FAS Work Placement Program

bri007 · 27-01-2011 5:30pm

Noo wrote: »

Oh please let me update you on my situation as of today. I went to the post office and collected my money (i got time off work obviously) and the amount was the same as before (I was only €40 a week living at home with my parents) so I went around to the social welfare to ask about it. They said they are still processing my new application so they gave me what i had before so i'm not getting nothing until they sort it out...fair enough. I was then told that I wont be getting anymore because you are not suppose to benefit from being on the fas placement and my payment will be the same as when i was living at home.
As for rent supplement, the CWO basically told me to f*** off and not to bother applying because i wont get it.

I DO NOT live at home with my parents anymore!!
Income: €40 a week
Rent: €55 a week
Food: €20-30 a week
Any other little expense that might pop up: €??
Bus fare home at weekend to see friends and family (i dont know anyone where i'm now living and now cant afford to join any clubs/groups in the area): €20

Doesnt take a genius to work out the maths

If they decide to keep my payment at what it was when I lived at home surely they can re-means test me. My parents have a lot lower income than when I first got means tested and now they have the extra expense of my rent.

Thats a complete joke, how are you meant to survive on that, can you not go to a relieving officer and ash them why your only getting that, realisitically you should be getting in the full amount while your on work placement at the very least. you could also try a local employments centre or jobs club, they helped me out alot with benefits and courses available, they are looking into getting me expenses for my placement, could be an option.

Noo · 27-01-2011 5:59pm

bri007 wrote: »

Thats a complete joke, how are you meant to survive on that, can you not go to a relieving officer and ash them why your only getting that, realisitically you should be getting in the full amount while your on work placement at the very least. you could also try a local employments centre or jobs club, they helped me out alot with benefits and courses available, they are looking into getting me expenses for my placement, could be an option.

Yeah I think my next stop will be the citizens information centre here. I had a lot of contact with my local employment centre where i used to live so i'll probably contact them too to see if they can give me some advice. They were the ones who suggested the work placement programme in the first place.

bri007 · 27-01-2011 6:41pm

Noo wrote: »

Yeah I think my next stop will be the citizens information centre here. I had a lot of contact with my local employment centre where i used to live so i'll probably contact them too to see if they can give me some advice. They were the ones who suggested the work placement programme in the first place.

Ye I think thats your best bet. What line of work are you in, are you getting the experience you want in your placement?

Noo · 27-01-2011 11:17pm

bri007 wrote: »

Ye I think thats your best bet. What line of work are you in, are you getting the experience you want in your placement?

I'm in engineering, i'm getting great experience and they have plenty more planned for me, something that is unheard of for graduate engineers in this country. And the company have a habit of hiring the people after the placement (renewing short term contracts, they were hit bad by the recession so are doing their best to hire on their small budget) and says that may also get that opportunity after the time. Its a great chance to get invaluable experience but unfortunately this time next week i'll probably be back living with my parents, sitting on my arse doing nothing all day with my €40 a week.

token101 · 27-01-2011 11:54pm

They should make employers pay something at least, even a hundred a week would be a massive boost. And if you cant afford 400 a month for an employee you shouldnt be in business. End of story. You know whats even worse? The fact that you have to sit at home for three months before you are even allowed to go and do the programme. Its a ****ing joke!!! What are you supposed to do for 3 months??

look for non existant jobs? My contract is up at work next week and were getting the boot, and now iv got the lovely job of going back to the dole and being essentially forced to sit at home and 'look for work'. At least I can afford to emigrate at this stage

token101 · 28-01-2011 12:01am

srsly78 wrote: »

This WPP is basically useless for small startups that would actually provide real experience, and will only be used by larger companies for exploitation.

Exactly!! I saw Super Valu advertise not so long ago on it for checkout staff!! I know people wont do it anyway, but the mere fact that they are even allowed to do this is a disgrace. And Cork County Council are there?? When you consider the money top public servants are on its scandalous. What makes it even more sickening is that I read John Delaney, of FAI infamy, is on 400,000 a year. And the FAI are laying off and rehiring through this scheme. How can anyone justify that?? And hes ****ing useless at his job.

bri007 · 28-01-2011 1:48am

Noo wrote: »

I'm in engineering, i'm getting great experience and they have plenty more planned for me, something that is unheard of for graduate engineers in this country. And the company have a habit of hiring the people after the placement (renewing short term contracts, they were hit bad by the recession so are doing their best to hire on their small budget) and says that may also get that opportunity after the time. Its a great chance to get invaluable experience but unfortunately this time next week i'll probably be back living with my parents, sitting on my arse doing nothing all day with my €40 a week.

I was in engineering aswell, got made redundant 2 years ago, worked in a pharma company, i changed career, did accountancy, got a job out of it, and long behold i got let go last sept, so now im starting the work placement on monday. will you pack in the work placement if you dont get any more of your payments, how long are you doin the placement at the moment

managerman · 30-01-2011 3:55pm

token101 wrote: »

Exactly!! I saw Super Valu advertise not so long ago on it for checkout staff!! I know people wont do it anyway, but the mere fact that they are even allowed to do this is a disgrace. And Cork County Council are there?? When you consider the money top public servants are on its scandalous. What makes it even more sickening is that I read John Delaney, of FAI infamy, is on 400,000 a year. And the FAI are laying off and rehiring through this scheme. How can anyone justify that?? And hes ****ing useless at his job.

thats disgraceful with the supervalu thing!

dunlops26 · 01-02-2011 9:34pm

Started a work placement in early january.I was told i would be dealing with goods inwards/outwards, picking orders and dealing with sales reps etc.basically I am left in the stores on my own for 37.5 hrs p/wk.I sweep and clean and am not allowed to pick orders as the other staff will be blamed as the boss has warned them to check my work before it goes out.They don`t seem to be busy so the staff stay in the office working on the computers on back orders etc.I was promised alot at the interview and now i am getting very little in return.I want training not sweeping,I want to be busy,I am giving them my time so they should be giving me something back.Be careful what you are promised on job placements!!

02-02-2011 10:09pm

dunlops26 wrote: »

Started a work placement in early january.I was told i would be dealing with goods inwards/outwards, picking orders and dealing with sales reps etc.basically I am left in the stores on my own for 37.5 hrs p/wk.I sweep and clean and am not allowed to pick orders as the other staff will be blamed as the boss has warned them to check my work before it goes out.They don`t seem to be busy so the staff stay in the office working on the computers on back orders etc.I was promised alot at the interview and now i am getting very little in return.I want training not sweeping,I want to be busy,I am giving them my time so they should be giving me something back.Be careful what you are promised on job placements!!

Why are you still there?
Why havent you complained to FAS or the social welfare? This will happen someone else if you dont.
Why allow yourself be used as a modern day slave? If your not getting the experience in return then its modern day slavery. Your on the dole - technically its supposed to be the minimum amount to get by on.

They gave slaves food and accommodation back in the day too LOL

Noo · 04-02-2011 2:39pm

bri007 wrote: »

I was in engineering aswell, got made redundant 2 years ago, worked in a pharma company, i changed career, did accountancy, got a job out of it, and long behold i got let go last sept, so now im starting the work placement on monday. will you pack in the work placement if you dont get any more of your payments, how long are you doin the placement at the moment

I really dont know, I've been offered tons of fas interviews and all the ones I went to I got offered the job (never even got replies from paid work i applied for) and they are all over the country so its not as if I can just get another one closer to home. The social welfare in this area are now telling me that they dont pay into bank accounts, something to do with the bank which is a load of bull, they are the only office i'm aware of that refuse to put payment into bank accounts.

I've only been here 2 weeks and have had to ask for loads of time off to go down to the welfare office and queue, and to go to the post office to collect payment. I still havent got a decision about my payments even though it was marked urgent, ive been ringing non stop for over a week (the woman told me to ring to find out the status of my application) but the phone has yet to be answered. Theres another guy here on the same placement as me and his welfare office is the next area over and they offered to put it in his bank.

managerman · 06-02-2011 6:30pm

dunlops26 wrote: »

Started a work placement in early january.I was told i would be dealing with goods inwards/outwards, picking orders and dealing with sales reps etc.basically I am left in the stores on my own for 37.5 hrs p/wk.I sweep and clean and am not allowed to pick orders as the other staff will be blamed as the boss has warned them to check my work before it goes out.They don`t seem to be busy so the staff stay in the office working on the computers on back orders etc.I was promised alot at the interview and now i am getting very little in return.I want training not sweeping,I want to be busy,I am giving them my time so they should be giving me something back.Be careful what you are promised on job placements!!

slavery and pointless... id be out of there

Noo · 09-02-2011 10:48am

I found this on the citizens information website and was wondering what exactly it means:

"Exceptions to age related Jobseeker's Allowance payments for people under 25

The reduced age related personal and qualified adult rates of Jobseeker’s Allowance for claimants under 25 years of age do not apply in the following cases:

* Claimants with dependent children
* People transferring to Jobseeker’s Allowance immediately after finishing their entitlement to Jobseeker’s Benefit
* People transferring from Disability Allowance to Jobseeker’s Allowance
* Where an existing Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant is assessed at the higher rate of allowance gets work but loses that job and is back on Jobseeker’s Allowance within 12 months
* People under 25 participating in a course of education, training or Community Employment. However, when the course ends you will return to an age related JA payment, if you were getting one before you started the course.
* You were at least 20 years of age on 30 December 2009 and became unemployed on or before 30 December 2009
* You were 18 or 19 on 30 December 2009 and you became unemployed on or before 29 April 2009
* You are 22 to 24 and taking part in the Work Placement Programme run by FÁS."

Does the last line mean those aged 22-24 on a fas placement get the full dole?

Shalashaska · 12-02-2011 5:55pm

Noo wrote: »

I found this on the citizens information website and was wondering what exactly it means:

"Exceptions to age related Jobseeker's Allowance payments for people under 25

The reduced age related personal and qualified adult rates of Jobseeker’s Allowance for claimants under 25 years of age do not apply in the following cases:

* Claimants with dependent children
* People transferring to Jobseeker’s Allowance immediately after finishing their entitlement to Jobseeker’s Benefit
* People transferring from Disability Allowance to Jobseeker’s Allowance
* Where an existing Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant is assessed at the higher rate of allowance gets work but loses that job and is back on Jobseeker’s Allowance within 12 months
* People under 25 participating in a course of education, training or Community Employment. However, when the course ends you will return to an age related JA payment, if you were getting one before you started the course.
* You were at least 20 years of age on 30 December 2009 and became unemployed on or before 30 December 2009
* You were 18 or 19 on 30 December 2009 and you became unemployed on or before 29 April 2009
* You are 22 to 24 and taking part in the Work Placement Programme run by FÁS."

Does the last line mean those aged 22-24 on a fas placement get the full dole?

This is correct, Noo. I came across this information here. I called the social welfare office about this as I am still only getting the age reduced rate, even though I started a WPP about a month ago. They said that they would increase me to the maximum rate, and give me a rebate from the starting date of my WPP. I'd advise people to call their office and bring it to their attention if you aren't getting the full rate and fulfill this criteria.

Noo · 13-02-2011 2:50pm

Shalashaska wrote: »

This is correct, Noo. I came across this information here. I called the social welfare office about this as I am still only getting the age reduced rate, even though I started a WPP about a month ago. They said that they would increase me to the maximum rate, and give me a rebate from the starting date of my WPP. I'd advise people to call their office and bring it to their attention if you aren't getting the full rate and fulfill this criteria.

I emailed social welfare and they said yes I should get the full rate, my application still hasnt come back but i'm delighted to know whatever the decision I'll be able to fight for the full rate knowing its my entitlement. The welfare person said she contacted my local office telling them this so hopefully it wont have to come to making an appeal (that could take months but at least I'll have written proof of my entitlement from the dept. themselves), and hopefully because they have been contacted by the department themselves regarding my application that it may get processed quicker...but that just me being hopeful

RichardAnd · 13-02-2011 9:55pm

Noo wrote: »

I emailed social welfare and they said yes I should get the full rate, my application still hasnt come back but i'm delighted to know whatever the decision I'll be able to fight for the full rate knowing its my entitlement. The welfare person said she contacted my local office telling them this so hopefully it wont have to come to making an appeal (that could take months but at least I'll have written proof of my entitlement from the dept. themselves), and hopefully because they have been contacted by the department themselves regarding my application that it may get processed quicker...but that just me being hopeful

Just reading over the situation you're in I have to be honest and ask why you're putting yourself through this? I admire your tenacity and believe me, I do not have it in myself to work full time for no salary so kudos to you but considering the hassle you seem to be getting, I think you should re-think what you're doing.

If I was in the position of having to choose doing nothing on the dole or working for nothing, I wouldn't even bat an eye lid at either, I'd be out of here. Emigration may seem a big step but you could have a far better life than loosing money on the prospect of a possibility of getting a paid job.

Whatever you do however, I do hope it works out but remember, in the working world there are no real friends. Watch your back and make sure no one is taking the p!ss.

Good Luck

bmarley · 13-02-2011 10:12pm

ThomasCreeby wrote: »

Yeah, cheers for your unfunny and unhelpful comment "ei.sdraob" . Ive actually finished college and had to spend a year abroad working before I came back here in hope of finding a suitable position. What a mug I was to think there was any chance of that happening!
I'd be interested to meet anyone in the developed world who doesnt find cheap labour "disgusting", most of the programs offered on the FAS website are a minimum of 9 months long, thats not an unpaid internship with the prospect of future employment, its making people work a 40 hour week for their dole with no promise of future employment.

Yes but you do get approx 200 euro on unemployment assistance, where do you think this comes from...surely people should have to work for it? As a graduate myself, I am lucky enough to be in employment but do not actually earn much more than what I would get on social welfare. It is time our system of giving people unemployment assistance for doing nothing changed..work experience programs and training programs all the way can be positive for all.

Noo · 13-02-2011 11:11pm

RichardAnd wrote: »

Just reading over the situation you're in I have to be honest and ask why you're putting yourself through this? I admire your tenacity and believe me, I do not have it in myself to work full time for no salary so kudos to you but considering the hassle you seem to be getting, I think you should re-think what you're doing.

If I was in the position of having to choose doing nothing on the dole or working for nothing, I wouldn't even bat an eye lid at either, I'd be out of here. Emigration may seem a big step but you could have a far better life than loosing money on the prospect of a possibility of getting a paid job.

Whatever you do however, I do hope it works out but remember, in the working world there are no real friends. Watch your back and make sure no one is taking the p!ss.

Good Luck

Oh believe me I have thought many times if its all worth it. I guess graduates, or maybe just me, are in a different mindframe to everyone else having never worked for a salary. Having lived of €40 a week for 9 months I thought of getting €188 is pretty amazing (sad I know haha). As for emigration I'm way ahead of you, I've been planning to go to australia later this year for the last few months, and always said if I get the chance to gain some experience in the meantime then I'll have to take it, it'll give me such an advantage when I do go over.

I completely understand your point of view and to answer your question the only thing keeping me going is knowing I need this experience for australia. The work placement i'm on is great and I'm being treated well and getting to do loads but i know that if after so many months they offer me a full time job I wont take it. My intention is not to get a full time job from them but to gain experience from them to give myself the best possible chance when I leave the country.

If i wasnt planning on leaving and had nothing planned for after the placement then I would completely agree with what you're saying and I would definitely not go through all this. I know it sounds like i'm completely using them, but sure they're using me to get a free worker.

RichardAnd · 14-02-2011 10:46am

Noo wrote: »

Oh believe me I have thought many times if its all worth it. I guess graduates, or maybe just me, are in a different mindframe to everyone else having never worked for a salary. Having lived of €40 a week for 9 months I thought of getting €188 is pretty amazing (sad I know haha). As for emigration I'm way ahead of you, I've been planning to go to australia later this year for the last few months, and always said if I get the chance to gain some experience in the meantime then I'll have to take it, it'll give me such an advantage when I do go over.

I completely understand your point of view and to answer your question the only thing keeping me going is knowing I need this experience for australia. The work placement i'm on is great and I'm being treated well and getting to do loads but i know that if after so many months they offer me a full time job I wont take it. My intention is not to get a full time job from them but to gain experience from them to give myself the best possible chance when I leave the country.

If i wasnt planning on leaving and had nothing planned for after the placement then I would completely agree with what you're saying and I would definitely not go through all this. I know it sounds like i'm completely using them, but sure they're using me to get a free worker.

Fair one to you. I have a few friends who emigrated to auz recently and while it took them a while to get settled, they seem to be happier there than here. IF nothing else, the women over there are alot better

.

But I wouldn't worry about using the company as you say. They're not paying you so you owe them nothing. As I said, you need to look out for yourself first in the buisness world and whilst that may seem selfish, if you don't no one else will

carwash106 · 15-02-2011 9:40pm

I posted on this thread months back when I was on the fas work placement programme.
Since then, 6 months into the placement I have gotten a full time permanent job with an excellant company in Dublin.
I have NO doubts whatsoever that if I hadnt shown on my cv in the 6 months of being on the fas WPP1 I wouldnt have gotten into the company.

I am two months there now and I dont for a minute regret doing the fas wpp1.

If the thought of it is getting you down just thinks along these terms

If you learn something from a company then you are essentially getting paid to learn so if you can get in with a company that you can at least learn from and get paid welfare.
Employers really do notice candidates who went out and did something and have a get up and go about them.
If you are job hunting now dont forget you can continously job hunt while on the placement.

Remember it does seem like a sucky deal, but think of your own future

leggit · 18-02-2011 1:10am

Did this programme for 9 months with the possibility of paid employment at the end of it. Got my benefits taken off me 5 months into it because I'd been on job seekers for a year (funnily enough if I was 25 I'd still have gotten it, but because I'm only young I get thrown in the ****ter).

So, I worked completely for free 9-5 for 4 months with a part-time job to boot also!

Where am I now? Finished the placement in Novemeber and was let go as paying me was "not feasible financially", unemployed ever since and the job I was doing was back up on the Fás website for another 9 month placement a week later!

Would I do it again? HELL NO! Whoever looks after this programme is an absolute fool. I have no doubt that a programme of this type could work but this one is a joke! Employers can and do take advantage of it.

RichardAnd · 18-02-2011 9:54am

leggit wrote: »

Did this programme for 9 months with the possibility of paid employment at the end of it. Got my benefits taken off me 5 months into it because I'd been on job seekers for a year (funnily enough if I was 25 I'd still have gotten it, but because I'm only young I get thrown in the ****ter).

So, I worked completely for free 9-5 for 4 months with a part-time job to boot also!

Where am I now? Finished the placement in Novemeber and was let go as paying me was "not feasible financially", unemployed ever since and the job I was doing was back up on the Fás website for another 9 month placement a week later!

Would I do it again? HELL NO! Whoever looks after this programme is an absolute fool. I have no doubt that a programme of this type could work but this one is a joke! Employers can and do take advantage of it.

The bolded line summs up my opinion of the FAS wpp too. For some people, it CAN work but it's not being run in a way that would facilitate this. My suggestion would be simple, scrap the WPP and simply allow graduates to recieve social welfare whilst working for free. An ambitious person does NOT need FAS to find them a job where they don't get paid.

My advice to anyone though is that working for free is something one must be very, VERY wary of. In the past, I was dupped into updating a website for free with the words "Well, we can't pay you now but there might be paid work further down the line". A sentence like that is a lie wrapped up in the truth. Whilst there are occasions when a careful person can work for free as a means to an end the WPP is actively encouraging an idea where some employers think it is acceptable to advertise unpaid jobs. In a country like Ireland where chancers and cute whoores are all over the place, a government authorised programe that allowed employers to get staff for nothing is absolutly going to be milked.

Doesn't say much about human nature eh

common sense brigade · 18-02-2011 3:51pm

What i find crazy is this... I have seen a number of work placements schemes for work in a warehouse role. advertised on fas. then when you read the requirements, they state forklift licence and manual handling is a requirement. This baffles me. Surely the point of a work placement scheme is to train the person to a certain level . ie. surely the employer should invest in the one day training course for the slave labour they are getting. I actually complained to fas about this, and was told nothing illegal in doing this blah blah.

donkey balls · 18-02-2011 4:02pm

common sense brigade wrote: »

What i find crazy is this... I have seen a number of work placements schemes for work in a warehouse role. advertised on fas. then when you read the requirements, they state forklift licence and manual handling is a requirement. This baffles me. Surely the point of a work placement scheme is to train the person to a certain level . ie. surely the employer should invest in the one day training course for the slave labour they are getting. I actually complained to fas about this, and was told nothing illegal in doing this blah blah.

At the start of this thread I mentioned something similar but the thing is it would cost the person about 5k to get trained up and then work for zilch,The job in paricular required a person to hold a full EC licence(artic truck) plus fork lift licence and have two years experience:eek:.
FAS also told me not to apply for it if I did'nt want to and that someone else would probely take the WPP,Then again it was sweary mary who thought up the scheme yes the person at the time who was over job creation yet never worked one day in industry or mgmt:mad:.

common sense brigade · 18-02-2011 4:14pm

I understand a work placement scheme for a graduate in a certain field. thats fine if you want to do that even though i think its wrong to pay people the same as the dole for working. But the likes of work placement scheme for warehouse, general operatives or admin staff. they should get complete training. its a disgrace. even creches should offer the scheme and also put the person through fetec level 5 in childcare.

Shelga · 21-02-2011 1:01am

I posted here a month or two ago about the ridiculous rule of needing to be unemployed for 3 months to be eligible for a WPP placement. Now I have been unemployed for 2 months and am really torn about whether to try get a WPP job or take my chances in Australia. What would others do in my situation? I have savings of €3-4k from my six months working since graduation.

For every good story of a WPP experience there is a horrible one. What scares me is not having a good chance of securing a permanent job at the end of the 9 months. Plus, the nature of my degree means there is a very strong chance I would have to relocate from Dublin to a rural area, and this would mean spending a large chunk of my savings on moving costs and probably buying a car. All to work for €188 a week.

On the other hand, I am fully aware of the difficulties in securing sponsorship in Australia and the fact that my lack of experience doesn't make me very appealing to a foreign employer. Also, I am in a LTR and don't want to be forced to break up because of emigration. I really don't know what to do. Has anyone else been in this situation who could advise?

I realise my post sounds like something from P.I.!

Worztron · 14-06-2011 1:43pm

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/fas-workplacement-scheme-finds-job-for-1-in-230-2647500.html

How long is someone supposed to work for? 40 hours?

I have heard there is a minimum of 25 hours to be done but have not heard of a maximum amount of hours to be worked.

donegal11 · 14-06-2011 7:52pm

^^the article title is very misleading it should state 1 in 230 participated in work placement program, rather then "Fas work-placement scheme finds job for 1 in 230" which I would read as only 1 out every 230 people who did the scheme found a job.

RichardAnd · 14-06-2011 8:04pm

donegal11 wrote: »

^^the article title is very misleading is should state 1 in 230 participate in work placement program, rather then "Fas work-placement scheme finds job for 1 in 230" which I would read as only 1 out very 230 people who did the scheme found a job.

Yeah I had to read the first paragraph twice before I noticed that. That's very bad journalism to entitle an article in such a way.

Delancey · 15-06-2011 12:34am

Somebody on another thread in another forum has just posted that his / her OH has had their weekly hours cut by 4 hours and the same has been done to their 8 co-workers , thats 9 people losing 4 hours each = 36 hours a week.
Today their employer advertised a FAS Work Experience position for 37 hours a week - flagrant abuse of the system :mad:

FAS Work Placement Program

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