Unpaid Work Experience and JSA/BTEA

ShaShaBear

This might seem a bit confusing, but at the moment I am about to start Semester 2 of my second year in Applied Bioscience. I'm getting BTEA and RA, and I know the score for Summer is to re-sign on JSA until I get accepted into 3rd year. Last year I was offered unpaid work experience with a pharmaceutical company through the college, but I turned it down since I was under the impression from what I had read that this deemed me "unavailable for work".
Does anyone have any experience with this? My year head tells me this will massively increase my employability once I graduate, and it would be great to be busy over the Summer, but will I be looking at losing everything if I do? Obviously if I lose JSA, I'm going to lose RA also, and if that happens, I won't be able to afford my last year.

Anyone know what the craic with this is?

Balagan

As you know the BTEA payment would continue if the work placement was an integral part of your course
In circumstances where BTEA participants have to, as an integral or compulsory part of their course of study, undertake a period of work placement/experience or a thesis, the allowance will continue in payment for this period. The participant must supply written evidence from the Registrars’ Office/Admissions Office or Student Records Office of the school/college/institution confirming this and the start and completion date. Work placement after the completion of a FIT course is not covered.
http://www.welfare.ie/en/operationalguidelines/pages/bte_all.aspx

But since you want the work experience in the summer when you would be back on JSA it would make you ineligible because of having to be looking for and available for full time work. You could always ask SW and maybe back it up with a letter from your professor/lecturer but, as things stand now, it would be a long shot.

ShaShaBear

Balagan wrote: »

As you know the BTEA payment would continue if the work placement was an integral part of your course
In circumstances where BTEA participants have to, as an integral or compulsory part of their course of study, undertake a period of work placement/experience or a thesis, the allowance will continue in payment for this period. The participant must supply written evidence from the Registrars’ Office/Admissions Office or Student Records Office of the school/college/institution confirming this and the start and completion date. Work placement after the completion of a FIT course is not covered.
http://www.welfare.ie/en/operationalguidelines/pages/bte_all.aspx

But since you want the work experience in the summer when you would be back on JSA it would make you ineligible because of having to be looking for and available for full time work. You could always ask SW and maybe back it up with a letter from your professor/lecturer but, as things stand now, it would be a long shot.

Yeah, I did think as much, it's definitely not necessary for the course, but certain companies provide my college with open placement positions and then recruit during graduation every year, so it would have been an excellent opportunity, although not really worth it if I end up not finishing the degree :P
Thanks for the clarification though

Balagan

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Yeah, I did think as much, it's definitely not necessary for the course, but certain companies provide my college with open placement positions and then recruit during graduation every year, so it would have been an excellent opportunity, although not really worth it if I end up not finishing the degree :P
Thanks for the clarification though

The college should be upfront with the pharmaceutical companies and let them know that BTEA students can't take these work placements during the summer because of the loss of benefits involved. A lot of these companies are doing very well and surely could fork out a few bob. If you worked 30 hours or less and didn't take home more that the equivalent of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance would allow you http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/supplementary_welfare_allow.html you could hold on to your Rent Supplement during the summer. Maybe the college would get a bit proactive and let the companies know some of the facts of life for these students - especially given that BTEA students might be more attractive to the companies anyway - being that bit older and very likely to have had work experience already.

ShaShaBear

Balagan wrote: »

The college should be upfront with the pharmaceutical companies and let them know that BTEA students can't take these work placements during the summer because of the loss of benefits involved. A lot of these companies are doing very well and surely could fork out a few bob. If you worked 30 hours or less and didn't take home more that the equivalent of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance would allow you http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/supplementary_welfare_allow.html you could hold on to your Rent Supplement during the summer. Maybe the college would get a bit proactive and let the companies know some of the facts of life for these students - especially given that BTEA students might be more attractive to the companies anyway - being that bit older and very likely to have had work experience already.

I might pass that onto the class rep when we get back, see if something could be sorted. If I had the opportunity to work through college so that I could afford rent, bills and expenses without going near SW, I would (I find myself extremely embarrassed standing on the street outside the CWO every month waiting to hand in forms). Seems a lot of these businesses are just aware that students will take the offer for a better job prospective in the future, means free workers for them (since we do get a generous amount of on-the-job experience during classes).
Sad, but true