Digital Poverty — What One Man’s found. (Pt 2: Job Hunters.)

20th June, 2020.

(Pt 2: The Unemployed)

Foreword.

Just so you know?

This is the second in a set of pieces I’ve done on digital poverty*.

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Men At Work Placement

OK, OK … 

It’s a Sunday evening!

But there’s not much on TV at the moment.   There’s not a lot on the radio, either.

And frankly … ?

Frankly, there’s something I’ve been meaning to get off my chest: about being out of work.

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The Daily Teaser — 29-7-2014

You’ve been following me for a while, haven’t you … ?

So you’re probably aware I’m job hunting: and although times are rough, the fact I’ve had interviews, recently, and have as couple more, soon, is a good thing.

The problem I’m having … ?

Is the fact some of my benefits have been cut, in a dispute: one that I’ve done everything I can avoid.

Theoretically … ?   Theoretically, I should hear by roughly the end of the week: after 28 working days.

Just, of course, JUST about what’s happening

I phoned the enquiry line.   Only to be told there’s an effective eight to ten week delay on Mandatory Reconsiderations: the type of appeal I’m going through.

The best way of describing my reaction … ?

Was bloody furious … !

Possibly even f*cking fuming … !!!

How on EARTH does a government tell you something is supposed to take 28 days: and then add THAT amount of extra time?

Personally … ?   As much as I’d rather complain to various forms of management, and as I’d hate to commit some form of benefit fraud, to pay the bills?   I can see how tempting the latter is, given the circumstances.

Provocation is a hell of a thing to plead in court.

Let’s move on, shall we?

~≈◊≈~

Back At The Job Centre ...

This is literally going to be a quick post: courtesy of Brentwood Library.

As I'm in town!

At any rate, I've just signed on: the usual thing, that says I'm available to work should a job come my way: and should any jobs be available.

As part of my first time back, after being on the Work Program for two years, I'm supposed to have been seen by a personal adviser: who'll advise me on what happens next, and what help the Job Centre can offer me.

Guess what?

The chap was ill.

Story of my life, that ... !

The Work Programme: Some Thoughts.

You know, yesterday was … interesting … ish … 

At least form my viewpoint, it was.

I had my last appointment at the UK government’s flagship Work Programme, yesterday: the scheme that the Government hopes will help the long-term unemployed — like me — back into employment.

I say interesting, when I think the word I’m after — or one of them — is bittersweet.

After all, and even though I only had to travel a few miles, it was an afternoon/morning out, in somewhere other than Brentwood.   The fact something of a routine day-trip has now come to an end is bittersweet: and some I’ll miss, having gotten used to it.

There’s all kinds of issues with that day out, and its end, though.

As I’ve already said, the Work Programme is the government’s attempt to help the long-term unemployed back into work: and is supposed to last for two years.

If you get a job in that period, the staff at the Programme are supposed to supply funding and help for the rest of the two year period, in order to help you keep the job.   So if you get a job, having been on the Programme for a year, they’re supposed to give help and funding for another year, for example.

In my case, though … ?

I have to admit to being something of a tough case.   I’ve something of a patchy employment history: and a personal history best described as colourful.   One I feel means many employers would prefer to hire someone else, whatever upside there may be to hiring me.

Given those circumstances … ?

Given those, you’d think — think — I’d maybe get a little extra help.   That’s possibly debatable.

EITHER way, I was on the Work Programme for the maximum allowed two years.

Two years of getting a bus to Basildon — where my local Work Programme, run by a company called SEETEC, is based — at public expense.   (I buy the ticket, in Brentwood: SEETEC pays me my bus-fare: and then claims it back from the government, as expenses.)

I’ll be frank: I had some three to four (unsuccessful) interviews with various companies, in that first year on the Programme.

And I’ll give SEETEC their due: they covered the cost of the bus-fare for one of those, which was in Basildon.   AND covered the cost of a new pair of trousers, and a shirt: so I could look at least half way presentable.

They also signed me up for a CV writing course: and for a an afternoon workshop on how to write a cover letter.   Something that had a helpful; side: but only in as far as it confirmed a few points I already knew or suspected.

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So that’s a point to them, I think.

However, I think I have other areas to complain about.

Doctors … 

Or at least GPs, I should say.   One reason we like having the same family doctor, in my experience, is a simple, old fashioned idea.

Continuity of service.   The simple fact that you get to know your GP over a course of many years: and their knowledge of you, as a long term patient, gives them a touch more insight into you, your behaviour when well, and what could be going wrong for you, just by seeing what you look like, when you walk through the door, today.

The fact is, SEETEC seemed to have an unbelievably high staff turnover.   Certainly at the level of the client advisers: the people who’d be dealing with I, and others, who came in through the door.

Early on, in the first year … ?   I was assigned an adviser called Julie.   I got into the office, that particular Monday, the office manager told me my new adviser was called Julie, and was sitting on “ … that desk over there.”   I had something like a half-hour review with her, where I told her what I was doing to find a job and we reviewed my CV: and looked at potential career options.

When I got back, to weeks later … ?

She’d got another job.

I had a couple of others who lasted for maybe two visits, roughly a fortnight apart.

You see my point, here … ?

There was little in the way of continuity of service.   Little time for a client adviser to get to know their client base, and suggest appropriate actions for each client, on a case by case basis.

~≈†≈~

Which is the other thing that struck me.

The course on offer.

Now, I mentioned I had a CV writing course and a cover letter writing course?

They were … handy … if not as intense, as possible.

Or as immediately useful as I felt they could have been.

On a personal front … ?   I should point out that I’ve a Level 2 NVQ in Customer Services.

It’s not much: but does at least tell prospective employers I know how to use a till, can be polite to customers, and know where to look for the First Aid box — and the First Aid person — should someone fall over.

In the two years I was at the Work Programme?   None of the advisers turned around and said something to the effect of “Oh, by the way, we do the Level Three Customer Services NVQ: is that something you’d like to sign up for, Paul?   That might persuade prospective employers you’re a good person to hire.”

There’s also a course doing the rounds called  the ECDL: or European Computer Driving Licence.   It‘s a basic computer literacy course.

Granted, I believe myself to be a touch more computer literate than some: but having that to my name was something I feel could again, have been helpful.

It was something that my local job centre has run in the past: and no doubt will do so again.

Of course, when I asked my local jobcentre about signing up for it … ?   They told me to ask the Work Programme.

Who — to be fair — had heard of it.   But couldn’t fund my doing it in Basildon: nor did they have one in Brentwood I could attend.

Encouraging, that … 

~≈†≈~

There’s possibly more I could tell you, there.

Possibly.

I could be telling you that, according to a Radio Four programme in November of last year, that the Work Programme seems to be not working for a quite a few people like me.

That some charities are critical of how the Programme is structured, as it gives them little incentive to do a proper job of the thing. 

That the Programme really isn’t helping the disabled finding suitable jobs.

That the programme is a waste of money.   Speaking as someone who’s had his return bus fare to Basildon paid for him, with out seeing any kind of return, I cannot disagree.

There’s possibly a lot of things I could be saying.

I will, however, close with this thought.

There are many who would argue that the unemployed need some sort of help to find work.

One thing that would … ?   Is having plenty of jobs around that are both suitable for those out of work: and willing to hire those of us who are — at first glance — tough to see as good employees.

The other thing that would help … ?

Speaking from my own experience, would be a Work Programme that’s more helpful than the one I’ve just attended for two years.

Working For Benefits

Hmmm … 

Have you ever watched a politician and wondered if they really know what your end of the street’s like … ?

No, really … ?

You see, it’s conference time, in the UK: when Britain’s politicians get together for their annual shindigs: the public side of which includes a lot of varied policy announcements.

Including the Work for Benefit one proposed, today, by 

Basically, the policy seems to involve making sure that those of us who fail to find a job under the Work we have to attend, will have three choices.

Either do various types of community service.

Or sign on, on a daily basis.

Or do various training courses

The training courses … ?

I’m told the training will mostly literacy courses for those of us who need them: and not much else, by the sound of things.

Something that — from the little I know — already done as a matter of course.

The second, singing on, on a daily basis … ?

To be frank, for me, that’s not too much of an issue: I only live around the corner from Brentwood Job Centre, so it wouldn’t present problems.

At least, for me.

But having to travel to Basildon, for the work programme, once a fortnight means I’m VERY aware that I have to save money for bus fare.

That those in a similar position to me — but travelling to Brentwood — will have to keep aside the fare money for those daily trips.

Which means that, even given being able to claim any money back, that that’s money they will not be able to spend on food, gas, electricity, water rates, what have you.

Then there’s the third option: that of being forced to work for one’s benefit.

Right here and now … ?

Right here and now, this proposal, to me, sounds a LOT like enforced slave labour.

Or a variation of Demanding With Menaces.

We prosecute those.

Forms And Printers.

It has to be said.

Really.

That, in amongst Brentwood Library's shiny new bits of fabbo - yeah, sure - kit, they's something they've not had updated.

Their new computers are far more usable than the old Dells they did have: even if they're not running the most recent version of Windozes or Ubuntu.

The problem they have ... ?

Is that Essex County Council's IT department hasn't - yet - managed to update Brentwood Library's printers: or, at least, their printer drivers.

It's not THAT inconvenient.

I could, after all, get the relevant form from Brentwood Job Centre.

It IS, though, a bit of a pain.

Especially as - from the little I know - Brentwood Library's the only place in town many of us can get any sort of printing done, at a (halfway) reasonable cost.

Dear Mr Clegg ...

Hmmm ...

You know, I've got to admit, I'm actually writing this post from Brentwood Library.

Or started it, there, I may finish it, back indoor.

But I'm trying to at least get out of the house and do some exercise, each day.

Doctor's orders and all of that ... !

‹‹•››

But at ANY rate ... ?

At any rate, I thought I'd quickly highlight this news item from the BBC.

Just to summerise, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister - and leader of the Liberal Democrat half of Britain's coalition government -has announced a scheme to use one billion pounds to help assorted youngster back into employement.

Or, at least, help employers pay them.

I'll happily admit, it's a very worthy scheme, it really is.

On the downside, though ... ?

On the downside is the simple practical question I'd like to ask him.

Where's the equivalent billion of public money, for the older unemployed people, like me, who are ALSO finding it tough to get a job?

I really do HATE to sound selfish, I really do.

But I think I'd like an answer, there.

Right here and Now

You know, this post is probably going to get me in trouble.

But what the heck.

I’ll be honest, I work in one of the local branches of a nationally known chain of off-licences that’s in serious trouble.

Deeply serious trouble.

And our branch has had the bad news, today, that our branch is one of the one that will be closing down.

Which is gutting … !

Understandably.

What gets me is the simple fact that — from what I, as an employee, have managed to understand — is that the company I work for knew about the likelihood of this happening, in July of last year: a few months after they hired me.

As you can possibly appreciate …

What makes it kind of worse, in these recession hit times, is the simple fact that, while they had a flashy website that told you all about themselves, their products, and where their stores were, it had no — NO — online store.

When you consider that the small Ma and Pa independent greengrocers/off-license up the hill from us, along with iTunes, Sainsburys, Tescos, Morrison, Asda, John Lewis, Majestic, Bargain Booze et al, has an online store, my employers seriously missed the boat.

Combined with missing that trick, they had some serious competition from the likes of the various nation supermarket chains, who were able to heavily out-do us, in terms of price.

And, as a result, went under.

And put me, the rest of my co-workers, and most of the branches in the area, will be made redundant.

For those of us who’ve been with the company less than two years can claim no redundancy, under the terms of the contracts.

Those who’ve been there longer?

Look like’s they’ve got a fight to claim whatever is available.

My only conclusion, being in at the coalface?

Is that this has been a huge great cock-up of monstrous proportions.

From start to finish.