This story begins back in 2007. I had just started the last part of my final year of my Degree (Computers - Networking). I arrived back in January on a downer. You see, just before Christmas of 2006 (just a few days in fact) my father had passed away. This had the house in disarray, worries of bad credit, how to pay the bills etc. A Very worrying time, as we didn't even know if we could keep the house, and pay off my father's dept. (this was thankfully written off by the banks later on).
My friends where pleased to see me, and I them; asking how Christmas had been. They where supportive of me when I told them what had happened, and since I was doing group work with them, they helped me a little bit more. I am still grateful for them to this day, of course.
University ended, exams completed, qualifications finalised. I passed the course, and was looking forward to see what the world of work could offer me. Being summer though, I wanted to take a break. Not long though after finishing university, I had received a letter from the government, you know one of those in the brown envelopes, so you know it is going to be something not so good. It told me that my 'circumstances' had changed, and that I had to start paying in national insurance. That meant go get a job, but since I wanted a short break at least; I signed onto the dole.
Graduation came and went, and it was about time I started looking for work. Reality struck me hard at this point, as the seemingly endles rejection letters poured in, but mostly I didn't get responces at all. Telling me such things as, I lack the experiance, or that I was over qualified. This went on for quite some time.
Eventually, since I was unemployed for over 6 months, the job centre put me on what was called at the time "flexible new deal". They had just added the word flexible, as the previous scheme was just called "new deal". Of course there was nothing at all flexible about the whole thing, nor was it new. It was more of a "bad deal". They had me going upstairs, to see the same advisor every week to try and help me into work. The lady was no help at all of course.
I did go on some job interviews, and I needed some clothing for that. I could have paid for it out of the dole money; but instead I took advantage on what was on offer, an "adviser discretionary fund". I was given a voucher to take to a store to buy myself a suit. £100 was the maximum, I was told to go for the cheapest one. I'm a big lad, and of course need big sizes in clothing. The cheapest in my size was just under £100, around £97 I think. So I got the suit and took the receipt back to my adviser, only for her to have a go at me for using up most of the money, even though I gave her the reason. Oh well, I had the clothing so that was that.
Since my job centre adviser couldn't do anything for me, I was pushed onto the next part of the new deal scheme, which was attending a "course" at a place called "action for employment" or "A4E" for short. I was sent there for four weeks, doing poor exercises, CV writing, and how to fill in job applications. I came to realise very quickly, that the place would not help me at all. The staff where condescending, not treating people like adults at all. An awful place. I attended 5 days a week.
After this, ushered back to the job centre, only to be told that I would be going back to A4E for a further 13 weeks. Attending 5 days a week, from 9AM to 5PM. "oh but we want to simulate work hours!". The atmosphere of the place was uninviting. Non of the people wanted to be there, and the staff treating everyone with contempt.
I started off in the "large room" with more people than what there was space for. There were just two computers, both of which where taken up by the time I got in, with those same people being on them all day. The only other thing they "allowed" us to do was flip through the yellow pages, do telephone calls and send out spec letters. The line they gave was "there are more jobs available in the hidden jobs market" which of course is complete nonsense.And the other thing was to play scrabble. No thanks.
I started taking a book in with me to read, I sat silently in the corner by myself not liking anyone there, not causing any trouble. This was good for a while until the lady (more like beast) running that room and a strop at me for not following her orders. I had a talk with the manager about this, and as I can be a bit fragile, I was not assertive enough in that situation. Nevertheless, they moved me out of that room and I was put in the "computer room".
A smaller group of people, a more decent guy running the room, and I needed to interact with people less. Good. And of course access to a computer. We had to "job search" all damn day. Five days a week for seven hours. There is only so many places to search on, and just ended up messing with games and whatnot. We got an hour for lunch of course which I mostly spent out of the building to get away from there.
The boredom started to eat away at me, and by lunch time as I walked out of the building, I never returned for the rest of the day. I did this A LOT. But then due to this I was kicked off the "course" and sent back to the job centre for "non compliance" and was told they might be sanctioning my money. I never did hear the result of this, but my money was never stopped.
I was sent back to A4E a couple of weeks after this, and was put in the "naughty room". Full of chavs, horrible people. We had a movie day each Friday, and it was always some chav garbage. I forget what exactly they where, I've blocked a lot of the experience out of my mind. We had to go on walks in the country side, me with these awful people. The lady running the room liked to tell us about her teenage pregnancy years, and that she had worked her way up from there. She was an awful woman though.
This nightmare came to a close, and I was back at the job centre with my adviser from before. For some reason she seemed a bit more chipper, and was a lot nicer. Or maybe she seemed that way due to the contrast from my A4E experience. Either way, she had some training available; some retail training. It was sponsored by John Lewis, we where to have an interview at the end with a "guaranteed job"
This was to be done at "The Source", near meadowhall shopping centre. I was apprehensive about it at first, but arriving there to the modern building, it was almost inviting. Small training room with a nice lady running it, posh tea and biscuits. Great stuff! we learned on how to push sales, some customer support. I met a guy there, he liked his comic books and whatnot, so we got along well. I think he had learning difficulties, but he was a nice guy. The rest of the class where all female. We hung out in the comic book store at lunch time, and did out work together. Was actually fun.
Non of us on the course never made it past interview stage. This was not surprising, but was quite disappointing. We said out goodbyes, and I never saw any of them ever again. This was a two week course.
During all of this, I was applying for just about any job that even remotely resembled my skill level, which was quite a few. Most was agency work. Shortly after this, I recieved a call from "office angels"; invited me in to sign up and do a little test on the computer. After doing the test, (and filling out forms etc) the lady told me "right, you start Monday". A strange feeling came over me, of excitement, joy and a little dread.
Fianlly, after nearly two years of unemployment; I had a job! I was working for the immigration department of the home office, via the agency. I was here for nearly two years, the contract kept being extended. Started of with data input, then moving around to various teams doing all sorts of admin related tasks. I had a lot of experience for my CV.
After the nearly two years, reality struck again, as I was suddenly out of work again. My CV didn't seem to mean much to potential employers, as I didn't get any where. So once again I ended up on another government scheme. This time it was called the "Work program". The job centre told me I would either be sent to A4E, or SERCO. My heart sank, as memories of my previous time came back to me, and I nearly threw up outside.
Thenkfully though, I didn't end up at A4E. SERCO do things a little differently to other providers, and they outsourse to other smaller providers. There are three stages to this scheme, where you spend a few weeks at one provider and if they can't help you, moved onto another etc. I started out at a place called Wise Ability.
I was introduced to a place of empty promises and cattle like maneuvering of people. There was a "welcome session" where we where gathered into a room in front of a projector with a presentation. We where told they would do all sorts of things for us, it seemed very promising. But going in for my first official appointment, we where shown a computer and told to apply for X amount of jobs. And that was it. Near the end of my time there, I was given some one to one sessions, with a guy that didn't know one day from the next, or if he was coming or going. This didn't go anywhere. My last day I was told another place would get into contact with me.
I was contacted by a place called "yes2ventures". They booked me in, sent me a letter etc. Looking at the map I was quickly confused. The place was in a part of Sheffield that I rarely visited, seemingly in the middle of no where. I got lost on the way, but eventually got there.
I was surprised on how different the place was. Very tiny office with just a couple of rooms. Of course I was nervous. I was sat in yet another "welcome session" with just a couple of others. We sat and talked about how bad our previous providers where. The man running the session, a Mark Powell, was running late. We waited in there for what must have been an hour. When he eventually showed, it was well worth the wait. A very well mannered man greeted us, and sat talking to us about various things. It was not formal at all, and even though I couldn't quite control my anxiety; I was a little more at ease.
My first one to one with Mark, I discussed with him some things that I had never previously discussed with any "strangers" before. I think it was a mix of me at this stage being more open about my anxiety, and the fact that this man was very easy to talk to, and very understanding. He could see that I was not quite ready for work, didn't push me into anything, and we had a nice chat every couple of weeks.
He obviously saw some potential in me, as a month so in, he called me and offered me a potential job working for him to fill in the shoes of a guy that worked at the front desk of the small office. There was some training to be done with the computer system, after which I would be able to start the paid or un-paid work. With me was another guy called Cliff, nice guy. Pete the main admin guy trained us on a couple of Fridays. We did a test at the end of it, and passed. Yey.
So not long after I received a call. It was either Mark or Pete, I can't remember now. I had got the job! just over 16 hours, but it was enough to sign off and get back into work. Great stuff. Getting off the phone with a similar feeling I one had at the agency, of excitement, joy, and a little dread. I remember calling my friends with the news.
The place has had a few staff changes, I feel even more at ease here, and enjoying spending time with my colleagues. They are great people, and for the first time I feel right at home. As even at the home office, I didn't get on that well with people, like they where on a completely different level. I did make friends there though, just not on the same teams I worked on.
(The cycle by the way, was nearly 2 years out of work, then nearly two years in. Then nearly two years out again. It is getting close to two years being in work, so let's hop the cycle is broken and that I am still here by this time next year!)
I am still here at Yes2Ventures to this day. And it all because of the great guy that runs this place. So I dedicate this post to Mark Powell.
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