I recently went into a Job centre in Sheffield City Centre to have a look around as I not visited one for ages. I have to say the Technology is great and I like the idea of the computers to search for jobs on, it beats the notice board system they used to have.

I couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be lots of people just lurking around the job centre not even attempting to look for jobs, most of these people were just sat on the floor. I mean what the hell was going on? I asked someone what they were all doing and I was told that these people don't want jobs, but have to prove they are looking for work in order to get their job seeker money so they spend most of the day just sat on the floor in the job centre. Why didn't Security throw them out?

They could have been waiting to see someone/sign on, and if they're not causing any trouble then why would security throw them out?!

Until a few weeks ago I was unemployed and witnessed this effect myself. Though I joined them in a sense. I had a look at it a few times but didn't see much I liked at all I looked elsewhere after a while and found my job. I always wanted to know more about the job I was applying for than what the Job Center provided.

Originally posted by "fronbow"

They could have been waiting to see someone/sign on, and if they're not causing any trouble then why would security throw them out?!

Well, it's just I was there over 1 hour and if these people were waiting to be seen then they were waiting a bloody long time.

Sometimes I've been kept waiting for over an hour (usually cos the person's gone to dinner!). And signing on day can be a joke somedays as they take your book and then call ppl out randomly! But with any luck I might get a job soon...

Hey cool! :cool:

I was just looking for jobs in sheffield & THIS LINK (http://www.jobs1search.co.uk/cgi-bin/ukweb4.cgi?keyword=Job%20in%20Sheffield) brought me back to this thread! :hihi: :thumbsup:

Sometimes I've been kept waiting for over an hour (usually cos the person's gone to dinner!). And signing on day can be a joke somedays as they take your book and then call ppl out randomly! But with any luck I might get a job soon...
It's not random it's an appt system, so for instance if you turn up 15 mins late and all the other appointments are on time then you would have to wait untill theres a free space..

When i first moved to Sheffield from outside the UK i had to go to the job centre to get an interview for my national insurance number..
I went to the wrong job centre- went to the one on west street by crystal- instead of the other one further down towards KFC..
and I've never felt so criminalised...
I walked in and there was a man in a suit dealing with a lady so I waited behind her... as she finished I stepped forward to speak to this man (was kind of a meeter and greeter like in Asda) and was promtly intercepted by a security guard who moved me (pretty forcefully) to one side before asking me what i was doing there... after explaining I was, of course, directed to go and ask the man in the suit... who also apologised for the way the guard had dealt with me..
apart from that everything went off no problem...but still it wasn't a nice experience when your new to Sheffield (and the accent)..

Well, it's just I was there over 1 hour and if these people were waiting to be seen then they were waiting a bloody long time.

Perhaps if you had asked why the wait was for so long you would find out that DWP which Jobcentre Plus is a part of is in the throws of cutting 30000 staff, of which, Jobcentre Plus is getting hardest hit. The gov. appear to believe that cutting the number of staff in Jobcentres won't affect the service they deliver. You just have to go into a Jobcentre to see how the service is being affected.

And no it isn't good to have to wait an hour but it isn't the fault of the staff.

Job Centres?! :rant:

Don't get me started on how fuffing useless the whole sodding lot of 'em are! :rant:

I was on the JSA from Hillsborough Barracks Job Centre back in 1997, and it was HORRIBLE! Job centre staff were a bunch of useless cretinous jobsworths who could no more get me a job than I could sprout wings and learn to fly! Coupled with a useless DEA (Disability Employment "Advisor") I had the (worst) time of my life on the Dole!

Honestly the stuff they did to me, sent me for jobs that were already gone, often having to travel from Walkley to some back street office in Attercliffe or some other godforsaken location, till the final straw was I went for a job in a Taxi office up in S5, I didn't want the job but I thought sod it I'll go for it, get it and put up with it for 3 months to get away from the dole... Anyway, went all the way up to Lane Top for the interview, job had been gone 3 months to some 16 year old kid on David Blunkett's "New Deal" scheme, WTF?! :loopy: :rant:

I came off the dole there and then as I'd decided enough was enough, went down to the Job Centre and launched into a huge swear word filled rant at their retardedness, backed up by my Mum.

went down to the Job Centre and launched into a huge swear word filled rant at their retardedness, backed up by my Mum.

And that helped your case how :confused:

And that helped your case how :confused:

OK it probably didn't, but I was ready to tell them to go jump anyway so it made no difference... :rant:

OK it probably didn't, but I was ready to tell them to go jump anyway so it made no difference... :rant:

It wasn't criticism Rich. Hurling abuse and bad language at their staff won't make them think very highly of you mate

It wasn't criticism Rich. Hurling abuse and bad language at their staff won't make them think very highly of you mate

Well if they didn't want me to go on a rant and verbally abuse them, they shouldn't have done the things to me that made me feel as though I had to in the fuffing first place! :rant:

Well if they didn't want me to go on a rant and verbally abuse them, they shouldn't have done the things to me that made me feel as though I had to in the fuffing first place ! :rant:

Now you are making yourself look stupid Rich.

Well if they didn't want me to go on a rant and verbally abuse them, they shouldn't have done the things to me that made me feel as though I had to in the fuffing first place ! :rant:

Ever heard of self control!

Ever heard of self control!

Have you ever been treat like I was by stupid job centre staff?! I'll hasten a guess at no..

IMO I was entitled to be extremely angry at these people given the tirade of bad things that had happened to me based on their actions.

You saying youv'e been unemployed since 97? And saying you took your mum in. Is she also not working. How can you make a statement about something that was nearly 10 years ago, things have changed a bit. Were you looking for a job or an argument?

You saying youv'e been unemployed since 97? And saying you took your mum in. Is she also not working. How can you make a statement about something that was nearly 10 years ago, things have changed a bit. Were you looking for a job or an argument?

Yes, my Mum was working at the time, and still does.

And no, I wasn't looking for an argument, I was looking for a JOB! But obviously being physically disabled (not wheelchair bound though) and suffering from asperger's syndrome (mild form of autism, Google it), I can't just go for any old job, it has to be one that is right for me, doesn't stress me out, and one that I'm physically and mentally capable of doing.

And I'm not without qualification either, apart from no GCSE maths, which has been a barrier to my quest for office work as they all ask for at least a C in maths and English, I've got an A in English but I only got a D or an E for maths.

You didn't answer the question, have you been unemployed all this time? What type of job do you feel would suit you?
Have you considered re-doing your maths and english as a mature student.

Yes I do know what asperger's syndrome is as I worked for two years in a shop enviroment with a chap in his mid 20's that had it. He did have outbursts but that was just part of him and he didn't use it as an excuse for not working. He simply explained what could happen and what we should expect, so we didn't freak out.

good luck with your search for the right job:)

MOD: Can we take the chat to the chat room, please. Plus, less of the ffs and name calling. Thank you.

thank you. Jobcentres are there to help people. The more people they get into work the more praise they receive, the less people, the more pressure is put on them. A lot of those advisers really care about what they do and really do want people to find a job.

Right. Most of the people hanging around were probably waiting for a payout from the counter in the corner (not for crisis loan payments; they are in a separate area), to sign on or to see an adviser, or waiting for a crisis loan appointment in the screened area.

Don't forget that jobcentres are merged with former Social Security offices, so for some people, there is no legal obligation to look for a job; indeed, it may not be practical for health reasons, etc to look for one.

As was posted earlier, Jobcentre Plus will be the hardest hit of all Govt agencies in terms of job losses, making delivery of a good service even more difficult, and I know just how hard it can be with some people having worked there for years - glad in some ways to be a full-time Dad now.