- Original Poster
- #1
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I work for a company that has these kind of program's in place, and part of the conditions is that it cannot be a replacement for a paid job, which is checked by the job centre before they are put into the course.
On top of that, we personally interview every single one of the candidates, to ensure they are happy and would fit in well. We also allow them any time away they need to attend by interviews and give them advice and help with that.
I have personally taken on 5 candidates, after the program finished. These were people who were completely unemployable, due to severe lack of confidence, or experience. For the ones that were not taken on, they now have a chance to put my name as a reference, and what is better on a cv than someone who voluntarily gave up their free time to make themselves more employable??
On a personal note, why shouldn't these people be forced to work? It will help them get into a routine or a job and all that goes with that, and I would rather my tax money goes into helping businesses, than people sat at home watching Jezza Kyle, even private businesses!
On top of that, we personally interview every single one of the candidates, to ensure they are happy and would fit in well. We also allow them any time away they need to attend by interviews and give them advice and help with that.
I have personally taken on 5 candidates, after the program finished. These were people who were completely unemployable, due to severe lack of confidence, or experience. For the ones that were not taken on, they now have a chance to put my name as a reference, and what is better on a cv than someone who voluntarily gave up their free time to make themselves more employable??
On a personal note, why shouldn't these people be forced to work? It will help them get into a routine or a job and all that goes with that, and I would rather my tax money goes into helping businesses, than people sat at home watching Jezza Kyle, even private businesses!
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Because it's illegal.
You'd rather your tax money went on private companies like mine so I could get even more wealthier than I already am, but not on health, education, science and other more important things?
ScotInvest
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It may be illegal now, but why wouldnt someone who cannot find a job want to increase their chances by participating in this scheme. As an employer when I see that they have participated in voluntary work experience I will always give them an interview, as it shows true commitment.
The portion of my tax that goes towards job seekers allowance, yes I would like to help you and other businesses, more so than allowing people to be payed to sit at home.
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It was always illegal, not just now.
I'm all for job seekers to do voluntary work for charities, but certainly not multi-billion pound companies who were ecstatic when this was introduced.
I did wonder why my shares when up in certain companies last year. Must have been something to do with free labour...
ScotInvest
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As the retailer you interview them, if they really don't want to go on it then I wouldn't take them. But then again they are missing out on a potential job at the end of it, from me.
Whether the job centre forces them onto it I don't know, but since this scheme has been going EVERY single person has wanted to do it at the interview stage.
I'm pretty sure the people entered into the scheme have to of been on jsa for over 6 months, and under 24 years old. So it's not like they grab everyone and force them onto it.
Whether the job centre forces them onto it I don't know, but since this scheme has been going EVERY single person has wanted to do it at the interview stage.
I'm pretty sure the people entered into the scheme have to of been on jsa for over 6 months, and under 24 years old. So it's not like they grab everyone and force them onto it.
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I think to understand how it is to be unemployed you have had to have been there. For those just starting out you really want a job but you also want to do something that interests you.
I know from my own experiance that signing on the dole after being employed is an absolute mightmare. Apart from the social stigma, the sense of total uselessness and the desperate fear for your family you also have fear that your going to be forced into job that more slave labour then then gainfull employment.
Unemployed ? make the buggers work for their money. Easy to say unless you happen to fall unemployed, for most it's not fun I can tell you. The is no easy answer simply because almost all unemplyed people have different needs. It's simple to say make the take the first job that comes along but often that's just a stepping stone to your next period of being unemployed. We all like to think we have some control of our future, our choices in life so why should people be forced to work while they are looking for an opportunity to restart or start a career.
Edit - Forgot to add;
These companies and the goverment say these are jobs that are not replacing existing jobs. What a total crap statment that is. If work needs doing in business it's a job. If you take someone on cheaper then the existing staff those staff will be under pressure just by the very nature that the business already has a replacement. If a jobs worth doing it's worth paying someone to do it.
I know from my own experiance that signing on the dole after being employed is an absolute mightmare. Apart from the social stigma, the sense of total uselessness and the desperate fear for your family you also have fear that your going to be forced into job that more slave labour then then gainfull employment.
Unemployed ? make the buggers work for their money. Easy to say unless you happen to fall unemployed, for most it's not fun I can tell you. The is no easy answer simply because almost all unemplyed people have different needs. It's simple to say make the take the first job that comes along but often that's just a stepping stone to your next period of being unemployed. We all like to think we have some control of our future, our choices in life so why should people be forced to work while they are looking for an opportunity to restart or start a career.
Edit - Forgot to add;
These companies and the goverment say these are jobs that are not replacing existing jobs. What a total crap statment that is. If work needs doing in business it's a job. If you take someone on cheaper then the existing staff those staff will be under pressure just by the very nature that the business already has a replacement. If a jobs worth doing it's worth paying someone to do it.
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By doing it for charity what likely hood is there of a job at the end of it? Not likely, but then with a business? Why not. You are assuming it is just for large companies, this is not the case.
But even if they were doing it just for charities I agree that it would be better than nothing
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The worst aspect of being unemployed for me was the notion that because I was unemployed I was a lazy scrounging Jeremy Kyle watching scumbag.
Doesn't do a lot for a persons confidence.
Fortunately that's all behind me now and hopefully I will stay in work until retiring in a few years.
Doesn't do a lot for a persons confidence.
Fortunately that's all behind me now and hopefully I will stay in work until retiring in a few years.
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M
MrCloser
I work for a company that has these kind of program's in place, and part of the conditions is that it cannot be a replacement for a paid job, which is checked by the job centre before they are put into the course.
So if it isn't genuine training or apprenticeship ie poundland shelf stacking, but there isn't any paid positions available, how can it be anything other than exploitation?
So it's not like they grab everyone and force them onto it.
No coercion, just do they really want a 6 monthto 3 year sanction instead?
This is benefit reform by stealth. The jobcentres employ some of the lowest calibre staff in the country, most of them semi-unemployable and terrified of being on the other side of the desk if they don't tow the line and do their 3 sanctions a week quota.
The mystery blip in unemployment figures last year, without any corresponding growth , that no-one could explain - this is all down to sanctions and "training" reducing the unemployment figures. Paul Daniels would be proud of it.
Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with getting the unemployed contributing, but there is a very thin line between opportunity and exploitation. Didn't Mercedes Benz and Siemens do something like this with "subhuman" slave labourers in ww2?
Scotinvest -nice to hear someone with ethics in business.
Got a lead ££££ for you pm sent
So if it isn't genuine training or apprenticeship ie poundland shelf stacking, but there isn't any paid positions available, how can it be anything other than exploitation?
So it's not like they grab everyone and force them onto it.
No coercion, just do they really want a 6 monthto 3 year sanction instead?
This is benefit reform by stealth. The jobcentres employ some of the lowest calibre staff in the country, most of them semi-unemployable and terrified of being on the other side of the desk if they don't tow the line and do their 3 sanctions a week quota.
The mystery blip in unemployment figures last year, without any corresponding growth , that no-one could explain - this is all down to sanctions and "training" reducing the unemployment figures. Paul Daniels would be proud of it.
Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with getting the unemployed contributing, but there is a very thin line between opportunity and exploitation. Didn't Mercedes Benz and Siemens do something like this with "subhuman" slave labourers in ww2?
Scotinvest -nice to hear someone with ethics in business.
Got a lead ££££ for you pm sent
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E
Esk247
In this case though the person that was asked to stack shelves at Poundland was ALREADY working voluntarily for a museum and learning something that she most probably wanted to study in the future when funds allowed. As far as I know, the whole point of the court case was that she was dragged away from voluntary work she enjoyed to stack shelves in Poundland and boost their productivity without it costing them anything.
She's now working for another supermarket from what I read. So it had nothing to do with her being a scrounger.
There are dole dossers. We all know that. But equally there are thousands who are either former students who have run out of money and just cannot get the job they trained for and got a degree for or those who have recently lost their job due to massive redundancies. They're 50 odd years old and have a gap between employment and retirement...companies are looking for youngsters, not experienced former Area Sales Execs who are a decade away from retiring.
We need a whole different approach to be honest.
I'm also annoyed because I can't employ anyone on a freebie, even though they'd be doing considerably more than stacking shelves!
She's now working for another supermarket from what I read. So it had nothing to do with her being a scrounger.
There are dole dossers. We all know that. But equally there are thousands who are either former students who have run out of money and just cannot get the job they trained for and got a degree for or those who have recently lost their job due to massive redundancies. They're 50 odd years old and have a gap between employment and retirement...companies are looking for youngsters, not experienced former Area Sales Execs who are a decade away from retiring.
We need a whole different approach to be honest.
I'm also annoyed because I can't employ anyone on a freebie, even though they'd be doing considerably more than stacking shelves!
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M
MrCloser
Figures on BBC Newsnight quoted a dismal success rate of 3.5% - actually worse than useless.
But this isn't about getting people into paid work, it is just about creating "employment" to reduce the figures. For the remaining 96.5% who didn't make the grade, they are now fresh claims instead of long term unemployed.
It is unthinkable that the thousands of Tesco, Argos and Poundland "training"/forced labour positions are not replacing what would otherwise have been paid jobs. These companies could always give them £50 a week in vouchers as a thanks if they genuinely appreciated them.
But this isn't about getting people into paid work, it is just about creating "employment" to reduce the figures. For the remaining 96.5% who didn't make the grade, they are now fresh claims instead of long term unemployed.
It is unthinkable that the thousands of Tesco, Argos and Poundland "training"/forced labour positions are not replacing what would otherwise have been paid jobs. These companies could always give them £50 a week in vouchers as a thanks if they genuinely appreciated them.
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