If unemployed is Jobs Path Mandatory?

Clickety Elephant · 03-03-2020 12:47pm #1

Hello,

just wondering if you become unemployed is Jobs Path mandatory?

I was on it before, a few years ago and found it to be totally useless, while I was on it I was also doing a springboard course.
Have since found work, but that looks likely to be coming to an end soon. If I cannot find replacement employment and claim social welfare will I be placed on jobs path again?

What happens if a claimant refuses? What sanctions are placed?
If payments are reduced, does any one know by how much?

I am looking for work and will try to avoid any social welfare if at all possible, but just found them to be no use at all in the past, and I really didn't need their help, not that i received any help. They just brought me in to their appointments and went through the motions they let me complete my course and get my qualification, but they really were of no use. I found employment through my own efforts. I would rather not waste any further time with them and wonder what would happen if a claimant were to refuse to participate with them again?

Thanks in advance for any advice or insight.

splinter65 · 03-03-2020 1:40pm

Engaging with JobPath is a condition of getting JS payments. You can tell them that you don’t want to engage and your payment will eventually stop altogether.

Clickety Elephant · 03-03-2020 1:43pm

OK Thanks, do you know roughly after how long they will stop the payment?

Irish_peppa · 10-03-2020 1:27pm

Clickety Elephant wrote: »

Hello,

just wondering if you become unemployed is Jobs Path mandatory?

I was on it before, a few years ago and found it to be totally useless, while I was on it I was also doing a springboard course.
Have since found work, but that looks likely to be coming to an end soon. If I cannot find replacement employment and claim social welfare will I be placed on jobs path again?

What happens if a claimant refuses? What sanctions are placed?
If payments are reduced, does any one know by how much?

I am looking for work and will try to avoid any social welfare if at all possible, but just found them to be no use at all in the past, and I really didn't need their help, not that i received any help. They just brought me in to their appointments and went through the motions they let me complete my course and get my qualification, but they really were of no use. I found employment through my own efforts. I would rather not waste any further time with them and wonder what would happen if a claimant were to refuse to participate with them again?

Thanks in advance for any advice or insight.

What is "Jobs path", I never heard of it and I have been on JSA for months now

Are you refering to being asked to go into the Intreo office every few months for a 15 minute talk to ask how your job hunt is going?
I was sent to a 2 week CV course which was useless in fairness the facilitators didnt know much about cv layout at all. Apart from that I have not been approached for any paths, jobs paths or other wise

Clickety Elephant · 10-03-2020 1:55pm

JobPath is an employment activation service for people who have been on the live register for more than 12 months and are trying to secure and sustain full-time paid employment or self-employment.

The two private companies employed by the State, Turas Nua and Seetec, to operate the scheme have received €75.7 million and €73.3 million respectively to carry out its work.
Seetec.ie
turasnua.ie

The two contractors are paid to work with both the jobseekers and employers to identify employment opportunities. They receive payments when someone who has taken part in the scheme gains proven employment.
The private companies contracted by the State to run the scheme are entitled to €3,718 for every jobseeker that gains sustained employment for one year through JobPath + a €311 referral fee.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection selects jobseekers on a random basis for referral to JobPath.

https://www.thejournal.ie/jopath-third-time-referrals-4527202-Mar2019/

Maybe you have not been unemployed for long enough to be referred to Jobspath.
It sounds good, and they promise all sorts,but the reality is something else. There has been a lot of negativity towards it considering the outcomes and the costs to the taxpayer. As of Feb 2019 200,000 people have been through the programme, but only 11,000 people have held down jobs for over a year following completion of the programme. There have been numerous calls for it to be scrapped. There are plenty of posts here on boards about people's experiences whilst on Jobspath.

Runaways · 10-03-2020 1:59pm

Ironically enough, seetec are particularly awful and have been dropped by the UK social welfare equivalent for being awful and zero results but the gas part is the staff turnover in seetec here is unbelievable. They’re constantly losing people and on the recruit.

Del2005 · 10-03-2020 2:05pm

Irish_peppa wrote: »

What is "Jobs path", I never heard of it and I have been on JSA for months now Are you refering to being asked to go into the Intreo office every few months for a 15 minute talk to ask how your job hunt is going?
I was sent to a 2 week CV course which was useless in fairness the facilitators didnt know much about cv layout at all. Apart from that I have not been approached for any paths, jobs paths or other wise

It depends on where you claim. I know a few people who where on JS at different offices and neither got called to anything. I moved and within a few weeks was on courses and job path.

Irish_peppa · 11-03-2020 1:38pm

Runaways wrote: »

Ironically enough, seetec are particularly awful and have been dropped by the UK social welfare equivalent for being awful and zero results but the gas part is the staff turnover in seetec here is unbelievable. They’re constantly losing people and on the recruit.

Jasus ill have to get my CV over to them so.

mahoney20 · 13-03-2020 12:59pm

Sorry to jump on this but wondering what the story will be with seetec and coronavirus? surely it doesnt make sense to drag people up and possibly cause mass infections since people are sitting on top of eachother to ensure 0 privacy

Runaways · 13-03-2020 1:02pm

mahoney20 wrote: »

Sorry to jump on this but wondering what the story will be with seetec and coronavirus? surely it doesnt make sense to drag people up and possibly cause mass infections since people are sitting on top of eachother to ensure 0 privacy

Had to cancel an appointment with them just this Monday cos I’d been told to isolate. Emailed them pics of being in hospital just to be sure.
But you’re right. You shouldn’t have to go if you even if you feel the need to self isolate. Just say a doctor told you to and let them hang.

Sparks43 · 13-03-2020 2:30pm

mahoney20 wrote: »

Sorry to jump on this but wondering what the story will be with seetec and coronavirus? surely it doesnt make sense to drag people up and possibly cause mass infections since people are sitting on top of eachother to ensure 0 privacy

Yesterday morning I wasn’t feeling great at all. Have only just got over a dose (previously to covid breakout) and with the fact that I have got respiratory issues I rang them to defer an appointment.

Here’s the timeline

9:20am I ring and ask to defer. Get told that if I had any suspicions I had the virus then THEY would call the HSE. I said I’d prefer to err on side of caution and got told to ring my Gp and inform them the following day.

After the Taoiseach made his statement I sent a message from their website link. Stating the situation and also saying I’d be happy to conduct the meeting over the phone.

Got no response.

So today I ring them back to see what the story is and now it’s “We are not doing face to face meetings now because of the virus “

I’m angry and pissed off at them. Honestly it’s the worst place I’ve ever had to deal with and I now want away from them. My plan is to make contact with the welfare in the near future and ask to be moved away

They are a shambles and a disgrace for more reasons than one

mahoney20 · 13-03-2020 3:35pm

Runaways wrote: »

Had to cancel an appointment with them just this Monday cos I’d been told to isolate. Emailed them pics of being in hospital just to be sure.
But you’re right. You shouldn’t have to go if you even if you feel the need to self isolate. Just say a doctor told you to and let them hang.

Hope you are ok !

Weffer · 13-03-2020 4:26pm

Yes they really are , hope SW will move you. Who knows , maybe Seetec in Ireland will end up dissolving due to this pandemic ? If the economy takes a hit, there's no way they can afford Seetec ... oh wait I forgot which country I'm in ....

Fogmatic · 17-03-2020 6:35pm

I don't know if it's relevant (and it was about 15 years ago), but not long before going from jobseekers allowance to retirement, they offered me a computer course. The lack of ageism was nice, but the course seemed to be the same European Computer Driving Licence one that some people we knew had done five years earlier. It had sounded fairly useless to me, except as a widely recognised CV addition, proving a level of knowledge easily gained from any of the popular computer magazines (where they would have learned additional stuff, like how to start a computer and shut down!).

Anyway, I told them I very much appreciated the offer, but had run computers since the 1980s and wouldn't learn anything new from it, and would rather they gave the place to someone it would make some difference for. (I thought it best not to go into my opinion of the course, or the chances of over-50s in high-unemployment rural Donegal of even getting an interview for a job within reach, let alone one using a computer!).

That was accepted by the Welfare (I.e. I heard no more about it).

Jesus Wept · 29-06-2020 5:04pm

Really don't want to have to deal with Seetec again.
Pretty unpleasant experience alltold. Getting my first 'appointment' tomorrow via phone call.
Second time signed up to this. I was part time employed pre covid, .

Tedious Bore · 03-07-2020 8:40am

Jesus Wept wrote: »

Really don't want to have to deal with Seetec again.
Pretty unpleasant experience alltold. Getting my first 'appointment' tomorrow via phone call.
Second time signed up to this. I was part time employed pre covid, .

Hey do you mind me asking how that phonecall appointment went for ya?
do they still try get you to somehow verbally sign up for the personal progression plan and stuff?

Jesus Wept · 07-07-2020 7:12pm

Tedious Bore wrote: »

Hey do you mind me asking how that phonecall appointment went for ya?
do they still try get you to somehow verbally sign up for the personal progression plan and stuff?

The progression plan signing was online via a link emailed.
It went grand, the guy was pleasant. I'm happy with the help/assistance but have had incidences previously dealing with seetec where the tone changed.

Tedious Bore · 09-07-2020 3:28am

Cheers, had mine there yesterday and told them I'm happy to do jobpath but just said no thanks to the progression plan and some other permissions thing I didn't like the sounds of

Chillifunk · 22-07-2020 10:47pm

Tedious Bore wrote: »

Cheers, had mine there yesterday and told them I'm happy to do jobpath but just said no thanks to the progression plan and some other permissions thing I didn't like the sounds of

Hey, I'm wondering what was the reaction to your refusal in signing their PPP. I have my first meeting with them shortly after only beginning Jobseekers 4 weeks ago. Like yourself, I will cooperate to an extent, as i am intent on coming off the live register within the next few months and do not want to be tied to a 12 month contact.

Tedious Bore · 23-07-2020 7:36pm

yeah seemed fine with it. I really can't see how having to sign a contract like that with some private company would be compulsory, but just ring social welfare if you're in doubt sure. - they're the ones issuing the payments so surely only they decide what's compulsory.

Do make clear that you're happy to cooperate with the JobPath stuff when saying No to contractual crap

Best o luck

Sephiroth_dude · 23-07-2020 11:10pm

Are they still conducting interviews over the phone or is back 1 to 1?

23-07-2020 11:45pm

They have to be operating from home surely? I passed by the local office a few times in the last few weeks and they've still been shuttered.

Chillifunk · 24-07-2020 1:32pm

Tedious Bore wrote: »

yeah seemed fine with it. I really can't see how having to sign a contract like that with some private company would be compulsory, but just ring social welfare if you're in doubt sure. - they're the ones issuing the payments so surely only they decide what's compulsory.

Do make clear that you're happy to cooperate with the JobPath stuff when saying No to contractual crap

Best o luck

Cheers TB . . . lets see how it goes.

Edmund Bzurke · 06-08-2020 8:51pm

Hey Chillifunk,

I have my first meeting coming up with Jobpath and I'm not really interested in signing up to a contract but happy to engage. How did your meeting go? Did you sign up to the Progression Plan? cheers

Chillifunk · 11-08-2020 3:17pm

Edmund Bzurke wrote: »

Hey Chillifunk,

I have my first meeting coming up with Jobpath and I'm not really interested in signing up to a contract but happy to engage. How did your meeting go? Did you sign up to the Progression Plan? cheers

There were 3 documents e-mailed to me, each to be signed individually:

1) Personal Progression Plan
2) Permission to contact future employers
3) Consent to send my C.V. to potential employers

While on the phone I simply stated that I would prefer not to sign the documents, however that I am prepared to comply and that I am looking for work. He said 'ok then but you still need to engage'. There was no apparent issue, no mention of my jobseekers payment being cut, and the turus nua employee was polite.

But whatever you do, don't miss any telephone appointments or meetings because then you can be marked down as not engaging.

Edmund Bzurke · 21-08-2020 9:33am

Thanks a million. That's really useful info. I think I will sign up to the progression plan but decline to give consent for the other two requests.

So far it hasn't been so bad but I know that they are useless time-wasters so hopefully, they won't interfere with my job search.

raclle · 12-10-2020 7:08pm

Have a phone interview with a case officer during the week and in the letter I received it states that I have to agree to a personal progression plan. Is this mandatory as I don't want to be tied into a 12 month contract with a private company and if I refuse to sign the contract but willing to work with them will I be cut off?

Cactusmania · 13-10-2020 11:02pm

raclle wrote: »

Have a phone interview with a case officer during the week and in the letter I received it states that I have to agree to a personal progression plan. Is this mandatory as I don't want to be tied into a 12 month contract with a private company and if I refuse to sign the contract but willing to work with them will I be cut off?

No, you can do Jobpath without signing the personal progression plan. You just have to "engage" with them. In the current climate, that means just taking their phone calls. They have set up an online platform called TN Connect as people cant attend their office. This requires self registration where you are asked for your PPS number and date of birth. If you like, you can tell your advisor you don't consent to your personal data being processed and there is nothing they can do. You will heat a lot online about the personal progression plan, but I'm almost finished my 2nd time, never signed, never any penalty. Also, don't panic if you receive a letter from the department saying as you have signed the personal progression plan, you are excused from signing until x date. This is standard once you "engage".

All the best.

Best of luck

If unemployed is Jobs Path Mandatory?

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