New Deal 13 weeks Course from Hell

Niteawk

2010-04-14 14:29:48 UTC

Post by Fat Bloke
This is the text of a letter I am thinking of forwarding to the
Jobcentre, my local MP and the local paper. Am I doing right or am I
going to get in trouble? Should I send it now or at the end my "jail
time"? I am only on day two and I am already pissed off. Here's the
letter, details are blanked out.
===========================================================
Dear Sirs,
I am writing to you to inform you of the insane condition at the xxx
centre in XXXXXXXXXXXX.
On day one I was left in an overcrowded room for more than 1 hour
waiting for instructions on what to do. We were eventually welcomed
by XXXXX XXXXXX, the most experienced tutor there. We were left
unsupervised sometimes for hours, in rooms where there were not enough
chairs to sit on, asked sometimes to swap rooms. The groups were
sometimes rearranged for no apparent reasons.
I was eventually put in a group with mostly young ex-offenders who
were boasting how tough they were and all the nice things they learned
in prison, definitely an environment I did't belong in and which gave
me no motivation to improve on my condition. In between "waits" we
were treated to "pub quizzes", under threat that we don't tell anybody.
On day two the group mysteriously got even larger, we were told to use
the computers and do some job search but the number of PCs were
limited and the waiting list was not worth it. Those who wisely stayed
in the room were shouted not to be lazy and do some job search, but
how?
XXXXXX looked at my CV and said that there are no jobs in the IT
industry and that I look for work somewhere else and that was it! I
wanted to ask him if there was a possibility to do some volunteering
in a charity shop but he didn't want to go into that topic ad said
that he had already decided for me and if I don't accept it then it
means I'm not "receptive".
Then I decided to walk to the Jobcentre, asked to speak to my New Deal
advisor and ask her if can have a work placement at the charity shop.
She said it was not possible, because "now you are with the XXX, not
with us anymore". I asked her what that meant, is the Jobcentre not
taking any ownership for people on New Deal? Well it looks so, in fact
a security guards appeared and invited me out but I resisted. Had I
done anything wrong? I was just pointing out that the situation at XXX
BXXXXXXXXXX was beyond control.
Clients receive Porridge-style "prison talks". We have been told that
if we don't comply then we are troublemakers.
I have been told by a "repeater" that if you dare to criticise XXX
whilst still there, they will create a history of allegations to throw
you off the course then convince the Job Centre to have your benefits
stopped. It appears that bullying at XXX is frequent.
Clients are discouraged from using the main entrance to the building
and invited to enter and leave via a backdoor. Staff and clients stand
by the backdoort smoking. Jobseekers are forced to walk through the
smoke on entering and leaving the building. Nobody cares to ensure the
Fire Register is signed each day.
Tutors lack in any qualifications whatsoever. XXX placed an adverts on
Tutors Urgently need for XXX XXXXXXXXXXXX
Location: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Job Type: Permanent
Date posted: 25 Feb, 2010
From: gumtree.com
We currently need tutors for XXX in XXXXXXX, no experience in required
as Full Training will be given. The job post will close on the 15th
March. Applicants must forward a CV to XXX P.S - You cannot apply for
this position over the phone a CV must be forwarded to the given E-
mail. Thank you...
=======================================================

That sounds like a typical New Deal program run by A4e, I complained about
that along similar lines to my MP. All I got back from my MP was the
standard party reply to all queries and complaints about government depts.

"The course is designed and tailored to help people like you Mr X, I do hope
you enjoy time with A4e as they are very experienced and professional in
their approach to helping clients such as yourself to regain employment. The
service they provide is invaluable in this respect".

That is how they reply to any complaints about draconian work regimes, by
completely ignoring the points you raise. If animals were kept in over
crowded conditions like that, there would be a public outcry. But because
you are unemployed, no one gives a toss.

If you really want to protest, do what I did. Get a tube of superglue and
stick a couple of keys down on all the keyboards. Things like that, and
anything you can think of to fck them about for wasting your time, attack
the plumbing in the toilets as well, toilet bowls are very easy to break.
Then they will have to let you leave the building as it is unsanitary. Set
fire alarms off etc, don't let them catch you though and if they do find out
it was you, say they have unbalanced you mentally.