Talk:Training and enterprise council

Similarities to Compulsory 'Workfare' Schemes are dreadful

The current compulsory Workfare scheme is identical - these Training and Enterprise Council schemes collapsed under the weight of the greed of the 'training providers' and 'placement employers' BUT ...you did get a meaningless piece of paper to prove you'd been on them - an NVQ. Panorama BBC did a wonderful expose in 1994 entitled 'Gravy Training' - I couldnt find it on youtube, but the British Film Institute list it at <http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/508679>, so perhaps you could include a link, for research purposes?

Fraud was rife - if your training provider didnt have computers, ,fax machines or photocopiers, you were allowed to SIMULATE sending emails , faxes and photocopiers on a tick form for an 'NVQ'. Placement providers got £50 a week for having the jobseeker, they got their benefits + bus fares - and it was compulsory too. The trainees were only supposed to be supplied to employers if there was the prospect of a full time job at the end of the placement - however if there was 'a sudden downturn' in business, they could retract this offer. They got into the habit of having 'sudden downturns in business', and oddly enough, once they got used to being paid to have a trainee, instead of paying employees a living wage, their businesses had a habit of suddenly 'picking up ' a fortnight later, so they could apply for another free trainee + £50 a week!

Tragic way of bleeding the economy dry.79.70.226.46 (talk) 23:24, 5 March 2012 (UTC)Mike79.70.226.46 (talk) 23:24, 5 March 2012 (UTC)