Shaw Trust - any good?

anna2000

So is Work Choice on The Shaw Trust a work programme? I've read its voluntary then I've read its a Work Programme, I'm confused.

Also has anyone else used the Shaw Trust if you could share your experience?

anna2000

Anyone? Anyone else had any experience of Shaw Trust?

DexterF

Currently at Shaw Trust for just over 6 months. Basic rundown is to give you more than 3 months of training. Training consists of a Welcome Meeting, Routes to Employment, Personal Development and Condition Management Program. Routes to Employment has the following topics, Building confidence, Right job for me, Skills for work, CVs and application forms, Marketing yourself, Interview techniques and a watching a member of Shaw Trust staff incorrectly inquiring about work at a job agency. You are given a printed customer activity journal to hand over to the job centre to show progress made. Condition Management Program consists of the following topics, Mood Management, Confidence and Self Esteem and Healthy Living. Some Basic facts about the Shaw Trust. The Shaw Trust has merged with the Careers Development Group CDG in 2012. From a DWP report dated Feb 2013, it states that 26,100 clients started and only 7,240 have had any job outcome. Atos Origin also works with Shaw Trust to tender its contract with the DWP. Personal experience whilst being at Shaw Trust has been quite bad. Had appointments or training cancelled without notification due to non urgent staff meetings. Staff seem to give up on your first failure of a job interview. This is mainly due to poor preparation and training. I also understand that staff are on tight Service Level Agreements SLA and become extremely unhelpful due to being stressed out. I Shaw Do Not Trust Them.

Who?_me?

Like any organisation, it is only as good as the people who work there, and what your expectations are. No one can magic you employment, the gov funding is only there for certain courses. In my experience as a tutor, I find that the most common barriers are
1.lack of confidence and self esteem, that the world has given up on them.
2. Over confidence and the belief that the world owes them something.
3.little or no experience of employment (partic women),
4. Poor literacy and grammar, even in speaking / talking to people
5. Being shoved from training course to training course but never actually getting qualifications of the level required to make a difference.

The shaw trust offers confidence and personal development courses, but I honnestly belive that none of these courses are actually long enough or indepth enough to make a real difference. The fault of this is the funding, not the people delivering it.

shoe_gal_84

The Shaw Trust is a national charity that has been going for over 30 years and specialises in working with people who have disabilities or health conditions.
Which contract you join on depends on the area that you like in - some offer Work Programme (which is a mandatory 2 year scheme, staff often have large caseloads and benefits are sanctioned if you don't attend appointments). Others offer Work Choice, which is a voluntary 6 month programme and is much more tailored to the individual as staff only generally have caseloads of around 30 max.

In my area, you are assigned an advisor and then recommended to attend the courses as listed above. You will see your advisor weekly (as a minimum) and offered additional, tailored support as needed - this could be with buying interview clothes, attending mock interviews, CV writing, counselling, life coaching or anything really.
There are employer engagement consultants who's job it is to source vacancies or to spec in candidates to local employers who they may have a relationship with.

Shaw Trust cannot magic up job vacancies and will always ask people to be realistic and open minded with their job goals, but from my experience the support is always there.