View Full Version : The Work Programme "4 Week Work Experience"... Your Experiences/Views
Just watched the news & in particular the bit about Tesco & the Work Programme....
http://righttowork.org.uk/2012/02/tesco-withdraws-from-workfare-protest-works/
On the news report the Government defended the scheme by stating that the "4 Week Work Experience" part of the programme is voluntary....
I was always under the impression that if your provider decided that you should go in it that it was compulsory, in fact the literature that you receive when being put on the work Programme states....
"You must complete any activities that your provider tells you to."
That statement to me makes it sound compulsory.
So... If you have been on "4 Week Work Experience" was it made clear to you that it was voluntary? Where you ever told it was compulsory?
You dont have to do it but if you dont "Your benifit may be affected" which pretty much means if you want money you have to do it lol
The bloke who did 4 weeks work experience in the lap dancing club swears by the scheme.
I think the scheme will result in employers exploiting people on it. I know of someone who was doing a similar scheme but for 10 weeks, the pay works out around £1.50 an hour,the boss spoke to them worse than you'd speak to a dog & they weren't actually doing the job they were on the scheme to do more like being put wherever they were short staffed & they weren't getting the breaks they were entitled to either, resulting in the person in question going home every night in tears!!. In this situation most employees would leave or complain but when your on these schemes if you leave you lose your benefits & if you complain it gets you nowhere. Definitely a no win situation on the employees part.
Just watched the news & in particular the bit about Tesco & the Work Programme....
http://righttowork.org.uk/2012/02/tesco-withdraws-from-workfare-protest-works/
On the news report the Government defended the scheme by stating that the "4 Week Work Experience" part of the programme is voluntary....
I was always under the impression that if your provider decided that you should go in it that it was compulsory, in fact the literature that you receive when being put on the work Programme states....
"You must complete any activities that your provider tells you to."
That statement to me makes it sound compulsory.
So... If you have been on "4 Week Work Experience" was it made clear to you that it was voluntary? Where you ever told it was compulsory?
Hi Alrock, from what I've been told it's voluntary until you say you will do it, then becomes compulsory. Unfortunately when I canvassed the views of unemployed people they did not know this and claim not to have been told this bit of information from their JCP advisers.
I think it is what would be called 'interpretation' and depends on who you ask.
To clarify are you talking about the 'work experience element of 'The Work Programme'?
not particularly referring to Tesco's here but last work placement i was pushed onto, i was told that the company (Travis Perkins) required a good all-rounder to help with day-to-day running of the business. quote! "You will be required to serve customers, advise on products, handle cash, load or assist in loading of company vehicles, and assist as and where required within the premises"....4 weeks solid, 9 til 5 i pushed a brush and did nothing else but push a brush. it was constant polish this, brush that, sweep there, pick that rubbish up......nothing more than an unpaid skivvy and when i complained to the work provider, they just said "its work experience!, what more do you want??"....im 46 years old and have enough work experience.....
not particularly referring to Tesco's here but last work placement i was pushed onto, i was told that the company (Travis Perkins) required a good all-rounder to help with day-to-day running of the business. quote! "You will be required to serve customers, advise on products, handle cash, load or assist in loading of company vehicles, and assist as and where required within the premises"....4 weeks solid, 9 til 5 i pushed a brush and did nothing else but push a brush. it was constant polish this, brush that, sweep there, pick that rubbish up......nothing more than an unpaid skivvy and when i complained to the work provider, they just said "its work experience!, what more do you want??"....im 46 years old and have enough work experience.....
Big Gaz’s example epitomises everything that is wrong with this programme. Few employers are going to invest in any sort of induction/training/meaningful work. They’ll get a backhander to keep someone occupied for four weeks and will get a pat on the back for their contribution. The job centre will not be interested in any feedback from either you or your employer as you’re of little real interest to them.
This is just another state sponsored stratagem so the grubbiement can be seen to be doing something.
To clarify are you talking about the 'work experience element of 'The Work Programme'?
Mainly talking about the work experience here, something I'm hoping to avoid myself since I'm already doing charity work full time.
As for the work programme itself (excluding the work experience element), I'd say it's actually a bit of an extended holiday from the Job Centre....
Yes, I might still have the hassle & expense of travelling through to Wick once a fortnight to sign on, but I no longer have to endure Job Centre interviews with patronising, deluded staff that seem to think that there is such a plethora of jobs out there that anybody without a job must by default be a work shy fopp.
Yes, I might now have to attend the occasional meeting with my provider, but in my experience at least there is no patronising or delusion there, there is recognition that the labour market is in dire straits & a frank & honest discussion can be had without fears of sanctions.
Kevin Milkins
25-Feb-12, 09:24
I am sure that there are many "would be employers" that would take advantage of such a scheme to get some free labour without any obligation or second thought to the feelings of it's "clients".
I have had the misfortune of finding myself out of work and being of a difficult age to get back to work, however, I took advantage of such a scheme that not only got me back into the habit of getting out of the house and back into the work place and routine, it also brought back my self confidence and dignity.
I can only speak of my own experience and I'm sure many participants of such a scheme would have hoped to get more out of it, but no one is owed a living and sometimes we have to do whatever it takes to get to where we want to be.
The workers at the job centre are only doing what they are programed to do and I certainly wouldn't enjoy doing what they do for a living.
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