Sorry, this is a long one.
As some of you may know, I was made redundant at the end of June. Not really wanting to, I signed up for Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), not because I wanted the £75 per week, but because I wanted to have my NIC credited so there's no gap when it comes to my pension in 9 years time, although I'm not turning the money down.
First, it qas agreed that as I'm classed as skilled due to my qualifications in Training & Development and Management, I could have 3 months looking for jobs I'm qualified in before I have to take what's given, irrespective of what it is or the pay level. So far, so good. I was planning to change careers anyway as while Learning & development jobs came up in my area occasionally, it was either admin at minimum wage, or L&D department heads at £45k plus, none within my scope of design, delivery & consultancy, unless I was prepared to commute 2 hours each way & a 4 hour commute is not something I want to do.
Except my JSA payments were not allowed for the first 4 weeks because I had a payday on 30 June. So my JSA payments didn't start until 6 weeks later. I qualified for payment fron 1st July, but they're paid 2 weeks in arrears. Not really an issue as I had a little redundancy money.
As I was previously a civil servant, my old department provided job support by way of training courses in CV writing and Interview skills.. This wasavailable to me for 3 months, except the 3 months started in May - they didn't tell me that - so that support ran out in July.
Next up, I was signed up for additional support by DWP as I was made redundant. this additional support is provided on behalf of DWP by an outside provider. So far I've had to endure 3 courses, CV writing, Interview skills and Personal safety, this despite being courses I've run in the past. Still, it's good to have a different perspective. Boy were the trainers crap. Glad to attend though as I wouldn't have qualified for my JSA payments.
For my own reasons, I thought I'd have a go at driving, so decided to go for my Class 2 LGV licence, not least because it's estimated there are around 100,000 vacancies and an acute shortage of drivers.
I was told I could qualify for the Rapid Response Service, a Govt. course set up earlier this year to help people get back in to work. Basically, they provide fundiing to allow you to obtain qualifications to help you back in to work. EXCEPT they will not fund a career change, only qualifications in the job you're experienced in. They would fund a Level 2 course in training - I wrote the book on training trainers for the department I worked for & have 7 or 8 diploma level qualifications in Learning & Development.
They would fund a Level 2 course in basic team leading - got one of those.
They would fund a basic IT course, to enable me to switch on a computer & open a word document - Microsoft Office was one of the subjects i trained & have an IT Trainers qualification.
Upshop is the Rapid Response Service could offer me nothing, but there was another scheme I might qualify for, Low Value Procurement (LVP). this is funding where if you can provide a business case & there's a reasonable chance of employment once you qualify, they'll pay for it. EXCEPT as I'm already professionally qualified, I don't qualify for LVP.
This has been ongoing for a while now, to the point where I bit the bullet & used some of my redundancy to pay for a HGV course, not cheap but I probably stand a better chance of finding work.
Had my fortnightly DWP call today to see how my job hunting was going, so I told them I was funding my own training as DWP seem incapable of helping. the result, I was informed that they could help me with a loan of 50% of the training cost, which of course, I'd have to pay back (with interest). and please be aware that while I'm training, I'm technically unavailable for work, so run the risk of having my paltry £75 per week stopped unless I can ensure my availability for work within a 24 hour period should they find a job for me. Also, as was agreed when I 'signed on' I can be choosy what jobs I accept for the first 3 months, which only runs until the end of September, after which I have to take what jobs they find unless I have good reason to refuse it. It seems the 3 month clock starts ticking when I originally signed on, not when I became eligible for payment.
WTF
They can't/won't fund training to change career & get back in to work, only training for a job I'm professionally qualified for, but are prepared to stop my JSA payment becaause I'm taking training they didn't organise.
As some of you may know, I was made redundant at the end of June. Not really wanting to, I signed up for Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), not because I wanted the £75 per week, but because I wanted to have my NIC credited so there's no gap when it comes to my pension in 9 years time, although I'm not turning the money down.
First, it qas agreed that as I'm classed as skilled due to my qualifications in Training & Development and Management, I could have 3 months looking for jobs I'm qualified in before I have to take what's given, irrespective of what it is or the pay level. So far, so good. I was planning to change careers anyway as while Learning & development jobs came up in my area occasionally, it was either admin at minimum wage, or L&D department heads at £45k plus, none within my scope of design, delivery & consultancy, unless I was prepared to commute 2 hours each way & a 4 hour commute is not something I want to do.
Except my JSA payments were not allowed for the first 4 weeks because I had a payday on 30 June. So my JSA payments didn't start until 6 weeks later. I qualified for payment fron 1st July, but they're paid 2 weeks in arrears. Not really an issue as I had a little redundancy money.
As I was previously a civil servant, my old department provided job support by way of training courses in CV writing and Interview skills.. This wasavailable to me for 3 months, except the 3 months started in May - they didn't tell me that - so that support ran out in July.
Next up, I was signed up for additional support by DWP as I was made redundant. this additional support is provided on behalf of DWP by an outside provider. So far I've had to endure 3 courses, CV writing, Interview skills and Personal safety, this despite being courses I've run in the past. Still, it's good to have a different perspective. Boy were the trainers crap. Glad to attend though as I wouldn't have qualified for my JSA payments.
For my own reasons, I thought I'd have a go at driving, so decided to go for my Class 2 LGV licence, not least because it's estimated there are around 100,000 vacancies and an acute shortage of drivers.
I was told I could qualify for the Rapid Response Service, a Govt. course set up earlier this year to help people get back in to work. Basically, they provide fundiing to allow you to obtain qualifications to help you back in to work. EXCEPT they will not fund a career change, only qualifications in the job you're experienced in. They would fund a Level 2 course in training - I wrote the book on training trainers for the department I worked for & have 7 or 8 diploma level qualifications in Learning & Development.
They would fund a Level 2 course in basic team leading - got one of those.
They would fund a basic IT course, to enable me to switch on a computer & open a word document - Microsoft Office was one of the subjects i trained & have an IT Trainers qualification.
Upshop is the Rapid Response Service could offer me nothing, but there was another scheme I might qualify for, Low Value Procurement (LVP). this is funding where if you can provide a business case & there's a reasonable chance of employment once you qualify, they'll pay for it. EXCEPT as I'm already professionally qualified, I don't qualify for LVP.
This has been ongoing for a while now, to the point where I bit the bullet & used some of my redundancy to pay for a HGV course, not cheap but I probably stand a better chance of finding work.
Had my fortnightly DWP call today to see how my job hunting was going, so I told them I was funding my own training as DWP seem incapable of helping. the result, I was informed that they could help me with a loan of 50% of the training cost, which of course, I'd have to pay back (with interest). and please be aware that while I'm training, I'm technically unavailable for work, so run the risk of having my paltry £75 per week stopped unless I can ensure my availability for work within a 24 hour period should they find a job for me. Also, as was agreed when I 'signed on' I can be choosy what jobs I accept for the first 3 months, which only runs until the end of September, after which I have to take what jobs they find unless I have good reason to refuse it. It seems the 3 month clock starts ticking when I originally signed on, not when I became eligible for payment.
WTF
They can't/won't fund training to change career & get back in to work, only training for a job I'm professionally qualified for, but are prepared to stop my JSA payment becaause I'm taking training they didn't organise.
