Nightmare employment advisor

emilymemily

Hi I completed my teacher training about 3 weeks ago and signed on social welfare, ive been applying to jobs ect and have a few interviews but theyre only panel interviews, meaning if an ETB is looking for a substitute teacher they might contact me. Ive also been applying to summer schools etc and have been given two weeks employment.
When I signed on social welfare within the week I was sent a letter with an appointment for jobpath, I was then called 4 times and I received a text message. I went to the appointment ans was assigned an employment advisor. I felt that this would be great as I had been seeing a case worker before starting my teacher training and she was great, very relaxed and I felt that I could openly speak to her. This new case worker is an absolute nightmare and I feel very uncomfortable in her company.
My concern is I will be pushed into employment thats unrelated to teaching in the area that im qualified in. Ive worked long and hard to gain my qualifications without this throwing a spanner in the works. Im very happy to work but as a qualified, experienced teacher this is the area I want to pursue. I left our meeting with a very uneasy feeling, she was very judgmental, asked personal questions like how much will I get paid when I start the temp job when I told her I didnt know she started pushing for an answer, this is nothing to do with her as shes not connected to my social welfare payments. - The social welfare didnt even ask how much id be getting paid and throughout the meeting she was continuously trying to 'catch me out' on something and told me that I dont have a reason for not working. Im not hiding anything but she really made me feel like I had done something wrong. She also has no clue how teachers gain employment. Im just wondering is there any way of changing the employment advisor youre assigned? I really dont like her and feel its going to be very difficult working with her, adding more stress to my situation as its very hard to find teaching jobs as it is.

NinetyTwoTeam

emilymemily wrote: »

Hi I completed my teacher training about 3 weeks ago and signed on social welfare, ive been applying to jobs ect and have a few interviews but theyre only panel interviews, meaning if an ETB is looking for a substitute teacher they might contact me. Ive also been applying to summer schools etc and have been given two weeks employment.
When I signed on social welfare within the week I was sent a letter with an appointment for jobpath, I was then called 4 times and I received a text message. I went to the appointment ans was assigned an employment advisor. I felt that this would be great as I had been seeing a case worker before starting my teacher training and she was great, very relaxed and I felt that I could openly speak to her. This new case worker is an absolute nightmare and I feel very uncomfortable in her company.
My concern is I will be pushed into employment thats unrelated to teaching in the area that im qualified in. Ive worked long and hard to gain my qualifications without this throwing a spanner in the works. Im very happy to work but as a qualified, experienced teacher this is area I want to pursue. I left our meeting with a very uneasy feeling, she was very judgmental, asked personal questions like how much will I get paid when I start the temp job when I told her I didnt know she started pushing for an answer, this is nothing to do with her as shes not connected to my social welfare payments. - The social welfare didnt even ask how much id be getting paid and throughout the meeting she was continuously trying to 'catch me out' on something and told me that I dont have a reason for not working. Im not hiding anything but she really made me feel like I had done something wrong. She also has no clue how teachers gain employment. Im just wondering is there any way of changing the employment advisor youre assigned? I really dont like her and feel its going to be very difficult working with her, adding more stress to my situation as its very hard to find teaching jobs as it is.

There is a number in the little booklet that you can call to complain. Use that. There is an 'area manager' type person, ask to speak to them and ask for them to be present at your next meeting. I had am issue (my EA was nice, but she quit and her replacement didn't show up to our first scheduled meeting, they knew she wasn't coming and didn't bother to tell me, when i came in the other one not assigned to me basically tried to waste my time and was very condescending).

The manager woman came to my next meeting. I told her I wasn't happy with the way i Was treated and that the whole thing was a waste of time, as they hadn't referred me to a single job in six months. She told me she would take a special interest in my case, blah blah, never heard from her again. finished the 12 months without a single job referral

They'll back off if you complain. They can in no way force you to take some other crap job and you don't have to tell them any personal stuff or anything about your pay, etc. btw, might be worth turning the tables and asking what qualifications SHE has as a recruiter. Neither of mine were qualified, they admitted to me. they worked in retail/admin no degree no recruiting experience.

emilymemily

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

There is a number in the little booklet that you can call to complain. Use that. There is an 'area manager' type person, ask to speak to them and ask for them to be present at your next meeting. I had am issue (my EA was nice, but she quit and her replacement didn't show up to our first scheduled meeting, they knew she wasn't coming and didn't bother to tell me, when i came in the other one not assigned to me basically tried to waste my time and was very condescending).

The manager woman came to my next meeting. I told her I wasn't happy with the way i Was treated and that the whole thing was a waste of time, as they hadn't referred me to a single job in six months. She told me she would take a special interest in my case, blah blah, never heard from her again. finished the 12 months without a single job referral

They'll back off if you complain. They can in no way force you to take some other crap job and you don't have to tell them any personal stuff or anything about your pay, etc. btw, might be worth turning the tables and asking what qualifications SHE has as a recruiter. Neither of mine were qualified, they admitted to me. they worked in retail/admin no degree no recruiting experience.

Thanks Ninetytwoteam, what an awful experience you had, you'd swear the money was coming out of their pocket. My concern is If I dont take whats offered they'll stop my payments.
I was half tempted to ask what she earns after she questioned my pay. I gathered she had no qualifications from our conversation as she hadnt a clue about teaching jobs or much else. She put me down for primary and secondary level teaching without even asking which area I'm trained in. I will see how the next appointment goes and if there are any issues ill make a complaint. Im considering contacting my old employment advisor if this doesnt improve.

NinetyTwoTeam

They absolutely can't stop your payments as long as you go to the stupid meetings and fill out the stupid sheets they give you.

I hate hearing people being afraid of this ridiculous crowd, there is no need.

I actually did get referred for one job about 11 months in: to be an employment advisor for Jobpath! I kid you not. But that was only for her to do something after I complained about having 0 referrals all year, even though she knew I couldn't take it as it was way across the county and I have no car. I reminded her of that, and also said 'I have no qualifications or experience in that area.'

And she replied, 'Neither do I.'

And people think this is a good use of government funding and will give the dole scroungers a kick up the backside, etc. What actually happens is they leave the ones who never bothered to get educated or have ever worked alone because they're far less likely to get hired anywhere and earn the EA their commission money, then they annoy the fook out of people who are qualified but can't get work due to location/high competition for few vacancies etc.

But there is no point in them forcing you into a job you won't stick at - they only get the commission if you last at the job a year. So if the EA is in any way intelligent they won't do that.

I also did Jobbridge which also led to nothing. Jobbridge, Jobpath, I wonder what could be next. When I lived abroad I was never unemployed a day in my adult life - they didn't have these useless schemes,. they had actual job. This country is just a joke and ordinary people end up broke and stressed and made to jump through hoops to make the government look like they're doing something when they're not. The only ones getting a job out of these schemes are the ones running the schemes. Ir has a pathetic success rate of like less than 20%, it will probably be scrapped soon enough same as Jobbridge was.

emilymemily

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

They absolutely can't stop your payments as long as you go to the stupid meetings and fill out the stupid sheets they give you.

I hate hearing people being afraid of this ridiculous crowd, there is no need.

I actually did get referred for one job about 11 months in: to be an employment advisor for Jobpath! I kid you not. But that was only for her to do something after I complained about having 0 referrals all year, even though she knew I couldn't take it as it was way across the county and I have no car. I reminded her of that, and also said 'I have no qualifications or experience in that area.'

And she replied, 'Neither do I.'

And people think this is a good use of government funding and will give the dole scroungers a kick up the backside, etc. What actually happens is they leave the ones who never bothered to get educated or have ever worked alone because they're far less likely to get hired anywhere and earn the EA their commission money, then they annoy the fook out of people who are qualified but can't get work due to location/high competition for few vacancies etc.

But there is no point in them forcing you into a job you won't stick at - they only get the commission if you last at the job a year. So if the EA is in any way intelligent they won't do that.

I also did Jobbridge which also led to nothing. Jobbridge, Jobpath, I wonder what could be next. When I lived abroad I was never unemployed a day in my adult life - they didn't have these useless schemes,. they had actual job. This country is just a joke and ordinary people end up broke and stressed and made to jump through hoops to make the government look like they're doing something when they're not. The only ones getting a job out of these schemes are the ones running the schemes. Ir has a pathetic success rate of like less than 20%, it will probably be scrapped soon enough same as Jobbridge was.

I had it cut before for not accepting a CE scheme that was falsely advertised, I get the impression theyre on a power trip and get their kicks belittling and annoying unemployed people. What I find funny is my friends who have no education and havnt held down a job longer than a month are left alone, yet if you try to help yourself and do a course or whatever they make it more difficult . They dont give people any incentive to look for employment. Sure all these schemes where tried, tested and failed in the UK. Your post is exactly right, couldnt have said it better.

I thought I saw somewhere that if you have a problem with your PA you can request a different one? Think I read it here so it may be nonsense but it's does make sense.