Work Experience & Volunteering

While fury engulfs the varied toil-while-you-claim benefit schemes, it is worth remembering that real work experience can be valuable. Sociologists say acquaintances matter more than any qualifications in getting a job – it really is who you know, not what you know – and contacts with employers will not be forged at home on the dole. For slump-era youngsters who have never had the chance of a job, exposure to almost any culture of work can only be a Good Thing: yes, including in high-street stores. Heaven knows enough journalists found their way to their desks through an internship.

Volunteering while claiming the dole used to be barred, and it was right to lift this ban – it closed off a route into employment. But the all-important question is what constitutes decent work experience. In essence it has to do what it says on the tin – that is, provide real experience from which one can actually learn, as opposed to the dismal dead end of unremunerated labour. Important in the distinction between the two is time: a day or two's taste of even menial work might teach the uninitiated something about employed life, although this "education" would clearly not take long to complete. With less skilled and more routine work, there is less training to do and any unpaid spell should be measured in days, not months. A good scheme would take account of older workers' experience and young people's ambitions. In one reported case, however, a mundane placement came at the expense of a more interesting internship which fitted better with the individual's dreams. Above all, fair work experience must be undertaken freely. Any teacher will tell you that you can't impart much knowledge to someone desperate to get out of the classroom, and non-paying employers will run into the same problem.

Full article HERE

I've spoken before about the volunteer work I do for two different companies, and I've spoken at length about the various issues that surround voluntary work, part time work, and benefit claims so I don't think it should come as any surprise to find me reposting this particular issue and article from The Guardian.

The volunteer work I do is largely from home, checking the websites and communities for these 2 companies and uploading news and various other small tasks. It's generally only about an hour per day, so nothing taxing. I am occasionally asked by one of them to pop into their offices for a discussion about what needs to be done, future plans, etc.

There is a small (very very small) chance that I may get employed by one of them one day, but for now it's decent enough experience to place on my CV that is relevant to my chosen career path, and the people I volunteer for may be useful as references for any future job applications.

As it stands, if I were to be placed into the work experience program that the government are currently fretting over, I'd be unable to do the voluntary work that I currently do and would likely be placed in the local Poundland, or Tesco. Experience in stores isn't a bad thing, especially for those that are under-qualified and under-experienced in basic retail jobs or even cleaning positions, but when I already have years of experience in retail and other labour type jobs I find it quite insulting to be forced into these sorts of positions simply under the pretense of giving me "experience" for the future.

I worry almost daily about getting a letter through the post, or a phonecall, telling me that I've been moved into this new scheme and will be expected to turn up at one area for a certain date and time. If it comes to that, I'll do the placement for fear of losing everything and going hungry, but I'd prefer to remain doing the volunteer work I'm already taking part in as this gives me relevant experience.