Post work programme support - Your experiences?

[essexmat]

Apologies, I was a tad but the whole system gets my goat. Note to self, think before posting!

[jasta11]

I like charity shops, they seem to have 'upped' their image a lot these days - must have bought hundreds of shirts from them over the years and I love a browse through old books and annuals; got a brand new aviation hardback book a few weeks ago for £3; price inside the jacket was £25. Result!

 

Doing a bit of work in a charity shop got me nicely out of 3 months with the dreaded A4e. I took the placement simply to avoid going there every day and because the shop was 5 feet from my normal bus stop in town - very handy. As I hadn't done retail work before I had a hard job convincing the A4e advisor to put me on the placement - usually we're trying to talk them out of putting us on placements.

 

I didn't expect much but the people in the shop were great and it was a very happy and informal atmosphere - plus I scored for a lot of good stuff as the staff had first pick, which included brand new end-of-line clothes donated from the big stores (I never knew that stores did that). Just wish they'd been able to offer me a paid, permanent position; I'd have taken it like a shot. Made a nice change from the front-line admin jobs I've had in the past..I prefer a quieter life these days

[Jmulv]

So i've had 4 advisor meetings so far, after my first advisor meeting just asked about ingeus and my cv's etc and I updated my C.V for next meeting just gave me some advice / changes to make. She then booked me to my "proper" pwp advisor, so I went in and got told I had the wrong advisor she just told me to register with recruitment agencies and now i've seen someone else so all In all so far i've seen 3 diffent advisors already lol. Not much has changed, I'm going in weekly at the moment hopefully they won't see fit to up it to more and waste my time. But so far nothing interesting has happened really just generic stuff.

 

I'm being sent to some mandatory works day or something like that but that is about it so far.

 

PWP really seems like a total mess so far all I'm predicting is I carry on as normal except I get sent on pointless courses. But we will see.

 

They've also given up with universal jobmatch it seems only mentioned it in brief passing. I provide email printouts as I don't want to give them more ammo to use against me in some kind of form, I guess i'm just being paranoid.

[Chester6]

Update - Still on the PWP nonsense

Had a review with another lady a few weeks ago where I was forced to go for jobs of p/t hours and nothing to do with the areas of work I normally seek

The person was 15 minutes late and didn't even have the basic courtesy to apologise, she also tried to blame me for being unemployed

Next to me the interviewer was trying to claim the person wasn't committed to job seeking as he had no phone number on his UJM CV and stuff like about emails etc

Seems like the new way is to blame the unemployed and not the employers plus one other PWP staff member had a go at an unemployed person for wearing casual clothes and not shaving that day and then he criticised him for not having phone credit and a £20 smoking habit

[jasta11]

They sound a wonderful lot at your JC, Chester!

 

I'm well past the 6 month PWP mark now and they admit they haven't a clue what to do next so are just keeping it going - they call me in for a brief 1-to-1 every 6 weeks or so but they always seem happy with what I'm doing. I think I've been very lucky in getting decent advisers rather than 'stick 'em all on a course' types.

 

Pity that casually-dressed customer hadn't recorded the adviser being abusive - would have made one hell of a good complaint.

[Chester6]

Tell me about it - same guy berating the customer also had a go at me for failing to succeed with the various courses like WP etc they'd sent me on

 

The PWP also have this idea they pay you so you must jobseek only and nothing else

 

I am glad when I get a guy who signs me on, ask minimal questions and I can escape as he's the most professional one

 

I am past the 6 months mark too

[Mr.P]

same guy berating the customer also had a go at me for failing to succeed with the various courses like WP etc they'd sent me on

 

Perhaps it would be worth pointing out the view of the Public Accounts Committee that the WP is very poor value for money and the DWP figures show extremely poor results across the board.

[Chester6]

Perhaps it would be worth pointing out the view of the Public Accounts Committee that the WP is very poor value for money and the DWP figures show extremely poor results across the board.

 

Had a second appointment supposedly to help with work

Some know that the PWP are over-zealous with abysmal abhorrent people skills it appears

[Charlotte_Henderson]

On the other hand, if you said 'Oh, the WP really helped me a lot'

 

I cant believe anyone says that!

[essexmat]

Post Wp 'support'? I have never had any support from JCP or WP in 14 months and any help I needed I got myself.

[jasta11]

I cant believe anyone says that!

 

Very true.. but if I thought it would stop the JC sending me on any more daft courses I would force myself to say it.. through gritted teeth.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

Very true.. but if I thought it would stop the JC sending me on any more daft courses I would force myself to say it.. through gritted teeth.

 

I couldn't bring myself to say it no matter what.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

 

Doing a bit of work in a charity shop got me nicely out of 3 months with the dreaded A4e.

 

A4e tried to send me to a charity shop for 4 weeks once, it was working until they told me id be spending 3 days a week, upstairs in the shop ironing all the clothes, and the other 2 days posting their bags though people's doors......Where is the retail experience in that?

 

Ironing isn't retail work neither is posting things though people's letterboxes!

i refused to do it, and they said its ok we will find you something else to do. that was 6 months before i left A4e and they never did come up with anything!

[kcspurs]

since i left ingeous my advisor put me on this weeks course called results. he said its a really good course.

it was just the same as all the others. just sat in a room with about 20 people and made another new cv.

 

then my advisor tried to send me on another course but i got out of that.

then he forward me for an interview in a town hall for a new store thats opening near me. but theres 3 stages.

first one is the telephone interview. i passed that then i had to go to this group interview that lasted 2 hours. there was over 20 of us.

they had been holding these interviews all day so im guessing they had 4 groups in at differnt time so thats at least 80 people lol

 

all we done was team bonding stuff.

im told that the people that got through this stage would then have to go to there store for 3 weeks non paid training and if they pass that stage then all you get is a real interview with the company lol.. i did not pass that stage

 

and on wednsday i had an interview in the jobcenter and my advisor rings me up and tells me the person likes me and now wants me to go on a 9 day unpaid course on monday and after that if they like me i will get a proper interview lol

 

are the goverment paying these stores to be seen to give us a chance.

[jasta11]

are the goverment paying these stores to be seen to give us a chance.

 

An excellent - and old - trick; dangle the carrot of a possible job and take people on for a few weeks 'training', fail them all at the end, then take on another group for the next few weeks. Free labour for as long as the company can keep it going. The DWP should stamp out companies who are obviously doing it repeatedly and have no intention of offering any real jobs.

 

That's exactly what's wrong with everything today - including the world in general; everything is about 'image'; doesn't matter if nothing actually happens at the end of the day as long as they're seen to be doing something. Work Trials are fine, where you're definitely given the job first but have the option to leave without penalty, but as for wanting people to do x weeks work before they even get an interview?? Not on.

 

'Interview' should always come before 'Work' (even in the dictionary it works this way )

[Mr.P]

I have never had a job that required unpaid "training" to secure an interview. It has always been a case of interview->job->training. Employment legislation as it currently stands gives the employer the ability to dismiss any employee within the first two years without needing to give a reason.

 

If an "employer" is offering unpaid "training" without a genuine and firm offer of a job at the end of it, you are being taken advantage of.

 

Name and shame this "employer" please.

[kcspurs]

the first company was the new marks and spencers in braintree.

 

i had to go for group interview. i think they had 4 slots 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon and the one i was on had about 6 tables with people from the company and people from the agency who set this all up. there was at least 4 people sometimes 6 round a table and we had to work as a team to do these group exercises.

 

for example the one where your on an island and have to pick 5 items out of about 30.

 

the point is to show you can work in a team.

 

this one on monday is with toby cavery.

[essexmat]

"If an "employer" is offering unpaid "training" without a genuine and firm offer of a job at the end of it, you are being taken advantage of."

 

Absolutely

[Mr.P]

now wants me to go on a 9 day unpaid course on monday and after that if they like me i will get a proper interview [with] Toby Carvery

 

Call me a cynical old curmudgeon, but a nine days to teach someone how to pour a drink and slice a carrot is taking the proverbial. Judging by some of the reviews, it is a low end food outlet that doesn't attract good staff or customers. On that basis, I would have thought it very easy for them to recruit bar/catering staff without having to provide "training" - I see McDonalds down the road has (is ?) closing, so a few cooks now looking for work....

[essexmat]

9 day unpaid course = 9 days free labour whilst someone is off sick/on leave.

 

As Mr P says, 9 days to learn how to cut a carrot and use a soft drink machine? Quite frankly they are taking the urine out of you. Many moons ago I worked in McDonalds as needed cash to put me through college - I was also trained .... on the job, whilst being paid. Personally more fool anyone that takes these 'places' it is exploitation

[jasta11]

the first company was the new marks and spencers in braintree.

 

i had to go for group interview. i think they had 4 slots 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon and the one i was on had about 6 tables with people from the company and people from the agency who set this all up. there was at least 4 people sometimes 6 round a table and we had to work as a team to do these group exercises.

 

for example the one where your on an island and have to pick 5 items out of about 30.

 

the point is to show you can work in a team.

 

this one on monday is with toby cavery.

 

Disgraceful. You should have started a small fire in the litter bin and when they asked what you were doing said 'I'm trying to attract a passing ship and get off this damn island'

 

This type of 'interview' is insulting even to a school leaver looking for their first job - they would have ample team-working experience from being in the classroom. To inflict it on older people who already have work experience is even more embarrassing. These 'tests' prove absolutely nothing.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

it will cost them a hell of a lot more for all our travel expenses, it would be nearly £4 a day for my fares.

 

Its a ridiculous idea, it would cost me £5.00 a day to go in town and back to sign on daily.

 

How is getting us to sign on daily, going to save the goverment money?

unless of course, they are hoping we get so fed up we sign off lol

[Charlotte_Henderson]

These 'tests' prove absolutely nothing.

 

I believe Argos do these stupid tests, as you say they prove absolutely nothing.

[Shendor]

Disgraceful. You should have started a small fire in the litter bin and when they asked what you were doing said 'I'm trying to attract a passing ship and get off this damn island'

 

Haha, perfect. Couldn't have put it better myself. I spent two years being troubled by the Ingeus work programme trying to make me take McJobs. Even the children they had working as 'advisers' felt embarrassed to be there. What a damn shame people who really need help can't get it, and those who don't really need help as are quite capable of understanding that before an interview you need to shower, wear appropriate clothes, not be drunk, etc. ( I kid you not - Ingeus sent me on a course to teach me how to present at interview - including these gems. Other nuggets of enlightenment included, 'work out where the interview is being held before the day you have to travel, make sure you have clean clothes on, don't sit too far back in the chair...' My god, maybe people really DO need this advice? Maybe dogs need to be taught how to beg for food too? Lord help us!

[jasta11]

Ingeus and the rest of the providers speak of 'individually tailored support'. I've yet to see it. Same tired old script for everyone.