Here is someone's detailed twitter account of the farce that is private contractors getting the unemployed back to work, this is his tweeted account of a CV and job-searching workshop. The private contractors such as A4e, Ingeus, etc seem to be employing people lacking in skills and quals for the job that they're supposed to be doing. Hey, maybe that's why these back-to-work contract employees are telling jobseekers to "lose" their qualifications. Then we can be just like them, only without the job! storify.com/yeebles/ted-harsh-s-job-centre-course. Also, on twitter under Ed Marsh.

And don't forget the Staffie pitbull dog on a lead, it's quite an ordeal going in to my jobcentre or work centre as there are so many. Always have to remind myself, show no fear to dogs or they'll attack. Daily Mail is forgetting that there are lots of newly unemployed graduates as well as oldies such as civil servants, engineers, teachers, etc, next it will be the bankers and the accountants to join the job queue.

Thanks, good to know that I'm not alone. That's a wonderful reply re qualifications, what am I supposed to fill the gap with indeed. I assume, by directing me towards low-paid jobs, she hopes that their recruitment staff doesn't check dates match etc, ie they are as uneducated as her. She also deleted my referees, has done this twice, and have only realised why - might be intimidating for a potential employer to ask references from someone who has much higher status than them. Oh god, who know, my advisor is tiresome and certainly lowering my morale and confidence, utter disgrace. Perhaps they do want jobseekers to go on to ESA rather than jobseekers-allowance.

You've to work as a chef and I'm being told that admin is out of my range. Then a few weeks later, same advisor is saying how employable I am. Don't want to go in to my quals and work experience but it was well above admin level. I have a driving licence so perhaps they'll buy me a car and I can be a taxi driver. If the government is paying them £14,000 if I find and keep a job, why not just give me £14,000 to retrain, or establish a business. Absolutely incredible that this government is wasting taxpayers money on such nonsense as private agencies such as Ingeus. Need journalists to expose links between the contracts awarded to these private companies and MPs or government departments, smells to high heaven.

I did sign something during my 1st appointment but no idea what it was as had no real time to read it. Oh dear, will have to ask for a copy and then seek legal advice. Really informative thread, thanks.

Thank you for above as I will say that to her and am going to print out her altered version of my CV. I graduated in the 90s so she said that my qualifications are out of date. Funny that as a university professor at a careers convention told me that my science degree will always be recognised. Am definitely going to record her. Will take them to court for distress and fraud and bullying if possible. Also, the lack of privacy during appointments with Ingeus advisor is appalling. I found this on another website, I like the comparison that prisoners in the UK are not legally forced to work for private profit-making companies. Tobanem Compulsory voluntary work is an expression which doesn’t even sound right. It is a contradiction in terms if ever there was one – nor is there any such thing as a mandatory volunteer. Forced or compulsory labour is so unjust that it must be legally challenged. An interesting definition of “forced or compulsory labour” is given by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its Convention 29, Article 2, as follows: “ALL WORK OR SERVICE WHICH IS EXACTED FROM ANY PERSON UNDER THE MENACE OF ANY PENALTY AND FOR WHICH THE SAID PERSON HAS NOT OFFERED HIMSELF VOLUNTARILY”. Thankfully, recent legislation now exists in the UK – in addition to and in harmony with the European Convention on Human Rights. In England, Section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, and its conterpart in Scots Law, Section 47 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, both outlaw forced or compulsory labour. Under these Acts, “Person A” commits an offence if Person A requires another person to perform forced or compulsory labour – and if the various Workfare schemes such as “Work Experience”, “Mandatory Work Activity Scheme”, and the latest one called the “Community Action Programme”, are not forced or compulsory labour under the menace of a penalty, what are they then? Moreover, according to the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 29, Article2, (2), ©, even convicted criminals should only be doing forced or compulsory labour “Provided that the said work or service is carried out under the supervision of a PUBLIC authority and that the said person [criminal] is not hired to or placed at the disposal of PRIVATE individuals, companies or associations”. Not only is the forthcoming Community Action Programme going to be longer in duration than the average sentence handed out to convicted criminals, but criminals are not supposed to be exploited by private enterprise – unlike the unemployed who are being “mandated” to work with wealthy private companies without wages under the menace of savage benefit sanctions if they dare show any dissent.

Sorry, upset so made error, Ingeus adviser tells me that I won't get a job in my field but ... As if she's an expert, I asked her what her qualifications are, and she just said that she had a job and I didn't.

Hi Raven, I also think my adviser at Ingeus is appalling. She's from a sales background and next time I think I'll record her so that if I end up getting my support benefit cut, I can play it in court! She told me to delete my degrees from my qualifications, asked what being a contributor to something meant, and then changed my CV adding mistakes like "there" instead of "their". She tells me that I want get a job in my field but has no understanding of what my previous work of over 20 years actually involved. Also told me that no-one is interested in my hobbies of swimming etc, and to apply to really low-paid jobs in Morrisons and nursing homes. She astounds me as I look at her and think, yes I studied for 7 years, worked for over 20, have been unemployed for a year and get this young woman completely patronising and insulting me. Next appointment, I am definitely going to report her.