I don't think volunteering to gain work experience is a bad thing but for me the very term 'volunteering' means that it should be a choice, ie voluntary, not a requirement of getting the money you need to live. I do think that if they are going to do something like this, that it should be akin to National Service, and there be certain jobs/professions/work that is set aside for that national service so that no one is put out of work as a result.
This exactly.
I do not like the blanket application of this policy, unqualified long term work dodgers should be treated differently to qualified young applicants. The department should seek to match people to appropriate fields and not cosy up to large corp to essentially sanction slave labour.
I have not met and I work (before I was made redundant) in a government qualifications 'get back to work' type scheme, someone who had 'never worked a day in their life with no intention' I have never met someone who was job ready.
Some people i spoke to that stood out, wanted to be 'a cat sitter' "you know like a dog walker, but I dont like dogs"
I met one guy who wanted to be a an astronaut.
These people need to be hand held to such a level that they arent even suitable candidates for the voluntary sector. Tbh some of them arent even candidates for the human race, but most of time there is a horrific reason behind that.
I do think there are people who are out of work, like myself. That once Lo is in nursery I would really like to do some voluntary work, suitable to my disability, but im 'not allowed' to without loosing the little bit that keeps our heads above the water.
In the last 18 months the funding to actually help people back into work and get them qualifications has pretty much halved, hence the loss of my job. The opinion on people on benefits, being the scum of society has trebled. This imaginary family who have never worked and sit at home laughing at 'those suckers who are stupid enough to work' They are no more real than Cinderella and are a creation of the media/government so we spend more time hating eachother instead of helping eachother. All the while distracting us from the real problem and keeping us occupied whilst they make some significant and life threatening cuts to services.
Im sorry, but unless youve actually worked with the long term unemplyed, you really dont know who they are
Who suggested that? I was saying they should volunteer in an agency related to their desired vocation.
