The Jobbridge Scandal

Soft Falling Rain

runawaybishop wrote: »

That's the part that is extra hard to understand - watching an unpaid intern literally taking money out of your paycheck

I'd blame your employers for that though and not the intern as the latter doesn't know what exactly he or she is walking into.

SeaFields

Xenji wrote: »

Sinn Féin seem to be the only party having ago about this and criticizing it.

They are and in fairness my local SF TD was the only one to respond when I emailed all my local TDs about this scheme. The technical group should also be on this case especially with heavy hitters like Shane Ross who is well able to make his point if he got the chance. Everyone who abhors this scheme as much as I do could do something by emailing their local TDs.

runawaybishop wrote: »

Doesn't mean a lot of they refuse to engage with the union.

True unfortunately but if that poster is accurate in what he/she is saying it would be a start. Feckin scandalousn:mad:

mothnot

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

I'd blame your employers for that though and not the intern as the latter doesn't know what exactly he or she is walking into.

absolutely the employer knows exactly what he is doing while the intern seems completely unaware. Management changing rotas... an hour gone here another there....intern on while staff can finish early...start later as well.....

mothnot

mothnot wrote: »

absolutely the employer knows exactly what he is doing while the intern seems completely unaware. Management changing rotas... an hour gone here another there....intern on while staff can finish early...start later as well.....

Know two people who used to work 9-5 but since an intern was hired their hours have been cut to 12-5 and were told that starting December they'd be working 1-5 as the "work was no longer there to justify the hours they are getting". They don't expect to be kept on for much longer as a second intern is starting soon and the first intern will be training them in.

The entire scheme is another flawed, poorly implemented, disgraceful initiative by our government to mask the real unemployment figures. That people are being let go and replaced by interns or have their working weeks halved is just adding to the countries problems. I would not be surprised, if in 5 years time the majority of employed roles were fill by long term interns. Few businesses are going to pay someone to work for them when they can get free labour from the government. Businesses around the country are rubbing their greedy little hands in glee and with all the courses starting that aim to help employers abuse the system as best as they can, this problem is only going to get worse.

the_barfly1

Ohhhhh this is a good one

PTH2009

applyed for quite a few internships in the waterford area and didnt even get a reply back and was shortlisted for one but didnt have enough experience.

its not fair that some companies advertise postions and than ignore your application.

feels like i will never get a new job :(:mad:

Grab All Association

PTH2009 wrote: »

applyed for quite a few internships in the waterford area and didnt even get a reply back and was shortlisted for one but didnt have enough experience.

its not fair that some companies advertise postions and than ignore your application.

feels like i will never get a new job :(:mad:

If I was you I would just focus on getting a paid job. These jobbridge schemes are for the benefit of the employers and not the unemployed.

Tell us your past experience qualifications and posters on here will try help you or may know where you could get work you never know.

PTH2009

Chris___ wrote: »

If I was you I would just focus on getting a paid job. These jobbridge schemes are for the benefit of the employers and not the unemployed.

Tell us your past experience qualifications and posters on here will try help you or may know where you could get work you never know.

I have 2 fetacs in Media Studies and Office Admin. I recently completed a third level tourism higher cert course. my work experience includes Cash handling (til work) , Customer service, health and safety. I have no computer qulifications but have good experience in using microsoft office. Im looking for an office job or an electronics sale position.

SeaFields

PTH2009 wrote: »

applyed for quite a few internships in the waterford area and didnt even get a reply back and was shortlisted for one but didnt have enough experience.

Jobbridge is to get you experience. You shouldnt need it to do an internship. Again, the failings of this fcuking scheme come further to light.

Good luck PTH, keep looking, for proper jobs as Chris said.

Jesus Wept

the_barfly1 wrote: »

Ohhhhh this is a good one

The email address says a lot.

B.A._Baracus

I have just recently finished a momentum course. Should hopefully have passed *touch wood* and get my diploma. But JobsBridge pisses me off :mad: I want to get a job in my field. I want to get off the bloody dole. But hold on, I got to do an internship for 9 months - perhaps 18 months now to get experience?!?!!?

Why can't I just get a job and learn as I go. I don't care if the company gives me a reduced hourly rate compared to someone with experience. I don't care if they only take me on for 3 months. Give me the ball and let me run with it (To quote the american expression)

But whats likely to happen if I did an internship tho? JobsBridge will still be around soaking up potential jobs. Yeah sure i'd have experience and it will make the CV look better. But who are companies going to hire? someone with experience (But comes with paying a wage) or the next batch of freshly skilled people who you don't have to pay a cent for.


fuck me.

April O Neill II

I actually can't believe how many of these are appearing every day, and the wide variety of organisations taking advantage providing opportunites. :rolleyes::eek:

Why bother hiring staff when you can get them for free? Pay peanuts, get monkeys, I guess, but people are going to want good references in their hunt for paid work so can't exactly just phone it in every day.

Makes me mad. :mad:

Soft Falling Rain

SeaFields wrote: »

Jobbridge is to get you experience. You shouldnt need it to do an internship. Again, the failings of this fcuking scheme come further to light.

Good luck PTH, keep looking, for proper jobs as Chris said.

You would like to think so anyway.

My manager in my previous job got an application from someone to be her PA (Job Bridge Internship of course). The only problem was that the applicant had only lost her job and wasn't even on the live register two weeks.

But my manager, bowled over by the CV of this person, was willing to wait 3 months for this person to qualify for the scheme.

The funniest thing about it all is that this person's CV was so good that she was getting interviews every other week, much to the fury of my manager. :pac: Ya see, my manager thought she was doing this person, with years of experience, a massive favour by hiring her and thought she should be committed for the 9 months.

It just goes to show how employers actually view this scheme. If my last manager had actually stuck to the rules of the scheme and hired someone with no experience, but who had the qualifications and the potential to excel, then she would have had a committed person for the 9 months. But not only do they nit give a crap about the rules, they also have a chip on their shoulder towards the people that they do hire.

gozunda

SeaFields wrote: »

As an employee, its your and your colleagues constitutional right to join a trade union if you so wish.

I know of a company who will remained unnamed that doesn't 'encourage' union membership but has fairly senior members of a well known union on their board of Directors - conflict of interest or what?

Can someone remind me who Unions are supposed to represent hmmm?

cloudatlas

Send your stories in to scambridge.ie they seem to be doing a good job debunking this whole fiasco.

gozunda

cloudatlas wrote: »

Send your stories in to scambridge.ie they seem to be doing a good job debunking this whole fiasco.

Out of interest are employers obliged to make info available on their use of Jobbridge etc
If not FOI possible?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

April O Neill II

I'm doing a full-time post grad at the moment and as it's a conversion course, I'm hoping to get some kind of work experience or internship if I fail to get a job on graduation. Emailed a few places. Got a reply from one today informing me that they take on one Jobbridge intern a year and that I'm welcome to have my CV considered with the other Jobbridge applicants next year. Le sigh.

I intend to have some semblance of a job got on finishing next June, even if it's just a stop-gap, and have absolutely no intention of going on the dole. I'm working a part-time cleaner whilst studying as it's nice and flexible and I'll keep it up and increase my hours in June if I've nothing course-related secured. There is something slightly fecked up about being encouraged to go on the dole by a firm, so that they can maybe hire you.

darkpagandeath

April O Neill II wrote: »

I'm doing a full-time post grad at the moment and as it's a conversion course, I'm hoping to get some kind of work experience or internship if I fail to get a job on graduation. Emailed a few places. Got a reply from one today informing me that they take on one Jobbridge intern a year and that I'm welcome to have my CV considered with the other Jobbridge applicants next year. Le sigh.

I intend to have some semblance of a job got on finishing next June, even if it's just a stop-gap, and have absolutely no intention of going on the dole. I'm working a part-time cleaner whilst studying as it's nice and flexible and I'll keep it up and increase my hours in June if I've nothing course-related secured. There is something slightly fecked up about being encouraged to go on the dole by a firm, so that they can maybe hire you.

So there not hiring anyone then just using interns

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

April O Neill II

darkpagandeath wrote: »

So there not hiring anyone then just using interns

Well in fairness to the firm, I emailed on spec asking if there was a chance of work experience.

It's just someone suggesting you go on the dole is a bit mad, no?

I'm not making plans for going on the dole when I finish, I want to work, not vegetate. And again, it is really depressing to see the wide range of jobs being offered up as internships where they would have been paying jobs not so long ago. Some would give you a lot of experience, but even in those ones, would it not be a massive pain in the arse for an employer to have train up someone else in 9 month's time? Oh wait, yes, that's right, they'll try and hire someone with experience who is desperate enough to do the internship.

Xenji

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

They had people on the news today on Today FM and when asked do schemes like JobBridge skew the numbers, they completely dodged the question, Joan did the same, everytime I hear her voice the anger builds up.

ABajaninCork

Xenji wrote: »

They had people on the news today on Today FM and when asked do schemes like JobBridge skew the numbers, they completely dodged the question, Joan did the same, everytime I hear her voice the anger builds up.

Yeah - she's got such a slappable face! :P

April O Neill II

With all these cleaning, deli assistant and retail "internships", where exactly is the incentive for the person to make an effort to make profit for their employer who is handing over the grand sum of nothing for their labour?

PopePalpatine

Reading this thread, all I can think of is:

Fuck this country. I'm a CS student right now, but I'm going to need a job if I want to move out. Of course, I can't find one while this government is having a nice big circlejerk over Scambridge.

I'd rather take my chances next summer and try to find some work in Britain rather than whore myself out to Scambridge.

runawaybishop

PopePalpatine wrote: »

Reading this thread, all I can think of is:

Fuck this country. I'm a CS student right now, but I'm going to need a job if I want to move out. Of course, I can't find one while this government is having a nice big circlejerk over Scambridge.

I'd rather take my chances next summer and try to find some work in Britain rather than whore myself out to Scambridge.

Plenty of work in dublin

Scouser

a friend of mine was turned down for a job in a very reputable company 12months ago, them citing lack of experience

He did a 6month jobbridge placement where he was exploited and worked to the bone, but he was working in his studied field

Upon finishing up he tried the same reputable company who rejected him, amongst many others

tha same reputable company who rejcted him, gave him a job a grade higher than the position he had actually applied for, as the work he undertook during the jobbridge months made him a highly sought candidate

he made a success of a crumby situation

so it can work wonders if you want it to

Xenji

Scouser wrote: »

a friend of mine was turned down for a job in a very reputable company 12months ago, them citing lack of experience

He did a 6month jobbridge placement where he was exploited and worked to the bone, but he was working in his studied field

Upon finishing up he tried the same reputable company who rejected him, amongst many others

tha same reputable company who rejcted him, gave him a job a grade higher than the position he had actually applied for, as the work he undertook during the jobbridge months made him a highly sought candidate

he made a success of a crumby situation

so it can work wonders if you want it to

Unfortunately the success stories are vastly outweighed by unsuccessful stories

Scouser

Xenji wrote: »

Unfortunately the success stories are vastly outweighed by unsuccessful stories

yeah it sure does seem to be!

didnt tesco hire all its christmas shelf packing staff from jobbridge?

and AIG hired all its call centre sales staff too - tax payers paying people to make a failed institution mega money!

spiralism

It's exploitative and now it does essentially mean that any advertised jobs require substantial experience, which can only be got via this questionable scheme. Very hard to live on what would now be 150 a week with the new cuts, especially when you consider that's a full working week and rent and bills have to come out of it. Anyone my age would realistically be as well off working a ****e dead end minimum wage number instead to be at least able to pay the overheads and that's no help in the long run.