WORKING-CLASS ACADEMICS BLOG

Observations on employment ‘support’ programmes

Luckily, I’ve only had to deal with A4E once. My experience was illuminating to say the least. Sitting among a group of other poor unfortunates (A4E’s obvious attitude, not mine), we were asked if we had heard of a CV (yeah cheers, we had) and if we knew that the internet was a valuable tool for getting a job (yep, kinda picked up on that one too!). Apart from these ‘gems of wisdom’, A4E didn’t have much else to offer me, nor my colleagues in misfortune. Anyway I digress from the point of this post. In a recent article, see (http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/239187/Is-success-down-to-who-you-CAN-use-) Emma Harrison suggests that although;

“…there is an element of unfairness in the way some people have families who are more connected than others…life isn’t fair. The question is, what are we going to do about it?”

Well Emma, I don’t mind saying what YOU can do about it.

1. Stop treating people who are long term unemployed in such a patronising way.
Your quote;  I would say to anyone who is long-term unemployed – which is the group I really care about – that they should use absolutely every contact and every network available to get where they want to be in life.
If you were honest with yourself, and truly cared you would know that unfortunately this group are unlikely to have the social networks that will gain them employment.  They will have social networks, yes, but often not the ones that lead to gainful employment. They will certainly not have the same networks that you have.  If you disagree I suggest that you read Pierre Bourdieu’s work to get a clearer idea on what I mean. Sadly I find it very difficult to believe that you really want unemployed people to give you a call as you suggest in your opinion piece in the Telegraph, rather they would be palmed off on your ill advised staff.  If you really want to talk about networks I would suggest that your role is to ensure that your staff get from behind the desk and actually get out and promote your ‘clients’ to local employers – in short, do the networking for them

2. Overhaul the staff you employ.
I’m sorry but I have heard enough stories from friends who have been unemployed that your staff are not like ‘them’.  Its difficult enough being unemployed without listening to your staff, who have the capacity to stop benefits payments, trying to ‘get down with the unemployed’. If, as I suspect it is, your opinion on the long term unemployed is that it is their deficits that are stopping them from getting a job you have already lost.  Your staff training programme should include something that raises awareness of the difficulties faced when trying to gain employment i.e setting your staff the task of getting a job within 24 hours, using a CV that is representative of one of your clients.  Lets see how they get on before they try and ‘support’ the unemployed.  Or, to save on staff training costs, why not just employ individuals who have been long term unemployed and then gotten themselves a job?

3. Remember that one size does not fit all.
Are you aware of  what sectors are the biggest employers in Liverpool compared to Glasgow, Milton Keynes etc etc.  Do you consider the changes that are happening during this period of economic upheaval? For example, public services are a large employer in many areas, but this sector is facing massive cuts.  What happens to those who normally gain employment in this employment sector?  Additionally, some people who come to see you will need help with computer skills whilst some individuals might be a whizz on the computer, but less so in another area.  Is your support tailored to the individual?  I have spoken to far too many people who suggest it is not. Individuals can be unemployed for different reasons: for some people its because they have had long term health problems that employers have not been prepared to tolerate, whilst other individuals have had problems getting a job once leaving university.  My point is that there are a whole host of different ‘types’ people who are unemployed – how different is the support you provide to a graduate on welfare benefits than to that which you would offer to someone with a disability?

4. Be positive.
I have a few friends who have been unemployed and I always stress what their skills are.  One friend, who has been long term unemployed said that was the first time someone had  pointed out his skills.  I’m all for an employment support service pointing out areas of deficit, but it wouldn’t hurt to give a little bit of sugar from time to time. I only need to refer back to that awful “Fairy Job mother programme” as a case in point.  The only time that lady was positive to her clients (I hate that word by the way) was when she had broken them down.  It takes an awful lot of skill to manage on benefits – I know I’ve been there.  You don’t live the high life, you have to budget for every penny.

5. Stop blaming your clients and take a look at employers.
Again, I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t look at where your clientèle can improve their skills but would it hurt to evaluate local employers?  I was a single parent for a few years and I found that employers are often obsessed with childcare issues, more so than I was.  Even today, some employers are loath to employ parents  People with disabilities can often find it tougher in the workforce, specifically those with obvious disabilities or mental health issues. As Employment Tzar It should be your role to dispel some myths regarding these groups. I use the word groups with caution though because I said before, one size does not fit all.  Final thought… try raising inspiration or even tailoring employment to what the individual would like to do rather than just shoving people into jobs so your company can keep up with its targets.