the workplace" but it doesn't mean that they don't exist and if the op's son is made aware of this then I'm sure it will be a valuable lesson learned.

the key word being: volunteers.

The solution to this is to stop supporting these charities.

wellused

strangeotron wrote: »

Then pay him for his time.

Is he not claiming his benefits while doing this work then? It seems that some people feel aggrieved at being asked to actually do something for the privilege of receiving government handouts!

DCFC79

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

Pretty sure OP has posted this before or something very similar. Prehaps more useful to update the old thread and not start a new one.

kizzie_nikita wrote: »

Like i commented on the last post like this one, lots of job seekers have had to do this, not just your son. I had to do 35 hours a week at the British Heart Foundation, for 13 weeks. There's no choice in the matter, they see it is if you don't have the experience they will send you to do some at 30 hours a week.

The abuse- He can easily get changed from one Charity shop to another, let the job centre know, and they will send him to another one to carry out hte last of his 8 weeks.

This the thread maybe

OP is your son still looking for temp work ?

Elvisia

Another option is to write to your MP, as they can write to the JC your behalf and once they do that the JC tend to do whatever is asked of them. I am not suggesting that your son says he doesn't want to do voluntary work, as it may give him skills that he can use in his next job, but if he's very uncomfortable there the MP may suggest he can work elsewhere (or even with him! Working in Parliament would be great!). Or write to the manager of the JC saying you're going to copy in the MP. We vote for these people to represent us, might as well get them to do some work for us. Your son needs to work in a positive environment as if he's threatened and made to feel bad about himself he'll have low self esteem in the workplace and it's a difficult cycle to break out of.

ohreally

pinkykat wrote: »

The advisors are supposed to be there to guide and advise but, this is lacking.

No they're not, that is what parents are for.

The JC advisers are ultimately there to move benefit claimants into work (close down the claim) imho.