JSA Work programme

titch82

I have been on jsa for 12 months, tomorrow I have a meeting with my advisor to discuss starting a work placement, (which I believe involves working in a charity shop), I have arranged myself for an induction this friday in a furniture shop doing volunteering, hoping this leads to regular volunteer work, does anyone know if I start this volunteer work myself, will I have to do any work placement that the jobcentre tell me to go on. Also does anyone know or had experience of work placement?

Any help is gratefull

AP007

No the WP does not include working in a charity shop

For my WP, I attended two appointments for the initial assessment
they then lost me on the system for 4 months then I went once a month for 11 months for a review which lasted no more than 8 minutes.

From November to May I went nearly once a week to do 1 hour unsupported job searching on their slower than hell PC's

One session on how to set up a LinkedIn account which I had already and had had for 2 years so I sat there.

One session on interview technique that lasted 30 mins

That's all I did with them.

2 years was up in July this year.

Nightranger

As AP007 says, it should not be a problem. I set up my own four-week placement volunteering in conservation and the only wrangle was getting the management to agree to travel because the initial placement was 36 miles away. By the fourth week, I found an alternative site with the same organisation that only needed a local bus day ticket although in practise I never took up the travel because the volunteer co-ordinator was able to run me to and from a suitable pick-up point. I am not convinced the placements necessarily work in terms of getting a permanent job but as George Osbourne said yesterday, they have got people onto three and six-month contracts. IMO, that does not demonstrate a success for the WP but it does mean there will be a period when you can earn some money, which is far better than JSA. Unfortunately, when you come off a short-term contract you do not reset the numbers to zero with regard to JSA claims (something Mr Osbourne did not mention, BTW) and that means the pressure still remains. Finally, whilst it can be useful to pick a placement that is relevant to your past career or career aspirations, it may be worth thinking about an area where you can build new skills - if nothing else, it widens your CV.

titch82

thanks for info AP007 & Nightranger. Has anyone been on this work programme got into employment at the end of it?

Would be great to hear any success story's:):):)

titch82

Also did anyone find this work programme any use, or a waste of time????

Nightranger

titch82 wrote: »

thanks for info AP007 & Nightranger. Has anyone been on this work programme got into employment at the end of it?

Would be great to hear any success story's:):):)

Sadly, I didn't but one of the things about the current economic (and thus, employment) situation is that conditions change quite quickly. As an example, I very nearly committed to a one-year vocational course but I am glad I did not because the jobs have dried up in that area since. It is weird but it sometimes feels that just looking at a solution makes it disappear (like something seen out of the corner of an eye? ) but I am sure that most opportunities/solutions only seem so on the outside.

titch82 wrote: »

Also did anyone find this work programme any use, or a waste of time????

To answer your other post, the benefits are relatively small for some people but I found the WP useful for doing things that I would not have been able to do (or fund) otherwise. In that respect, it kept my CV ticking over and has proved to be a fail-safe for two important but unexpected things that went wrong for me*. Ideally, I would have liked to see WP providers with superb contacts who can guarantee one's application is read instead of trusting to luck. The reality is that they often have limited effective contact with employers and only help with first-filters to jobs that are not always appropriate. I got a three-month paid role through WP but it immediately became clear it was falsely advertised as a permanent role and was actually temporary...so it proved.

* These are not issues I can or have talked about on here but suffice to say, the WP probably made the difference between them being moderate problems and rendering me totally unemployable.

AP007

titch82 wrote: »

Also did anyone find this work programme any use, or a waste of time????

You think they find work for you and get you interviews? This is a mistake not to make as they do not have contacts for jobs at all.

scooby088

AP007 wrote: »

You think they find work for you and get you interviews? This is a mistake not to make as they do not have contacts for jobs at all.

When I was on the WP my provider had very strong links with local agencies and placed people into temp on going vacancies. But you are right they aren't there to find you work or even get you interviews that is up to you.

I got black balled by the said agency when I broached the subject of PPE and as my employer they should provide it for me. They asked me to leave and that they wouldn't place me anywhere again.

titch82

so a waste of time I gather, so does this have to be attended weekly, monthly?

scooby088

titch82 wrote: »

so a waste of time I gather, so does this have to be attended weekly, monthly?

I attended fortnightly some monthly.

AP007

scooby088 wrote: »

When I was on the WP my provider had very strong links with local agencies and placed people into temp on going vacancies. But you are right they aren't there to find you work or even get you interviews that is up to you.

I got black balled by the said agency when I broached the subject of PPE and as my employer they should provide it for me. They asked me to leave and that they wouldn't place me anywhere again.

Oh no but they tell you they are at the initial meeting. I was told we get jobs in from Reading to Romford and that the manager goes out to get jobs in. They have what they call BDC managers who do this job allegedly. LOL Never saw a job advertised there or contacted about a job at all and when I asked I was told 'no'.

Local work is not what people are looking for its jobs in a 90 radius from home. I wish people would stop talking about local jobs. I have never worked local in my life.