To think support from the Job Center should be for everyone?

[Frequency]

I had my appointment for contributions-based JSA today. I had a list of questions about support/help that would assist me in getting back into work quicker.

I was pretty much told their services are not for me and other professionals or people who have been previously successful. Their services only cover people who lack basic skills.

None of what I asked about was available to me or anyone else using their services.

I asked for;

Assistance towards paying for driving lessons as we have a lack of jobs available locally and poor public transport. Even this was only a money-off voucher with certain providers or meant having to travel to a government-approved driving school I would have taken the support.

Local or remote training that would lead to a professional certification or government certificate to verify I had the skills covered by the course - I was thinking of things like Cisco/Juniper/Solar Winds etc. They only offer functional skills. They have the government-funded skills courses on top of this but these are not run by the JC and they have no information on them.

Professional CV writing services to make sure I am using the right keywords to get through the AI scanner/past HR. They offer support with CVs but it is basic such as support with SPAG and how to use a word processor.

I understand the budget is limited but surely spending towards some of these things for people on a low-income or looking for employment would reduce the benefits bill in the long-run?

But this is my point. That seems counterproductive to me. They could offer me support in finding a role similar to my previous one where I wouldn't be entitled to top-up benefits and would be paying tax which would cost them in the short-term but would mean in the long term I pay more tax or they could push me into NMW work, which is all it seems they are set up to do, which I means I would pay little to no tax and would be getting longterm financial support in the form of top-up benefits.

The latter is shortsighted and more costly in the long run.

You want a decent recruiter who specialises in IT to look at work from home options. There's really no reason you should be out of work or unable to find yourself a job, you don't need the job centre they can't help you 🤷‍♀️

Job centres are fearful places. I was unemployed once and had to sign on for about three months. They treat you like scum. I once walked in with an umbrella (it had been heavily raining) and the security guard cornered me and took it off me, as if I was going to use it as a weapon. If you are one minute late they won’t see you. They talk to you like you are stupid.

It’s a punishment regime. They are not geared up to actually help anyone or provide good advice.

You're still mistaking the purpose of the job centre despite plenty pp explaining.

If you want job support for the type you're after, it's a recruiter, other agency or self fund. It's not the taxpayers job to fund a job you like/want, that would be ideal, but not realistic. They can't 'support you in finding an equivalent role' as they don't have access to them as most skilled/technical jobs either recruit directly themselves or go through a recruitment agency and or headhunt

It's like going to aldi and asking to book a holiday... Its not what they do

But OP, you will know an awful lot more about your industry than any JCP worker, and that goes for all the other industries, too. What skills are needed, where vacancies are advertised, likely salary, etc. There’s no way of training staff to be at a level that would be helpful to you. I worked in a JCP many years ago: the skilled people - rightly or wrongly- tended to find their own work.

I was on JSA once, I took a gamble and paid for a course in an industry I wanted to work in, it was £2k I didn't have in about 2010. I built a career from it and frankly got me a job so quickly and was probably only a little over my first months' salary when otherwise I'd have been unemployed. Is there any way you can get a loan and do one of the one week intensive driving school programmes. If I thought it would make that much difference to my life I'd do it in a minute.
Also if you are in IT are any of the learn coding courses worth doing, a few have job placements at the end and can be remote.

Exactly. @Frequency How on earth do you think some random person working at the job centre will know more than you about what to do to find work in your specific field?
I'm actually mind boggled that you would seriously expect this from them.

OP were you made redundant? And if so, did they offer you outplacement? They won't pay for things, but they do give support.

They may well be "gap in the market" for other people like returners as well - though at a cost. Some industries offer returner schemes.

I agree and yet people think people choose benefits as a lifestyle choice. Very very few would and do!

Reminds me of when I was on UC just after uni

Was on all the jobs boards, showing as available etc

I got a call from a company who offered training or something. Man on the phone enthusiastically tells me they WILL find me work and they WILL help me and they WILL get me all these extra qualifications/courses that will help me be employable.

Then, after going on for about 10 minutes, he asks my highest level of education

I say I have a university degree

"Ah. Then we can't actually help you. We are for those without qualifications"

Could have saved himself time by asking that first and also not getting my hopes up

Ridiculous really, I could have really used the help

Well they might have assumed that you wanted a graduate job, when just about anything would do. I mean what was the point of the degree anyway in that case, but maybe you wouldn't have minded. I don't know when you went to university but these days the career centres do all that, support for 3 years up to graduating.
If you'd said that you didn't mind any job even without a degree, who knows? They might have done something.

OP has remained steadfastly silent on what recruiters have told her. I suspect what she wants isn't commensurate with her experience. Or that she wants a job she can randomly leave. I'm sure she could get at least an IT support role!

Even for us currently in the industry it can be hard to find a job. Despite all the media hype it's highly cyclical and in bad times, like now, hiring is cut to the bone.

OP some of us here are trying to help you, contact your old colleagues, reach out to people on LinkedIn, look at returner programs. Even a generic 'career coach' if provided will be unable to help you.

If you’re qualified and have had a well paid job why haven’t you paid for your own driving lessons, like everyone else does?

What are you on about?
They were helping those who didn't have degrees to access training but the help offered would have helped anyone.
Whether I was after a graduate job, why I did my degree, if I was willing to not use my degree... none of that was relevant. I was too qualified for the help they offered

Of course they won't pay for driving lessons. National careers service can help with a CV. Contact local collages to see what free adult courses they have.

They just want you off benefits. They don't care if you like the job or are under/over qualified to do it.

As others have said, the role of the Job Centre is not to polish people who can find a job, so they can find a more suitable one. It is to help people who cannot find a job.

You can find the skills you are looking for elsewhere.

Heck, even ChatGPT can write you a basic CV for you to amend as needed.

Look on Pinterest (it is an overlooked resource imo) as well.

But really, I wouldn't even worry too much about the CV. 'Correct keywords' implies that you're applying to places where they run a CV through a checker and accept people who used the magic words (these generally have the same attitude to all HR processes, with very little human and few resources).

So many job applications aren't even CV based anymore, they want you to answer certain questions and input details that are important to them. When I'm recruiting, I rarely read CVs (it is very off-putting to see people misspell 'attention to detail' in their skills). We ask questions that match what we're looking for and interview. I don't really care what their last job role was, or which fancy words they used for their transferable skills, as long as they fit what I need.

As for discounted driving lessons, probably better off looking at options yourself. Do you have any friends who can teach the basics and then finish off with a short intensive course rather than a longer, more expensive, series of lessons? More to the point, if you cannot afford the driving lessons you say you need to apply to certain jobs, how are you going to afford the car you'll need if you got the job? You would need to buy it, tax, fuel, insurance ect before you are paid for the first month.

I do hope you find the job you're looking for soon.

I have answered most of the questions. I didn't answer the one about feedback from recruiters because I didn't think it was relevant to what I was asking which is AIBU to think the Job Center should be set up to help everyone get a job and not just those who need only the most basic support?

I am aware now that is not set up for that but I think that is wrong and wondered if others agreed with me.

Perhaps I didn't word it correctly. I don't need their help to get a job, as evidenced by the fact that I have had jobs in the past. I assumed, apparently incorrectly, that the role of the jobcenter was to help me get a job. Not help me only if I struggle with functional skills otherwise what is the point of meeting with a workcoach every two weeks?

But since I cannot sleep and I'm bored and this thread has appeared to turn into a let's help Frequency get a job thread then I'll answer your questions and let's help me find a job (or at least a clear direction to head in) 🙂

LinkedIn - I am using this. I'm not posting much but I am using it for work searches.

Former colleagues - there are no jobs available where they work at the moment that are remote or that I can get to. I've worked remotely for the last 4/5 years so all of my contacts are spread around the UK.

Driving lessons - I am paying for them myself. My worry is once my last month's wage runs out there is no more money for lessons if I haven't passed my test by then. I didn't learn before this because it wasn't a priority. It was on my to-do list along with a million other things which took priority.

Moving - Yes, I would move for a job but would need financial assistance to do so. The little savings that I did have are being spent on driving lessons and insurance so I can practice (in what is my own car as in it was gifted to me and I loaned it to someone else since I couldn't drive)

Feedback from recruiters - they practically wet themselves with excitment whenever they talk about my recent experience and certifications (in SD-WAN and IOT) because it is the new up-and-coming technology in networking. And they're right, it is, in major cities which I cannot get to.

Feedback from interviewers - Either they believe I would be bored/am overqualified (1st and 2nd line helpdesk roles) or they went with someone who was located closer to them because they didn't believe I would be able to reliably commute to them and in all fairness they were right. I planned to get the person who has my car to give me lifts until I could move closer to them. That was the only networking role I have been able to apply via a recruitment agency for as none of the others are close enough to even have a chance of getting there.

I did get offered one job but I don't think the pay reflects what they're asking for and once I factor in transport costs (taxis) I would be on less than NMW (and it would also be taking away funds from learning to drive)

Where I am at now; Looking at networking roles that advertise remote roles they all want different certifications to the ones I have and have a high level of competition, for example, the one I just applied to had been on LinkedIn for 16 minutes and had 70+ applicants already.

VMWare is one cert/experience requirement I see pop up a lot and I do have experience in VMWare but it was experience gained in my previous job when they gave me extra work to help me develop rather than it being a major part of my role so it is not demonstratable. Employers and recruiters only have my word for the fact I know this. Ditto Linux/Ubuntu/Cisco. I know all of these things, but cannot reliably demonstrate that on my CV other than saying I know it. There are no networking jobs local to me. All the local IT jobs are in helpdesk roles or software/web development.

I'm fairly confident that I could get my CCNA or a cert in Linux or VMWare with relatively little study, however, I am reluctant to do so because it is taking funds from driving lessons and also I fell into networking, rather than choosing it. My ideal job is either hardware support or software development. I don't particularly enjoy networking or support desk work. I enjoyed my last role because I liked the team and the fact they let me play with new technologies and learn new skills rather than enjoying the work itself.

I have been accepted onto two different software development courses. One part-time foundation degree course and one full-time, intensive three-month course through the government skills program which claims to have me job-ready by the end of the course and since I already know most of what they teach I am pretty happy that I would meet their targets.

Once I can drive I can look at on-site roles in Newcastle, Sunderland, Darlington, Durham, and York and hybrid roles in Leeds and possibly, depending on DD and travel time, Derbyshire and Nottingham area.

So, do I go down the software route or risk using some of my driving lesson money to get another networking cert?

I did get offered one job but I don't think the pay reflects what they're asking for and once I factor in transport costs (taxis) I would be on less than NMW (and it would also be taking away funds from learning to drive)

Unfortunately, I think you're thinking about this the wrong way. They wouldn't be paying you less than minimum, your expenses just don't match up with what they're paying. Everyone factors their travel costs into their expenses.

But also, if you took the job, learned to drive, then started driving to work, presumably your expenses reduce and your disposable income increases? Short term belt-tightening for long term gain seems fair.

As for whether you stop learning to drive and get a new certification: I'd look at some job ads and see if it is a requirement. If not, you're just adding more words to the CV and not necessarily more value as an employee (particularly if they are skills you have but can't evidence with a certificate).

Crispeater2000 has it spot on.

JobCentrePlus is only geared to, at best, shunting claimants on useless "training" courses - and since you can't be classed as unemployed AND in training at the same time you get categorised as training. Hence you get wiped off the unemployment figures. Fiddling the numbers or what?

And the training courses are dire - you get plonked in front of re-conditioned, elderly computer to tediously go over the same job websites for 6.5 hours every day. Pretty soul destroying.

But they do teach you how to write an application letter doing joined-up writing......

But also, if you took the job, learned to drive, then started driving to work, presumably your expenses reduce and your disposable income increases? Short term belt-tightening for long term gain seems fair.

If I took the job I wouldn't be able to continue learning to drive once this block of lessons ends because all my extra money would be going towards getting taxis. I budgeted this every which way I could manage, including me eating only a sandwich for lunch and skipping breakfast and evening meals on weekdays. The sums don't add up.

The remote jobs I am looking at do ask for VMWare and/or Linux experience, which I have but cannot prove that I have, iyswim? I am applying for the roles but not hearing anything back.

Me again. Sorry, also cannot sleep.

If you aren't hearing back at all, have you asked for feedback from the recruiting manager? Ngl, this might not get you anything else, but it just might result in you being told that you didn't have X qualifications, or that they only interviewed top 3 and you were option 4, that they want someone with specific experience unrelated to that certificate. From my experience doing recruitment, I always try to give feedback when asked for it, but I'm also more likely to take another look at that application that maybe didn't fit Role A but might offer an interview for Role B because you're proving you actually want the job, haven't got something else and will no-show an interview, you're willing to take on feedback.

How many lessons do you think you might need before you're ready for the test? Taking a break whilst you accrue more funds but getting practice in with an experienced driver you trust might work?

Sorry, you can't sleep either. I made the mistake of going to bed ridiculously early because I was bored and then DD left her ratdogs to go and make food and they decided to remedy their aloneness by barging into my bedroom and squeaking at me until I picked them up where one of the parked it's fluffy arse on my head with its feathery tail swishing in my face and the other one proceeded to lick my nostrils

I actually haven't asked for feedback from any of the jobs I don't hear back from. I assumed they'd just ignore me but I will add that to my list of things that will help me get a job.

I'm not sure how long it will take me to learn to drive. I've only had 2 2-hour two-hour-long professional lessons up to now. The biggest factor, I think, is confidence. The instructor keeps suggesting we try things like actually driving on actual roads and my response is usually, "let's not, I don't fancy dying in a firey crash today!"

I'm getting a lot of practice with my mum but I'm using her mostly to practice changing gears, using the clutch/finding the bite, and stopping at junctions in the right place and not 6 feet further back than I should be. She has a tendency to panic which then panics me. As a result, my emergency stops are second to none I am 100% confident I will pass the emergency stop part of the test.

Once I get out onto the roads with the instructor and build up some confidence I can use my mum for daily practice on roads. There is no-one else insured to drive my car except my dad who is covered by his own insurance but he's not well atm.

I've done roundabouts and traffic lights with the instructor and I'm OK at them but not 100%. I daren't try them with my mum yet in case she panics me into an emergency stop and causes us to die in a fiery crash.

The instructor wants me to drive home next week on actual roads through the town center and not just on really quiet roads near the trading estate we practice on; if that gives any indication as to how ready I am. I don't know anyone who has recently learned to drive to ask.

Oh dear @Frequency 🤣
You asked for assistance towards driving lessons. That's very silly indeed.

Best of luck. You'll need it.