The Jobbridge Scandal

Claire101

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Why haven't you reported this freeloader?

Who do I report it too. There is no one person to speak to in job-bridge. But you know what maybe you're right. It cant hurt me now, its over the internship I mean!

sophya

So I'm currently doing me second jobbridge in about 2 years. This one is quite different to the first which was in a government department. This one is in a solicitors office which is great because I'm currently working to qualify as a solicitor. She's a sole practitioner so I end up spending a lot of time alone in the office with very little work to do.


Anyway I've been applying for actual jobs in the month I've been here. Got called to two interviews, both happening on Wednesday which I'm really excited about.

Told the solicitor, who got stony faced and told me that I was to be there for nine months and that she can't get anyone else for nine month if I leave early. Also that she wouldn't have taken on someone looking for other jobs. That set off alarms in my head because I thought you were free to get time off for interviews and not have to take them as holiday days?

How should I approach this now, cause I'm wary and given that I haven't signed a contract and even if I did I've only been there a month.

Another worry I have is that my morning interview is for a solicitors firm a minutes walk from her. I don't want to burn bridges in the legal profession but her response caught me off guard and made me think she cycles through jobbridge.

Xenji

sophya wrote: »

So I'm currently doing me second jobbridge in about 2 years. This one is quite different to the first which was in a government department. This one is in a solicitors office which is great because I'm currently working to qualify as a solicitor. She's a sole practitioner so I end up spending a lot of time alone in the office with very little work to do.


Anyway I've been applying for actual jobs in the month I've been here. Got called to two interviews, both happening on Wednesday which I'm really excited about.

Told the solicitor, who got stony faced and told me that I was to be there for nine months and that she can't get anyone else for nine month if I leave early. Also that she wouldn't have taken on someone looking for other jobs. That set off alarms in my head because I thought you were free to get time off for interviews and not have to take them as holiday days?

How should I approach this now, cause I'm wary and given that I haven't signed a contract and even if I did I've only been there a month.

Another worry I have is that my morning interview is for a solicitors firm a minutes walk from her. I don't want to burn bridges in the legal profession but her response caught me off guard and made me think she cycles through jobbridge.

By the rules of the scheme the employer has to give you time off to attend as many interviews as you want in the 9 months, also you can leave at any time during your internship, you are not stuck in a contract.

ABajaninCork

I'd attend the interviews anyway. It's a condition of JB that you MUST be given time off for interviews. It's also not true you HAVE to be there for the whole nine months. It's laughable that she took you on thinking you weren't going to apply for other roles. That's the whole bloody point of JB!! I think the solicitor's taking the mick and she knows it. Does the other firm know you're doing a JB with her?

I'd be politely point all this out to her. Print off the T's & C's if you need to and hand them to her.

sophya

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I'd attend the interviews anyway. It's a condition of JB that you MUST be given time off for interviews. It's also not true you HAVE to be there for the whole nine months. It's laughable that she took you on thinking you weren't going to apply for other roles. That's the whole bloody point of JB!! I think the solicitor's taking the mick and she knows it. Does the other firm know you're doing a JB with her?

I'd be politely point all this out to her. Print off the T's & C's if you need to and hand them to her.

No they don't. I'll mention it to her tonght before I leave. Do you have a link to the T & Cs? The PDF a few pages back didn't mention anything about leaving early.

Honestly she didn't seem to know the jobbridge system or my entitlements at all. I had to login to her host page and input my start date as she didn't know how to do it.

ABajaninCork

If you have access to her host page, then I suspect the T's & C's are on there. I'd jump on and get them now...

Claire101

sophya wrote: »

So I'm currently doing me second jobbridge in about 2 years. This one is quite different to the first which was in a government department. This one is in a solicitors office which is great because I'm currently working to qualify as a solicitor. She's a sole practitioner so I end up spending a lot of time alone in the office with very little work to do.


Anyway I've been applying for actual jobs in the month I've been here. Got called to two interviews, both happening on Wednesday which I'm really excited about.

Told the solicitor, who got stony faced and told me that I was to be there for nine months and that she can't get anyone else for nine month if I leave early. Also that she wouldn't have taken on someone looking for other jobs. That set off alarms in my head because I thought you were free to get time off for interviews and not have to take them as holiday days?

How should I approach this now, cause I'm wary and given that I haven't signed a contract and even if I did I've only been there a month.

Another worry I have is that my morning interview is for a solicitors firm a minutes walk from her. I don't want to burn bridges in the legal profession but her response caught me off guard and made me think she cycles through jobbridge.

If you have a chance for a real paying job you have to go for it. It is in the job-bridge agreement that they allow you time to look for work.

What she means is that shes getting free labour with you there if you leave she has to wait threw months to get somebody else in.

Like you I didnt and dont want to burn any bridges but it got me nowere being nice and giving my host organisation consideration.

Trust me you dont want to be sitting here at the end of 9 months wondering Why you didnt leave.

I think you need to go for it. I think I need to put in a proper complaint!

Go for it and good luck!

ABajaninCork

Here are the list of FAQ's for Host Organisations.

Employer Info is here.

sophya

Managed to find a print out the relevant pages. Left them on her desk with markings showing my right to attend interviews and her failing for not having a standard agreement signed by both of us

Contact details for JobBridge are here http://www.jobbridge.ie/ContactUs.aspx There is an online form to give feedback etc. Use it and report this evil woman.

Xenji

They really need to have an official complaints form or phone number, they could even hire somebody on JobBridge to deal with them.

dharma200

Xenji wrote: »

They really need to have an official complaints form or phone number, they could even hire somebody on JobBridge to deal with them.

It wouldn't surprise me if they consider getting jobs bridge interns in to man the complaints line... they do not want to receive complaints, they know themselves the whole thing is a scam.

TJ Mackie

The company I'm working for (I'm leaving at the end of the month as I got a new role elsewhere) takes on JobBridge interns. I would have been at a middle management level, and so would have been invited to management meetings where new hires were discussed.

In the past 18 months, we've lost about 25/30 years experience through 7/8 people leaving. On paper, these vacancies were filled internally, but in reality, they were filled with JobBridge as the people who filled them had their now-vacant roles filled by interns.

I'm pretty shocked by the attitude management takes to the interns. No exaggeration, but not once has a plan/program been put in place to benefit them. I have genuinely heard phrases like "There's no point training them up on X, Y or Z, they'll be gone in 6 months" and "We'll stick them in corner doing the monkey work". It's an attitude that disgusted me, and was actually the straw that broke the camels back when it came to handing in my notice. It's especially heart breaking to see the interns show up and they're so enthusiastic and full of excitment and grateful for the opportunity, not knowing what the next few months has in store for them and that no one cares about their development.

I used to train them in a year ago, and went out of my way to ensure they got something back from the job. So rather than just train them in on step-by-step procedures, I'd make sure they knew the theory behind what they were doing, why they were doing it etc. Of the 2 I trained in, one got hired full time here and another got hired full time by another leading company in this sector (financial services), but my role changed and the training they are getting now is terrible, and because staff turnover has increased, the above "stick them in a corner" attitude is now prevailing.

It's disgusting, especially when I've looked at the job description that was advertised to them.

sophya

Decided to wait around until she finishes her meeting so I can talk to her before I go home and tell her about my interview with the firm she's neighbours with. Otherwise I will be stewing all night.

Half hoping she goes off and gets rid of me haha

Xenji

sophya wrote: »

Decided to wait around until she finishes her meeting so I can talk to her before I go home and tell her about my interview with the firm she's neighbours with. Otherwise I will be stewing all night.

Half hoping she goes off and gets rid of me haha

Hope you get the job, but just be wary that you will not be able to do another 9 month JobBridge if she gets rid of you.

sophya

Xenji wrote: »

Hope you get the job, but just be wary that you will not be able to do another 9 month JobBridge if she gets rid of you.

Didn't manage to tell her as she was pulled into another meeting and told me to head home cause I usually leave at 5. Left that printout on her keyboard, highlighted page face up so hopefully she'll be fine tomorrow when I tell her about my second interview

ABajaninCork

Xenji wrote: »

They really need to have an official complaints form or phone number, they could even hire somebody on JobBridge to deal with them.

Loool!

Claire101

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Loool!

They need an actual person who you can speak to as you see nobody through the internship.

Xenji

Claire101 wrote: »

They need an actual person who you can speak to as you see nobody through the internship.

Oh you will have somebody come in when your in your last month from Solas and ask how you found it and give you a folder with information about other schemes they do, but your never checked up on before that in my experiences with the interns.

Tombi!

While we all (generally) agree the majority of JB stuff is a load of rubbish, what about CEschemes?
I mean it's sort of the same thing but it's only 20 hours a week.

Would anyone be recommend me not trying for one of those over a JB?

Backstreet Moyes

Is it definite you can walk out of a jobsbridge and sign back on will you be cut? My finance degree is worthless unless i get some experience and i think jobsbridge is my only option. I looked up a marketing executive role and it appeals because it is only down the road. So i am thinking of giving it a shot but i just don't want to be stuck their if it is not of any benefit. What is putting me of is it is for a bin company so i can't really see how they will have much marketing work.

Claire101

Xenji wrote: »

Oh you will have somebody come in when your in your last month from Solas and ask how you found it and give you a folder with information about other schemes they do, but your never checked up on before that in my experiences with the interns.

Nobody came out to me. Nobody contacted me at all.

This lowley intern was ignored!

Xenji

Claire101 wrote: »

Nobody came out to me. Nobody contacted me at all.

You sound like a ghost, had a friend who did one and the social did not even know he did it, he never had a PSC and has been on the x's and o's for years and never once got any letters from the social, sometimes it is a good thing.

Claire101

Nuts102 wrote: »

Is it definite you can walk out of a jobsbridge and sign back on will you be cut? My finance degree is worthless unless i get some experience and i think jobsbridge is my only option. I looked up a marketing executive role and it appeals because it is only down the road. So i am thinking of giving it a shot but i just don't want to be stuck their if it is not of any benefit. What is putting me of is it is for a bin company so i can't really see how they will have much marketing work.

You can walk out. Just notify the depatment of social protection! Another intern in my place left got two weeks paid and the his &50 stopped.

Resonator75

Labor goon on Moncreef saying 2 out of 3 JB internships get a job and an' independent' company 'Indicon' has said its working successfully and it should continue.

He said he has to deal in facts not just what people moan about.

The person 'moaning' was a lady who called in saying its impossible to get a cleaning or waitress job now due to JB.

The politicos are despicable turds, you could tell in his voice he know what was happening but defends it to the hilt.

Claire101

Xenji wrote: »

You sound like a ghost, had a friend who did one and the social did not even know he did it, he never had a PSC and has been on the x's and o's for years and never once got any letters from the social, sometimes it is a good thing.

Lol yep I was a ghost. Except when I was getting shouted at by boss. Oh and at my leaving party well I thought it was my leaving party it was infact a party for a paid employee who was being moved they had a card and collection for her! I got a little mention. In between the hugs for her and I was allowed a sandwich ( yipeee ) Then I finished my day , my internship and ran out of there!

paulmazz4

Claire101 wrote: »

Hi at the time I didn't know I could just leave I thought my one parent family payment would be stopped. I was assured I would be given a glowing reference when I started so I stuck it out until the end hoping I would be given that at least for my hard work. I was unsure about everything and was afraid I would be penalised if I sent a message through the job-bridge site. To be perfectly honest about it I bit my toungue I had been told by the host organisation that I would have enough to walk into any job. Then to finish off the humilation of the experience on my last day I watched them having a collection and a farewell party for one of their payed employees who were just transfered to another job. I sat there like a dummy. I was then mentioned briefly but my feeling was and is if your job-bridge staff you dont matter, you dont have feelings and your there to fo what your told and thats that! It has totally crushed me as I was full of hope and so optomistic I believed I could make my kids proud of me. I was humilated!

I also wanted to be more than just a single mam on benefits. My hopes and dreams for the future depended on me doing this, but its like this I did a course prior to this to become qualified to take up this position, then I went through the job-bridge process but my hopes and dreams and hard work for the future for me and my family were crushed. Thanks so much for listening to me.

Don't give up lady. You proved your worth to any employer , your Kids and to yourself by sticking it out. So don't put yourself down. I hope something comes along for you. You deserve it ☺

sligoface

When you hear the firsthand accounts of how interns get treated and nothing done about it, it just boggles the mind how some can try to defend the scheme the way it is run now. Or say we should just ignore this. And this is our government's solution to an unemployment epidemic.

Kai123

I am about to start an internship, doing what I always wanted to do (system, network admin). If all goes well, even with 6 months experience I become highly employable.

I'm worried about being asked to work extra hours (although, for the sake of learning I would), being the intern being looked down on etc. At the interview they told me how I would be there to learn first, and slowly introduced to the many aspects of looking after 600+ clients.

I dont agree with Jobbridge, but I would of never, ever had this opportunity otherwise. To get to this point, I would of needed more certs, and a few years of help-desk experience. I'm skipping this and doing what I've spent years studying for.

TwoShedsJackson

Kai123 wrote: »

I'm worried about being asked to work extra hours (although, for the sake of learning I would), being the intern being looked down on etc. At the interview they told me how I would be there to learn first, and slowly introduced to the many aspects of looking after 600+ clients.

'He who foresees calamaties suffers them twice over' - go in and see what happens. If they commence to taking the piss, leave.