Unemployed man told to buy £40 train ticket for job seeker's appointment (From Essex County Standard)
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Unemployed man told to buy £40 train ticket for job seeker's appointment
3:00pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News By Caroline Tilley
Retraining – After being made redundant Toby Whaymand felt his best chance of finding work was to seek advice
UNEMPLOYED Toby Whaymand, from Colchester, has waited three months for jobs advice – only to be told he needs to go to Harlow.
Mr Whaymand, 35, of Fingringhoe Road, has been trying to get an appointment with career advisors at Adult Community Learning in Barrack Street, Colchester.
The former IT technician was told the advisors were short staffed and was advised to make the 45-mile journey to Harlow.
Mr Whaymand is one of 3,299 jobseekers in the Colchester borough, latest figures reveal. He has been unemployed since he was made redundant in January.
Mr Whaymand said: “Every time I go to the careers advice service they’re really short staffed and busy. You can’t get an appointment.
“They just ask you if you can go to Harlow, but I’d have to pay £40 for the train.
“I’m unemployed on Jobseeker’s Allowance.”
Mr Whaymand has signed on at the Job Centre, but has not found work.
He wanted to get as much help as possible so contacted Adult Community Learning, run by Essex County Council .
According to its website, its specialist advisors can search for jobs, develop CVs, identify skill needs, career directions and training opportunities, and help with interview techniques. Mr Whaymand said: “I wanted to find out how to move forward following my redundancy.
“There aren’t any other jobs out there in what I was doing before.
“I know there are a lot of people who are not interested in getting work, but I want to work.
“The careers people are offering a service they can’t provide.
“I don’t think it’s just me, I can imagine there are others.
An Essex County Council spokesman said Mr Whaymand was booked in to see a Colchester advisor in September but did not attend. Mr Whaymand says he was not aware of an appointment.
The spokesman added: “We would welcome the opportunity to see him at a mutually agreeable time.”
He did not comment on staffing levels.
Comments(10)
catflap1
says...
6:24pm Thu 13 Sep 12
and tell ECC to get stuffed unless they are paying
Feisty CBC
says...
7:40pm Thu 13 Sep 12
hughie-s wrote:And when he gets there? What you doing here you should be in Colchester!
Go by bus, Old Heath to Harlow Job Centre takes two and a half hours, about the same as the train. Essex Saver costs £8 and can use on any bus all day.
taylor08
says...
9:19pm Thu 13 Sep 12
newsgirl29
says...
12:46pm Fri 14 Sep 12
tobywhaymand
says...
5:44pm Fri 14 Sep 12
Firstly, Hughie I didn't know about the bus to Harlow. I will look into this so thanks.
Taylor08 The job centre will only pay for interviews with actual employers not careers advice. - You have to tell the job centre in advance and they will only pay after you've returned with the receipts but this is very limited. They will ask for your travel costs to be under £10 or something like that.
Newgirl it not true to say that individuals are awarded a £150 pot to be used on travel.
The Job Centre *may* pay for long distance for a job interview, for example, somewhere like Swindon or somewhere but this is only if they have any spare money from the general funding that the government gave them at the start of the financial year. - There no spare pot for this and because funding is extremely tight you might be refused.
tobywhaymand
says...
5:44pm Fri 14 Sep 12
Firstly, Hughie I didn't know about the bus to Harlow. I will look into this so thanks.
Taylor08 The job centre will only pay for interviews with actual employers not careers advice. - You have to tell the job centre in advance and they will only pay after you've returned with the receipts but this is very limited. They will ask for your travel costs to be under £10 or something like that.
Newgirl it not true to say that individuals are awarded a £150 pot to be used on travel.
The Job Centre *may* pay for long distance for a job interview, for example, somewhere like Swindon or somewhere but this is only if they have any spare money from the general funding that the government gave them at the start of the financial year. - There no spare pot for this and because funding is extremely tight you might be refused.
hughie-s
says...
10:34pm Fri 14 Sep 12
tobywhaymand wrote:Ser 71 (First) Colchester to Chelmsford
Hi Guys I thought it would be nice just to give some feedback because there have been changes in the law...
Firstly, Hughie I didn't know about the bus to Harlow. I will look into this so thanks.
Taylor08 The job centre will only pay for interviews with actual employers not careers advice. - You have to tell the job centre in advance and they will only pay after you've returned with the receipts but this is very limited. They will ask for your travel costs to be under £10 or something like that.
Newgirl it not true to say that individuals are awarded a £150 pot to be used on travel.
The Job Centre *may* pay for long distance for a job interview, for example, somewhere like Swindon or somewhere but this is only if they have any spare money from the general funding that the government gave them at the start of the financial year. - There no spare pot for this and because funding is extremely tight you might be refused.
Ser 59 (Network Harlow) Chelmsford to Harlow
10 mins between buses in Chelmsford, 5 mins coming back.
keith O'Reilly
says...
2:38pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Im_Like_HELLO
says...
5:46pm Mon 17 Sep 12
hughie-s says...
5:01pm Thu 13 Sep 12