Job Centre Work Programme?

janeseemore

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately I have been unemployed for nearly a year. My work coach at the job centre mentioned I will made to go on a work programme if I have not found a job as I approach 12 months of claiming job seekers allowance.

Has anyone had experiences good or bad about the work programme? I have had a brief look online, and have read some negative stories. So I am getting a little worried.

My work coach has not given me much information on the work programme as of yet. In addition the last couple of times I have had another advisor due to my advisor being on annual leave.

Over the past year I have had interviews, but not been successful due to lack of experience. At the same time I have been in various minds to what direction and sector I want my career to go into.

Few weeks back I attended a interview with a NHS Trust for their bank admin staff. I was successful in the assessment and interview and got the role. I was a long winded process of paperwork, blood test, references and ID checks. In addition a slow process to start working, as they have to send my CV to the managers of the departments that have vacancies, and then if they feel I am suitable select me for the job/role which will be temporary for 2-3 months (but may lead to something permanent)


I attended another Bank Admin assessment/interview for another NHS trust and have been successful too! I think it will take me another 2 weeks until all my ID checks, references have been sent. And then again I do not know If I will have instant work straight away.

I am starting to think I should just get any job, that pays (e.g retail), it may be better to earn then stay on JSA or the dreaded work scheme!

Any feedback and views would be much appreciated.

Bogalot

You should have been looking for any job for many months now, have you not applied for Christmas retail work?

sstevo19

It depends where you live in the country, and which Work Programme provider you get sent to. I've heard bad stories about work programmes in other areas, but in my area, it's alright, but it's just annoying that they send you from pillar to post most times you see them.

It's usually, once you've been sent to them, you go once a week to do a supervised job search, or more, if you don't have access to a computer or internet at home. You'll be made to do a lot of "Employability" courses. If you want to work in a certain sector, like construction, or warehousing, they might help you get you the certification you need.

They will, or should, look at the reasons why you can't get a job, like living in an isolated place, etc. They should help you improve your CV, and try to get you more experience in any sector by helping you get work experience.

DCFC79

You do know 1 work programme advisor is different to another so you could get an advisor who is great. Go in with an open mind.

xapprenticex

it will be okay but they will make you look for everything, consider work programme the DWPs desperate measure to get you in to work. you seem to be close to landing something so thats great. you will be on WP for 2 years, even if you find a job, you are with them 2 years, so if you lose your job in that time, you go back to WP, for that reason they tend to call your employer to make sure you are still there and things are fine, it can be annoying at times but they are made to do that. I advise you dont give them your employer contact details, just give that to the JCP, let WP contact you directly.

if they feel you are a dosser, then WP is a bad place indeed, if you are smart, dont ***stink and look like you are looking for work, you will be fine.

***yes some people think they are smart letting their hygiene go down the drain knowing that any interview they go to will result in them not getting the job. ive dealt with them plenty.

Batman_100

From my experience it entirely depends on which provider you get sent to. Mine wasn't too bad. You do get put on a lot of meaningless courses and get to meet other people in similar circumstances to yourself. But on the whole it's very much like being at the job centre, just that the staff are a bit friendlier.

But that's only my experience of one provider. I have heard horror stories about other providers. It really is the luck of the draw.

Batman_100

xapprenticex wrote: »

it will be okay but they will make you look for everything, consider work programme the DWPs desperate measure to get you in to work. you seem to be close to landing something so thats great. you will be on WP for 2 years, even if you find a job, you are with them 2 years, so if you lose your job in that time, you go back to WP, for that reason they tend to call your employer to make sure you are still there and things are fine, it can be annoying at times but they are made to do that. I advise you dont give them your employer contact details, just give that to the JCP, let WP contact you directly.

if they feel you are a dosser, then WP is a bad place indeed, if you are smart, dont ***stink and look like you are looking for work, you will be fine.

***yes some people think they are smart letting their hygiene go down the drain knowing that any interview they go to will result in them not getting the job. ive dealt with them plenty.

I was told I had to give them my new employers contact details. But in practice they didn't contact them directly and only sent me emails to my personal address about once a month asking how things were getting on.

The work programme is not the DWP's desperate measure. That's the post work programme regime. I never went on that but went to a seminar about it just before I started work and I've heard horror stories about it.

And yes it is usually obvious who are the genuine jobseekers and who are the scrounges. If like me you get assigned to a weekly work club with the same group of people every week you do get to know people and learn about their circumstances. You'll be amazed how disgunctional some people's lives are these days. Some of them I felt genuinely sorry for, but others I thought only had themselves to blame, particularly the ex-offenders.

xapprenticex

post work-programme is not a desperate measure, it's a punishment :-)

Coming from an ex-work programme adviser.

janeseemore

Many thanks all for responding

Mersey_2

xapprenticex wrote: »

post work-programme is not a desperate measure, it's a punishment :-)

Coming from an ex-work programme adviser.

Post-WP support must be different in your area.


In Merseyside, it merely consisted* of claimants seeing a different advisor at a JCP and having to sign weekly or at different times rather than the same time each fortnight.


*I say consisted, rather than consists, as I've not heard any claimants be referred to it of late, so not sure if it went in the NW after the demise of A4e (who dealt with half of 12 month+ JSA claimants in the 2008-2013 period in my area).


Jane - As for the WP, it shouldn't be dreaded. A claimant I advised said the welcome session involved a 30 minute introductory talk and form filling. After that, he merely had to attend around once a month to see his advisor and he was a lot more polite than the JobCentre Plus advisor! They also provided £ for his first month's travel costs when he got a job [which JCPs can do but they don't advertise the fact]


It largely depends on which 'welfare to work provider' you're referred to and which part of the Country you are in. An announcement may be made in this month's Autumn Statement, but the new PM & DWP seem underwhelmed by the WP performance (as with the WCA and a few other initiatives they're currently reviewing).

xapprenticex

yes its different depending on where you are, general feeling towards unemployed and whether the adviser wants to make life hard for you or not.