Tuesday 10 June 2008

A4E


A few things have changed at A4E. The entire staff for starters, the new women being less pleasing to the eye. Shame.


Another thing is that as you enter the door there is a picture on the wall looming over you, Stalin- or Saddam-esquely. A big picture of some silly bint's face signed Emma. Chairman, apparently.


The calibre of the "beneficiaries" also seems to have changed. Last time I was there they were predominately people like myself largely just wanting to get off. Now it's slightly different in that several of them have undischarged criminal convictions (one on bail awaiting trial for burglary, one awaiting sentencing for planning a kidnapping, etc.). The rest are too fond of the dope. I never realised there were so many names for the stuff, evidently representing different types. Normal tobacco is "mix".


Jimminy Cricket! To go back to the bint, Ms Stalin, she's got something on "Women's enterprise.co.uk". Look here:


It was a turning point. 1991 saw Emma start her own business, Action for Employment (A4e). Her aim was improving people’s lives. At last, her business had a drive and purpose that satisfied her.


The turning point was her father leaving her, if you're wondering. She isn't improving my life, either. Still, I'm sure it's easy to manufacture platitudes when you're as rich as her.


Thirteen years on, A4e is involved in an increasingly broad spectrum of activities to continue achieving Emma’s goal. They work in education and training, implement the government’s Welfare to Work services and run Business Link, amongst other huge projects.


Yeah, I know about their "Welfare to Work" and their training. The training is grudgingly given and only on a narrow range of activities they can suck from the government teat for. They're parasites, specialist spongers of government money. It's the ultimate benefit fraud, a very profitable way to sign on.


As for Welfare to Work, I don't think I've ever heard of them getting anyone a job. They get people "work trials" and "placements", both type of below price work which see dole claimants sent off to work without pay. Just today someone was sent off from the group that started with me to work at Morrisons. A good deal for Morrisons, a free worker for thirty hours a week while he won't get any extra. Being on the New Deal he'll get about £60 a week, I don't get that much because I have my dinner provided for me. Well, so they say, but the food is inedible and on those occasions when I've ventured to attempt it I've suffered digestional consequences.


Good for the business, bad for the worker. And for other workers. Morrisons would have to hire people on a proper wage if they weren't getting the slave labourers sent to them. It keeps people out of work. When I was sent on a "placement" last time around I made sure to get myself into a charity shop rather than the local "99p Store", a shop which hires only Polish people and those sent by A4E as government subsidised workers. Mostly Poles, the managers are Poles and there're more Poles around these parts than New Deal victims.


“A4e essentially develops and delivers social change for the Government. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been highly effective. Other countries are now looking to us to bring about similar changes in their societies. It reflects well on Britain”.


Sorry, Johnny Foreigner, we never meant for this to happen. "Social change", is it. Not half, my friends. The deliberate government policy of maintaining high unemployment to keep wages and worker demands low has been in place for many a year now and is all geared to the increasing servility of society. That's what she's so proud of.


Thinking big comes naturally to Emma, from ambitious growth targets for A4e to the 4-day parties she throws for her friends. It’s an approach she encourages in other entrepreneurs. “Don’t be limited by geography. Think of your business as national – it immediately opens up your view”.


Emma loves being an entrepreneur, and is still creating new businesses for the sheer buzz of it. “Freedom and fun-that’s what it’s all about!”. But she is equally enthusiastic about her other roles. She is a committed national chairperson for the NSPCC and a mother of four young children. She dismisses the idea that her life must be a difficult juggling act.


“I don’t see a work life and a family life pulling me in different directions. I have one life, and it’s moving in the direction I have chosen. It’s a wonderful life and it’s been a fantastic journey!”.


I suppose we can only hope that it ends soon and is followed by the righteous judgement which will cast her into hell.


Polish! The fuckers have a Polish web page! A Polish branch! One of the local employment agencies, the Ambitions I've mentioned before which is so odious people refuse to go there (A4E, for the quiet life, have now stopped trying to make people go to that one) has now movwed its headquarters to Poland.


29 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about bunging people in charity shops, I went on a slave placement as an admin (the owner had NO intention on employing me) and found myself lifting gravelboards! Rot in hell, Emma AKA Joseph Stalin!

Anonymous said...

13 weeks what a waste of time.. Pointless been here....

Anonymous said...

I agree! The level of retardation is huge here. I find it is mostly the staff as they spend the majorrity of there lunch time buggering herons!

Yours sinscerely Cedric

Anonymous said...

its chico time

Anonymous said...

and 70% of these jobseeker retards aged between 18-24 sit around playing bloody yu-gi-oh!
whats that all about?

Anonymous said...

13 weeks of working in Save The Children charity shop for my son. Then a work placement, which was supposed to start in November but member of A4E staff forgot to ask someone to do the H & S check so he had to wait 3 months! He wouldn't have HAD a work placement if he hadn't sorted it out for himself....comments from A4E staff included " do you know how long it takes to sort out a sort out a work placement""...my sons reply..."about 10mins?" Surely they must have companies willing to at least offer the placements up front, rather than having to wait eons to get one......but STILL no prospect of any reaL WORK. It's just jumping thru hoops as far as I am concerned and I am majorly pissed off to find out that A4E is a private company....so what do THEY care if young people get work or not?...they still get their subs from the Govt. And incedentally, a retard my son is definitely NOT!!!

Anonymous said...

A4e is more interested in maintaining numbers than actually providing real skills to get people into work. You can make up any excuse for not turning up and no sanctions are applied. The money from DWP for each "client" is too important.

You only have to see the poor state of equipment or the lack of it to realise that profit is the main driving force of A4e.

Anonymous said...

I have been sent to A4E on "new deal" within 3 days of me being there they send me to Primark. Fair enough, but what gets on my nerves is that i am actually out of pocket working there, i get a bus pass from A4E (so i have no excuse not to get to work) but no lunch allowance. I actually cant afford to eat properly while im at work and i have to get from 9 o clock to 5 o clock on a greggs sausage roll because that is all i can afford to buy every day for my lunch.

Anonymous said...

OK, this is my experience of A4E, I had to give up work last year due to a spinal injury, it was a well paid job 28k per annum plus benefits.
I've now had an operation on my spine and I'm ready to return to work.
I was offered a job in North Wales but I needed some help with relocation expenses as I have not been in work for over 14 months. All I needed was around £350, A4E would not help me one little bit, they sent me to another government funded business who said they couldn't help as they didn't have a credit card to pay for the van hire but they would re-imburse A4E 100% of the expenses if a4e covered them and then invoiced them accordingly.
To my amazement A4E declined and said it wasn't within their budget to help me. When I go back to work I pay at least £120 per WEEK in N.I. and taxes so surely it makes logical and economic sense to get me into work A.S.A.P. well not for A4E they need un-employment to be high, the higher the un-employment then the more clients they have coming through the doors which is more turnover , higher profits.
It is a sickening scam which is making the shareholders and the owner very, very, very rich people indeed. Capitalism at its finest.

Anonymous said...

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/JobPrograms/

Anonymous said...

As a university lecturer for 20 years, I worked part time for 12 months and have now been unemployed 6 months because of serious and complicated illness, and I am on an A4e programme. They have no idea what they are doing, there are no criteria or learning ambitions, and I have been sent to work in a factory: how does that match my skills or help me - having stopped worked because of a car crash and damaged neck? I have apaplied for all sorts of jobs and get nowhere because of my PhD. Some people, I am sure do not want to work, just as there are some bad teachers, nurses, policemen -well, name the profession that is perfect. But these A4e people use your baseline qualifications and skills as the *ambition* and not the starting point - I was told I could not have career advice until I had proved myself "worthy" of it and demonstrated "a skill". It is very depressing. I would not mind working for a hospital or the council doing community work a day or two a week to receive benefit, that seems quite fair, but working for industry on an arbitrary basis seems wrong, no matter how nice the employer.

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, and I can't type very well any more so admin might be a problem ....! LOL

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"Why dont you go and find a job then? All you do is moan and blame others for your own shortcomings... bunch of lazy dicks"
24 April 2010 13:03

First off, i am on A4e, i look for work everyday and there isnt any, so shut the fuck up you prick.

This course is a complete waste of time, and when i get a job i am going to get an online petition going, and take it from there. There are NO JOBS, yet i have to sit at a4e all day. There is no funding, and the staff are over stretched.

I have the internet at home, why cant i do it from there, because i cant be trusted? i feel like an untrustworthy child.

Hopefully i will get a job at the end of this week, but no doubt a4e will take credit for it when its actually a job through a friend.

The biggest killer is boredom, i am on the edge of walking out sometimes i swear. You cant look for jobs for 5 hours straight when there isnt any. I hate A4e and the seedy way they are exploiting many people's circumstances. This course is utterly pointless, i WANT to work, but this is just excessive.

BigDaz said...

Total and utter waste of my day and taxpayers money, its a scam of goverment money. If i was to claim money from the goverment to provide a service that i did not in reality provide, it would be considered fraud and in all likelyhood i would be spending some time at her majestys pleasure. These clowns do just that, and have been doing that for a number of years. I am currently in the middle of a thirteen week joke, sorry course at A4e. There is no access to any training at all, the few jobs that they tell you about are the ones that even the Polish refuse to do. Also they are trying to cram that many people in before the system changes in March that its overcrowded so not only is there nothing constructive to do but no A4e staff give a monkeys what your doing only that you put your signiture on a register four times a day so they can claim for you turning up. The money that is being wasted on A4e would be much better spent on improving peopole qaulifications through college/nightschool ect or the JobCentrePlus as that place is also of very little use, and inspires you with no confidence as to improving your situation. At least i get a week of for good behavior at xmas to try and regain a semblance of sanity.
Ho HO Ho....

Anonymous said...

im on the a4e 13 week coarse, finally got a placement at a warehouse ive never heard of at the other end of mk, TRAVEL pops in to mind but not for these time wasters as i have to find my own magical way to get there and back, and to eat, i get no money comin in because of previous job centre santions. not even housing benefit funnily enough dunno how that works, either way went to placement people to get the job at warehouse sorted, only to ask if there would be a full time job offerd at the warehouse at the end of the placement 'I NEED MONEY'... anyway he didnt sound enthusiastic at all, as soon as i saw the look on his face i knew that ths warehouse only employes the free worker slaves benefit banging for there two week scratch. they dont want to help ive been sat here at a4e writing this for time no advisor has noticed my rant so im going home peace

Anonymous said...

Sounds to me like you're all making excuses for each other to stop yourselves looking for a job.
If you spent half as much time looking for a job than moaning on a stupid blog than no is ever going to see you'd be in work months ago!
If the job search rooms are too crowded at your A4e office then take the time to take to one of the career coaches then go to a library, do it there, its free? It's not like you're busy! So obviously it's not about looking for a job is it? it's just so you can all moan about the little things to put off finding one.
People go onto the flexible new deal after a year of being out of work. If you were that desperate for work you'd accept anything.
My cousin is 18, she has twin girls aged 2, she works part time and goes to college.
I actually work for a4e.
And cant empathise when you're trying to book someone in to see a personal career coach, genuinely trying to help them and they say things like
"oh sorry love, I'm a bit stoned"
"Im not working in s supermarket!"
SURELY working in a supermarket and earning say £800 a month is better than de morilising YOURSELVES by sigining on and taking £200 a month.
It's not A4e that demorolise you, its yourselves.
You have no idea the amount of stress A4E staff go through trying to find you work!
And yes, some of the staff go about things the wrong way, god forbid we upset one of you! And by all means, they shouldnt be working for A4E.
Just Pull you're fingers out. We're here to help you. We cant do it for you!
Nothing annoys me more than when you're on the phone to someone n they say "i cant work, i have anxiety and depression"
SO HAVE I!! I WORK 37 HOURS A WEEK!
It really isn't a hard concept to fathom.

Yours sincerely
An A4e Employee.

Anonymous said...

to the a4e idiot that posted,you have anxiety and depression and you work for a4e,well i'd say your unfit for purpose,(i certainly wouldnt want you making decision on my behalf)and maybe you still work while having this condition because you know exactly how you would be treated by the system you're trying to defend,and u like to tar everyone with the same brush(isit it a4e policy or somthing,becuase you aint the only 1)
so your happy to be a wage slave thats your "choice"
yeh its such a luxury living on £65 a week, i bet u get on your soap-box about human rights(u know basic food and shelter for all human beings,or do just wipe a tear when its in another 3rd world nation,or black babies with flies round there mouth??)

im quite sure you didnt cause 1/2 the fuss when the private bankers butt-F%$£%'d us and nearly brought this country to its knees. yet you can put the energy into attacking the most vunerable people in society.you and your "lovely system",break your programming and you might be able to see it for what it is,and if you still cant see it,maybe your time will come for said courses,now that would be justice

Anonymous said...

I just started a4e and its a load of rubbish. I have found the staff uninterested. The place was full of foreign people and it smelt disgusting.
I just want to point out to people out there who think we all choose to be on benefits and out of work GET A GRIP!!!!

If I could get a job that paid a decent wage I would be in work tomorrow but alas there are no decent jobs just the minimum wage crap which isnt enough to pay my bills.

If you want to believe the hype that all people on benefits are rolling in money the go on but its a load of B**lSH*T I can only afford to go to town once a week as I dont have the money to go more often.

I dont drink or use drugs I have enough problems just trying to pay bills and eat so stop slagging people off on benefits and understand that A4e are not part of the solution merely one big problem.

A4e have decided that they want to feed on the poor and unfortunate and I suppose thats their gig but for crying out loud dont try to justify it just shut up and keep your head down I would be ashamed if I worked for people like A4e

Anonymous said...

to the cunt who works for A4E, you deserve your throat slit, sorry it had to said! You are automatically classed as a jobsworth; a pen-pushing, sanctimonious, beaurecratic (sorry, spelling!) evil scumbag for working for such a shitty corrupt company that only humiliates, degrades, insults and exploits the poor, uneducated, the disabled, the mature, and the unemployed - you chose to work there so you deserve all the shite and abuse you get - you are a disgrace! to think you are that arrogant that you actually think you are helping people - get a reality check arsekissing bitch

If I had the power and could get away with it, my fantasy would be to systematically burn down every single A4E building and the staff that work inside them and Im sure people would secretly thank me for it. Every time I have to enter one of those buildings my blood pressure goes up

There are a lot of people who understandably do not have the willpower and mental strength to tolerate and cope with A4E, they get angry and upset, stressed, depressed have mental breakdowns and cry and embarass themselves in front of the a4e staff etc, because they've been made to feel like shit - but dont let the bastards grind you down, dont let them take your benefits off you, they love it, and they love to throw the word 'sanction' at you any chance they get if you dare to stand up for yourself, or miss an appointment...so to anyone reading this on an A4E course and is feeling dejected and disheartened by it all - dont just walk out dont walk away and give them the satisfation in knowing they have had that little bit of power over you; a hand in stopping your benefits for however many weeks, months, etc, Play them at their own game, make lots of complaints ( i know they dont really get sent anywhere and taken seriously but complain anyway) dont let them get one over on you, just treat it as a big joke, which is exactly what it is!

Its basically psycological manipulation, to either make you shoot yourself in the foot by getting your benefits stopped, they dont care if you get a job or dont, but either way they win as its 1 more person off their books, and they'll try to take the credit for it

This is just one example of how daft it is: I was asked by my 'advisor' to bring in a piece of paper with (such a helpful, delightful, attractive and intelligent female, sarcasm kicking in now,)a list of all the potential places that I wanted to work and do a 'work boost' which is basically shovving me somewhere to work for nowt for 4 weeks, other people have to do it for 13 but for watever reason i got 4 Funnily enough, I couldnt think of anywhere I wanted to work for free and be treated as slave labour and getting paid fuck all for it! You see my point?
So, I have deliberately chosen a charity shop rather than work for free for ANY corporate company because they will basically take the piss out of you. If im doing work for somebody I want, no, deserve to be paid like a proper employee like the rest of your employees, not feeling like the employer is screwing me over, thinking its awesome theyre getting free labour
This particular charity shop I did voluntary work for years ago, so it shouldnt be too bad, I'll just pretend im there doing community service! lol, less embarassing than telling someone youre there because of A4e

I am scarred for life by my experience of A4E - cant you tell, lol, oh, I could tell you some stories....

Anonymous said...

The revolution will not be televised. Anyone who reads this who is on a A4e "course" that has not been brainwashed that they are "here to help you" I put foward this theroy "Quit or dissmissed". Every time some one gets into employment on one these courses A4e will attempt too get all the credit A4e will make you sighn a piece of paper saying so just so they can recieve a huge bonus. A4E HAS ALREADY MADE ENOUGH MONEY BY EXPLOITING THE POOR AND VUNERABLE. If you are on the course and you do recieve work dont tell them so instead get your self dismissed in the most public way you can. That way A4e can not get you to sighn that bit of paper that way A4E will not meet there targets. A4e needs you US so EMMA HARRISON CAN CONTINUE TOO LIVE HERE COUNTRY MANSION ...WE CAN FIGHT BACK. The reveolution will not be televised.

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of complete losers you all are. Just listen to the petty excuses for your fecklessness. And these quotes underline it:

• “You cant look for jobs for 5 hours straight when there isnt any…. i WANT to work, but this is just excessive.”
• “working for industry on an arbitrary basis seems wrong, no matter how nice the employer.”
• “i get a bus pass from A4E (so i have no excuse not to get to work) but no lunch allowance. I actually cant afford to eat properly while im at work and i have to get from 9 o clock to 5 o clock on a greggs sausage roll”
• “the few jobs that they tell you about are the ones that even the Polish refuse to do”
• “TRAVEL pops in to mind but not for these time wasters as i have to find my own magical way to get there and back”

I love the last one, that's how it works Pal. Every morning you get out of bed, wash, put your clothes on, go to work. That's called having a job, that's what we all do. Would you like to be chaffeur driven every morning to work.

Frankly have the people here are unemployable due to their attitude, but as always it's someone else's fault.

Dimbo

Anonymous said...

I worked for this company as a recruitment consultant a few years ago. I was amazed how little respect the 'Attention Seeking' Emma Harrison paid to us, her workforce. On the induction course which was for three days her office was just down the corridor but she never even bothered to walk in and say hello. Likewise on another course a year later, two days and not a peep. Invitation to all staff to visit her mansion and buy her produce but no attempt to ingratiate herself with her 'plebby' workforce. Did not bother to come and see us in our new office, only an hour away. But we were bombarded with company literature on a weekly basis telling us how philanthropic Emma is and society will be a better place for her. She is on the telly all the time, yet can't be bothered to speak to her own employees, except her own inner circle, some of whom live at the mansion. I heard today that Emma has been asked by David Cameron to help him sort out the post-riots crisis. God help us. And I am an atheist. Emma Harris. A massive ego. But a very small personality. I can't leave my name, one of my best mates works for her. Hope he wakes up soon.

Anonymous said...

PS, I was at a gig in Sheffield a few weeks ago, went for a curry in Spital Hill, Manglas, relieved to see my car in one piece afterwards, then drove past Besssemer Road for old times sakes. I thought the place had closed down. Weeds growing out of the brickwork, a Fiat Punto wrapped around a lampost outside and a rat scuttling along the pavement and then into the undergrowth. Nice place. A4e probably get get paid to occupy the scumhole.

Anonymous said...

I started with this bunch of idiots in July last year. I attended a load of useless "modules" the last one in the middle of August 2011. Then I heard nothing for six months when I was summoned to their office. Turns out they have lost all my files and I had to tell them everything again. Then they give me an "Employment Plan" and all the details on it are false. They were saying that I hadn't cooperated, that I hadn't attended "modules". When I pointed out to the silly tart interveiwing me that this could not be me because no one from A4e had contacted me since last August, she said "Dont worry I will sort it out. Personally I don't believe a word they say.

slowtrek said...

ive not had the pleasure of a4e yet, but ive been looking for work for past 3 months so now doubt i will enjoy the experience soon , this looks like jobclub in league of gentlemen

Anonymous said...

QUOTE" I started with this bunch of idiots in July last year. I attended a load of useless "modules" the last one in the middle of August 2011. Then I heard nothing for six months when I was summoned to their office. Turns out they have lost all my files and I had to tell them everything again. Then they give me an "Employment Plan" and all the details on it are false. They were saying that I hadn't cooperated, that I hadn't attended "modules". When I pointed out to the silly tart interveiwing me that this could not be me because no one from A4e had contacted me since last August, she said "Dont worry I will sort it out. Personally I don't believe a word they say"

Can you post the name of the office on here please? Also I strongly recommend that you contact the jobcentre, the local papers and your MP telling them about your lost file as this is very serious

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Anonymous said...

a4e fraudsters

Anonymous said...

A4E are a waste of time they treat you like a fucking child. I have first hand experience they were talking to this guy in front of everyone like he was a kid at school saying he hasn't done enough to find work and shit in front of everyone, they say they don't like to talk behind their so called customers backs yet my advisor was openly saying things to me in front of all the other advisors they all already know about your personal details there's no fucking need to for them to talk behind your backs if they treat you like this. Then last year when I was doing one of their crappy interventions they dish out, they Fat Guy was talking about Hookers on a boat and everyone needs to shag. WTF? They pyut so much pressure sometimes they don't understand some people they can get a job quick others mey not and may get one in a year or even longer, then the fucks give you sanctions if they think you are not doing enough penalising the ones who are doing their damndest to find work they simply won't listen. They don't give two shits about jobseekers what's that story some A4E advisors won the lottery syndicate and fucked off, hardly caring about jobseekers now is it. And on top of that I wonder how much fraud goes on in the background with the amount of money they get from the Government we know they are corrupt to the hilt 9 A4E staff got arrested in slough for Fraud. These fuckers should have been closed 2 years ago. But they won't be because this poxy, tory, nanny, corrupt government allows them to exist. A4E (ASSHOLES 4 EMPLOYMENT)What more do you need to say? From someone who has left their programme after 2 years and told them to fuck off.