Arrogant Job Centre Adviser

Fireflyaway

If the advisor told you to skip 2 interviews in preference of a course that may or may not lead anywhere, that doesn't sound very helpful. You have done well to get 2 interviews which could lead to a job and been told to not attend? Maybe they have targets and have to enrol a certain number of people into the course so are more interested in their targets than you securing a job?
I'd attend the course ( you might pick up something new) but do as others say and leave for a couple of hours to attend the interviews. Don't miss the chance. Even getting an interview is pretty difficult these days.
I'm not surprised though. I'm get to hear anything positive about the job centre!

Skeptical_Saver

I'm sorry to hear you've had to endure the incompetency of the job centre.

I've got first and second hand experience with them.

Firstly, around 7 years ago I was made redundant and reluctantly signed on, spoke to and treated like muck which drains your spirits. Luckily I got a job before the first time I had to go in and prove my progress which was brilliant when I said "can I just stop you there sorry, I've sourced my own full time employment and start in 2 weeks". They then phoned my up a couple of months later and wanted to what exactly it was that the job centre did to successfully find me employment, to which I laughed and put the phone down.

Secondly. someone close to me used the job centre on and off for a few years and the most recent case they were sanctioned because their adviser had put pencilled them in for an appointment with them at the same time they'd signed them up to a maths course. So instead of admitting their fault of double booking the person, they sanctioned them and they lost money.

The person then missed a phone call from the adviser a couple of days later, while they were in an exam for the maths course to find out why they didn't attend the initial appointment. They obviously missed the phone call, which to their amazement meant they'd be sanctioned again.

They were left with £0.00 pick-up for that month due to these sanctions which pushed them to cancel their claim completely and do it all on their own and resort to selling their possessions to get by.

They're completely useless if you ask me and I would advise you go to the interviews, but first inform the job centre and the course provider so you've done the morally right thing. Fingers crossed you get one of these jobs and you can turn round and tell the job centre where to go.

Good luck.

TELLIT01

Following redundancy, and before ironically ending up working for DWP, I had to register at the Job Centre. At my initial interview the person I spoke to said that they wouldn't be able to help much because of the specialist technical nature of the work I had been doing, and that they were impressed by the work I was doing myself to find new work. (That obviously didn't work out or I wouldn't have ended up working for them!)
This was in the days before being required to spend every waking minute 'actively seeking work', but my experience of staff ranging from disinterested to downright aggressive is similar to those mentioned in various posts on the subject. I actually had a couple of JC staff moaning to me about how bad their job was.

ChrisK....._3

2 interviews for couple hours wont make any difference to a 4 weeks course if really wanted to do both. Id just do a sicky if I really wanted to go to the interviews, but after over 10 years of delivering training to the unemployed i can tell name an excuse in less than 10 words. You wont attend the course OR either the interviews.

motorguy

They're following due process. And due process is that you've had nigh on 4 months to find a job, therefore they are stepping in to "assist".

Personally - i'd comply. You cant not do the course on the off chance you might get one of the other jobs.

Also, what do you mean - "one of them has replied"?? Did you not ring them? Please tell me you didnt just email?

Why not wait until the course has started, see if there is any flexibility from the trainer in terms of a late start or early finish to attend an interview.

TELLIT01

ChrisK..... wrote: »

2 interviews for couple hours wont make any difference to a 4 weeks course if really wanted to do both.

That depends very much on the content and intensity of the course. Two interviews could easily mean having to miss two half days. When I started training at DWP it was a 6 week package, and anybody missing 2 sessions or more was immediately removed from the course.

M_anonymous

I also had a torrid time with the job centre.

Made redundant from a £30k role.
CV all up to date and applying for jobs between £30k - £50k. The advisor was more interested in getting me a minimum wage job. Spent a lot of my time away at the World Cup this year so didn't see much of the claim money. Would I sign on again? Wouldn't waste my breath with it. Frustrating. Can see why those that aren't as driven or skilled turn their nose up at it also.

parking_question_chap

Attend the course but take time out the the interviews you already have.

HHarry

Is it possible that you may need to 'see your Doctor' a couple of times during the course?

soupdragon10

If you attend but explain to the college that you have job interviews they will probably be delighted - if you get either of the job then they will have a positive outcome for the course, even though you got the interviews yourself.