Job club can help, unemployed told

9:37am Wednesday 4th July 2012 in High Wycombe

Job club can help, unemployed told Job club can help, unemployed told

JOB seekers are being encouraged to sign up to a club which will help them to get back to work.

Micklefield Job Club, run by Rachel New and Matt Knight, offers advice and tips on improving CVs and aims to boost confidence for those lacking self esteem when applying for new positions.

The group recently celebrated its first anniversary, having helped about 50 people so far.

One of its success stories in that time was John Ambrose, 54, from Micklefield.

He had been unemployed for over a year and despite lots of applications never heard anything back.

Club helpers told him to resend his applications but with more details in his email and his phone rang almost immediately asking him to interview.

He was offered the job as a passenger support assistant with a taxi firm on the spot.

He said: "When I got to my interview I wasn't nervous at all, after all the interview preparation the club gave me.

“While there are so many applications for every job advertised, the job club helps people to find ways to stand out from the crowd.”

Mr Knight, a Liberal Democrat Wycombe District Councillor said a 55 year-old woman from Wycombe Marsh also shows the difference good advice can have.

He said: “She had been made redundant after many years, and had lost her confidence. At the Micklefield Job Club, she took part in mock interviews, developed her presentation and communication skills, and updated her computer skills.

“She was also inspired to take part in voluntary work to help update her skills and experience. After nine months, club members celebrated when she finally got a job in administration.”

Mrs New said: “We want to provide the care and support that people need when they have been set challenging targets by the Job Centre.

“Many people coming to us need practical help with CVs, intimidating online applications and interview techniques.

“It is really important that people get a sympathetic ear, and support from others in the same boat.”

The Micklefield Job Club runs on Thursdays from 9.30am – midday at the Micklefield Library in term time. All are welcome. Visit www.hwjowc.org for more information.

Comments (7)

9:59am Wed 4 Jul 12

AmyQ says...

Sorry to sound ignorant on such matters and this seems like such a worthy cause, but is it not the Job Centre that should be giving the jobless this kind of assistance? thought they were just unhelpful for professionals seeking employment not everybody. Please could someone explain why they are called the Job Centre and not revert back to the DSS?
Sorry to sound ignorant on such matters and this seems like such a worthy cause, but is it not the Job Centre that should be giving the jobless this kind of assistance? thought they were just unhelpful for professionals seeking employment not everybody. Please could someone explain why they are called the Job Centre and not revert back to the DSS? AmyQ

10:45am Wed 4 Jul 12

townraider says...

AmyQ wrote:
Sorry to sound ignorant on such matters and this seems like such a worthy cause, but is it not the Job Centre that should be giving the jobless this kind of assistance? thought they were just unhelpful for professionals seeking employment not everybody. Please could someone explain why they are called the Job Centre and not revert back to the DSS?
Fair comment from AmyQ.
What Cllr Knight is doing is commendable but its something the state should be delivering. We pay our taxes and get increasingly less from the Govt every day.
To much onus is being placed on charity and voluntary sector.
[quote][p][bold]AmyQ[/bold] wrote: Sorry to sound ignorant on such matters and this seems like such a worthy cause, but is it not the Job Centre that should be giving the jobless this kind of assistance? thought they were just unhelpful for professionals seeking employment not everybody. Please could someone explain why they are called the Job Centre and not revert back to the DSS?[/p][/quote]Fair comment from AmyQ. What Cllr Knight is doing is commendable but its something the state should be delivering. We pay our taxes and get increasingly less from the Govt every day. To much onus is being placed on charity and voluntary sector. townraider

11:05am Wed 4 Jul 12

AnAllegoricalFigure says...

If the government or the system could engineer things that there was a job for every person then there would be no need for job clubs. No matter how good someone's CV or interview technique then they are usually going to be unlucky when the number of people looking for jobs is greater than the number of jobs available in the economy.
If the government or the system could engineer things that there was a job for every person then there would be no need for job clubs. No matter how good someone's CV or interview technique then they are usually going to be unlucky when the number of people looking for jobs is greater than the number of jobs available in the economy. AnAllegoricalFigure

1:48pm Wed 4 Jul 12

tigeran says...

AnAllegoricalFigure wrote:
If the government or the system could engineer things that there was a job for every person then there would be no need for job clubs. No matter how good someone's CV or interview technique then they are usually going to be unlucky when the number of people looking for jobs is greater than the number of jobs available in the economy.
"If the government or the system could engineer things that there was a job for every person then there would be no need for job clubs."

That exactly what Labour did and look where it got us.
Its a shame we cant get all the scabs who live off benefits to join something like this but that would never happen.
[quote][p][bold]AnAllegoricalFigure[/bold] wrote: If the government or the system could engineer things that there was a job for every person then there would be no need for job clubs. No matter how good someone's CV or interview technique then they are usually going to be unlucky when the number of people looking for jobs is greater than the number of jobs available in the economy.[/p][/quote]"If the government or the system could engineer things that there was a job for every person then there would be no need for job clubs." That exactly what Labour did and look where it got us. Its a shame we cant get all the scabs who live off benefits to join something like this but that would never happen. tigeran

1:52pm Wed 4 Jul 12

Micklefield Matt says...

Thanks for the comments so far.

The beauty of this job club is that it is about people supporting each other within the community - something which it would be very difficult to replicate in the target driven world of the Job Centre. Quite often it is those people who attend who are involved in offering support and advice to each other.

The Job Centre is very much about getting people off benefits as soon as possible, we are more interested in helping people to develop into the kind of people who will not only get a job, but also retain a job and have the confidence to move onto other work in the future.

It is naive (and costly to the taxpayer!) to think that all services should be run by the government - sometimes it is the charity and voluntary sector who are better placed to deliver these services which is why the government, both locally and nationally, need to be doing more to provide support and funding for the voluntary sector.
Thanks for the comments so far. The beauty of this job club is that it is about people supporting each other within the community - something which it would be very difficult to replicate in the target driven world of the Job Centre. Quite often it is those people who attend who are involved in offering support and advice to each other. The Job Centre is very much about getting people off benefits as soon as possible, we are more interested in helping people to develop into the kind of people who will not only get a job, but also retain a job and have the confidence to move onto other work in the future. It is naive (and costly to the taxpayer!) to think that all services should be run by the government - sometimes it is the charity and voluntary sector who are better placed to deliver these services which is why the government, both locally and nationally, need to be doing more to provide support and funding for the voluntary sector. Micklefield Matt

3:04pm Wed 4 Jul 12

Mr Vegas says...

This is commendable and I wish success to them.
-
And I hope they give the leftover curry to the homeless. Nicer than stale sandwiches.
This is commendable and I wish success to them. - And I hope they give the leftover curry to the homeless. Nicer than stale sandwiches. Mr Vegas

10:43pm Wed 4 Jul 12

HASAN786 says...

good initiative
good initiative HASAN786

Comments are closed on this article.

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree