A4e is failing so why is it still here?

i have just ben referred to this programme so i thought i'd do some research and wow! this is one crooked firm that seems to be making more money than is helping people back into employment.



and this little article as well

link

It's doing terrible and ripping our tax payers off but yet Emma Harrison was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), shes received numerous business awards and £8.5 million in febuary from A4e shares, aswell as her £360,000 salary.

Our country celebrates misery of the poor.

reply to post by josephamccoy


Reading the link, this company sounds very similar to these "Marketing & Sales" companies which promise you extensive amounts of money for very little work and lots of chances for career progression, but ultimately the company doesn’t last more than a year.

Reading up on A4E, it seems only 3.5% have reached full time employment that lasted over 3 months, and it’s target was 5.5%. Yet they can claim £45,000,000 of taxpayer’s money under terms of a “Work programme”? Not really a work program if only 3.5% of you applicants over a 10 month period have achieved employment. Where’s that £45 million going?

I surveyed a similar company that worked with gullible charities. Their job was to go door-to-door asking people to sponsor one of the charities. In return, these "salesman" would be getting £20 per sale against a donation for just £2 for the charity. So the sales team would be making 10x as much as the charity. A fraudulent system if I’ve ever seen one. And they claimed to be “All about the charity”, but failed to answer why they earned at least 10x more than the charity itself.

Sounds very much the same as this A4E Company, just in a more disguised system.

I AGREE,i have a friend who was put on one of their back to work programmes which he found a total waste of time,they did not help in anyway and all staff were inexperienced and naive,he eventually found himself employment in his trade line and a4e took the credit gaining themselves 2.5k in bonuses to which my friend got zilch.in my oppinion it is a profit making company which must keep its board and shareholders happy and in profit and to hell with the public no matter what misery it creates!

My friend was on this and they don't do jack ----. Just how to write a C.V. and this was with ppl looking for the most meanial of jobs.

Yet the government gave the company £400 per person just to teach them something they didn't need and didn't help them in the slightest. Sounds like a scam to me. Tories and big business are in bed with each other. They know no one will speak up for the unemployed since everyone thinks they're layabout dirtbags so they make up this scam.

reply to post by josephamccoy

You need to see who on the director and Chairman list of A4e to see what
type of influence the company has.

They have a lot of goverment connections.

Note the first one John Connolly a member of the Advisory Boards of the Mayor of London and
Lord John Reid is a ex minister in the tony blair goverment (second link)

G4S senior directors listing:

John Connolly, Non-executive director and Chairman of the board. Until May 2011, he had spent his career with Deloitte, the world’s largest professional services firm. He is also the Chairman of The Centre for Children’s Rare Disease Research at Great Ormond Street Hospital, is on the board of the London Business School, a member of the Strategic Advisory Council of CityUK, member of the IBLF Leaders Council, Chairman of the “Chairman’s Group” of London 2012 sponsors, a member of the Advisory Boards of the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Rome and a member of the British American Business International Advisory Board. See Supersearch on him. See tweets and blogs about him.

Mark Seligman, Deputy chairman. Previously; he held senior roles at SG Warburg & Co Ltd and Barclays de Zoete Wedd; Head of UK Investment Banking at CSFB; Chairman of UK Investment Banking at Credit Suisse; member of the Credit Suisse Global Investment Banking Executive Board and senior advisor to Credit Suisse Europe. Current external commitments: Alternate member of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers; chairman of the Industrial Development Advisory Board; member of the Regional Growth Fund Advisory Panel; non-executive director of BG Group plc and senior independent director of Kingfisher plc. See Supersearch on him. See tweets and blogs about him.

Nick Buckles, Executive director, CEO. Previously: joined Securicor in 1985. Became managing director of its UK cash solutions business in 1996, chief executive of its security division in 1999 and was appointed to the board of Securicor plc in 2000 before becoming its chief executive in 2002. He was the company’s deputy chief executive and chief operating officer from its formation in 2004 and was appointed chief executive in 2005. He also served as a non-executive director at Arriva Group plc from 2005 until 2010. Currently: Chairman of the Ligue Internationale des Sociétés de Surveillance, the international association of leading security companies.

Bo Lerenius, Non-executive director. Previously: Chief executive of Ernstromgruppen AB; a Swedish building materials company; chief executive and chairman of Stena Line AB; group chief executive of Associated British Ports Holdings plc; non-executive director of Land Securities Group plc; non-executive director and chairman of Mouchel Group plc; non-executive director of Thomas Cook Group plc. Currently:: Non-executive chairman of Knight Infrastructure II; chairman of Brunswick Rail Limited; honorary vice president of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK and senior advisor to the infrastructure fund of Swedish venture capital group EQT.

Mark Elliott, Non-executive director. Previously: General manager IBM Global Solutions; managing director of IBM Europe, Middle East and Africa; member of the board of IBAX, a hospital software company jointly owned by IBM and Baxter Healthcare; chairman of the Dean’s Advisory council of the Kelly School of Business, Indiana University. Currently: Non-executive chairman of QinetiQ Group plc; non-executive director of Reed Elsevier PLC and chairman of Reed Elsevier’s remuneration committee.

Clare Spottiswoode, Non-executive director. Previously: worked for the UK Treasury, director general of Ofgas, the UK gas regulator; policyholder advocate for Norwich Union’s with-profits policyholders at Aviva; non-executive director of Tullow Oil plc; and a member of the Independent Commission on Banking and the Future of Banking Commission. Currently: Chairman of Gas Strategies Group Limited; non-executive director of Energy Solutions Inc.; non-executive director of Illika plc; independent director of the Payments Council and non-executive director of Seven Energy International Limited.

Darker Net Ex-police chief heads company responsible for Olympics security debacle – and that’s not all…

The fixer for G4S

reply to post by josephamccoy

when I left school my first job was an apprentice carpet fitter, the money wasnt very good even when qualified and it wasnt what I really wanted to do, I went back to school and spoke to my old carrears adviser who suggest I went on a Youth Training shceme (YTS) ,it was less money than I was earning but at least I could have a go at what I wanted to do a motor mechanic
I got on the course and went to college 1 day a week for 2 years in my final year my sponsor kept asking the question he (meaning me) will have a full time job when he qualifies wont he oh yes was the reply he is a great asset to the garage great I thought another few month of crap money and Im well on the road to getting where I wanted to be my boss was telling me how he would put me through my driving test put me on the MOT testers course life was going to be great I qualified and three months later was out of a job the garage couldnt afford to pay me
oh and a few months after that they had a new 16 year old YTS lad

luckily for me my girlfriend at the times father was a builder and he gave me a job
fast forward to 1998 out of work again and ended up with A4E the first day seemed really good they asked me what experience I had and what I wanted to do well I wanted to either get back into the building trade or get back int fixing cars after a week of mock interviews and re writing my CV they found me a job in a shoe shop a ladies shoe shop I got quite shirty with them and was thrown of the course which also effected my unemployment benefit after three hours of ringing every building contractor in the yellow pages I got myself an interview and a job
these people are useless and couldnt care less about the people they are trying to help

This is something I'm interested in as I too have been referred to A4e starting in September. I haven't seen the video yet but I will bookmark it and comment back again later once I've watched it.

S&F just because I think its an issue that needs raising.

I did A4E back in 2006, complete waste of time. I also went through Best which was very similar.


Basically all they do is have you sit in an office looking and applying for jobs from 9-4 or something. That's it. Now the problem is that all these places would only let you send a CV and covering letter if it had been typed up on a computer......but there were like 2-3 computers per room of about 30 people, and most people just hogged them all day. So you couldn't apply for jobs and the only jobs you could look for where in the paper.....and of course there was never anything good in the newspapers. So for 13 weeks it became a habit of reading through all the papers when they came in on friday, and spending the rest of the week twiddling your thumbs.

So I was doing all my job searching at home, and typing out letters at home. Only thing A4E was good for was saving me money on printer paper and ink.

Right from the start I swear those courses were just made so that people that got too comfy being unemployed were forced to look for work, which I can kind of understand the Government wanting to put pressure on them but for the rest of us it was a complete waste of time. It was so much easier to look for and apply for jobs off the course than it was on it.

In fact....I'm sure you had to have proof if you left for job interviews. If you got a letter asking you to attend fine, but some employers did it over the phone. I think it depended on who you had tutoring you or whatever, but some demanded evidence and it was humiliating asking the person doing the job interview to sign something just to say you genuinely were attending an interview. No doubt that would put people off from hiring you.

I used to be sub-contracted to a company VERY similar to A4E and there are a few things we all need to understand here, I will start with the very basics:

Whatever Government "gets in", there will be a work programme. Labours "New Deal" was a re-written Conservative programmme and the current version is a re-written Labour work programme. The name will change but it the civil service behind the scenes that keep things running. Please do not blame the current Government, it's just a rehash. New Deal was "written" by Richard Layard which was also in part borrowed from Swedens policy of the time.

As a tutor I was responsible for teaching people the value of working, morally and socially in addition I was responsible for CV's, jobsearch tutoring etc...

Now, it may seem harsh but as people we are lazy... VERY!! - especially when it comes to getting a job. As an unemployed person you are getting benefits that pay rent, dental care, prescriptions, child support and more. When your "earnings" from your benefits add up to MORE than what you would get in salary less your benefits, then straight away as a tutor, your onto major barrier breaking.

If a company is making you do jobsearch then good for them, would you really phone 20 companies at home, would you send of CV's to agencies or e-mail company owners with the slightest chance (which is better than no chance) if you were at home. BIG EMPHATIC NO!! The allowance you are paid is Jobseekers Allowance(it's in the title - it's not rocket science), it is a benefit not a right and as a taxpayer it really irks me when people throw it in my face and say "well I looked for 2 jobs this week". Well good for you, you looked for 2 jobs but did you actually apply for any??

Motivation always drags from around 2 months into your jobsearch and a kick up the arse is sometimes what we need.

This is not always the norm, the other end of the spectrum is very well educated people who just assume they are entitled to a job. Nope, get off your ar$e and find one like everybody else.

I was unfortunate to be made redundant a year and a half ago, I didn't want to go back into being a tutor in this industry but have had 2 jobs since then - I worked at Mac D's and am now working for Royal Mail. Complete change in my life and better for it. Less stress, fantastic people and above all has "grounded" me and I can look back retrospectively and say this.

ANY JOB is better than no job (ask the majority of MD's/CEO's/HR Departments and they would most likely recruit somebody if they are currently working regardless of position than somebdody unemployed), get off your arse and stop whinging, do anything, the world does not owe you a living, you have got to create your own world and do your own living!!

Back on track and with regards to A4E and other companies such as Working Links and shockingly G4S who have recently bidded for contracts. They all have targets, they still get contracts, which is in part due to their overall wealth, little specialist companies, rural etc... have to sub contract into the larger companies. Companies have to make money or they wouldn;t be in existence. I understand the user above who states his friends job was self found and A4E "claimed" it. Would the person have found that job if he wasn't given the kick up the bum? Prove otherwise!!

I have personally experienced people walk into the course on a Monday, say "this is #ing stupid" and then find their own job. Surely the company have done their job as that person has gone out, done their OWN jobsearch and got a job which is what the company gets paid on.

The thing that strike's me is the fact the goverment in the uk would like the sick
and disabled dead almost they are stripping them of every thing.

This scheme is allot like all the other schemes set up and only end up profiting
the very people that run these schemes..

See how much that greedy bitch took for bonus.!!

Oh reminds me how messed up outr government is atm and our NHS hope i didn't
go to off topic but im sure this scheme is linked to the ESA back to work scheme
different company but same agenda making cash..

Thing is the government are closing down places where people receive training and all
other types of places to get people into work the truth is they are just profiteering

Our system is in a truely poor shape..

Another thing that makes me laugh is the employment numbers they moan about the
people looking for work and claiming job seekers but also the same time they are kicking
the sick and disabled off ESA and making them jobless even though they would never
get employment..

And they wonder why the numbers are up "Complete "Twats".!!

Hell Cousins,
things are the same here, I have seen the same job postings yet the jobs go unfilled...those that I have applied, I know of others also, who have heard nothing. This thread brings out what I have suspected all along. A cover up from what is really the truth.

stay alive just one more day

always, just one more day

Thought I'd chime in on this one as I have been personally involved with a4e money and corruption.

Back in 2006-7, I was the lead web designer for a company in Barnsley who accessed a pot of money made available by the government for I.T. Training. It was so easy to get and so rife for fraud that it was a joke.

What we did was get telesales people to call local businesses and offer them a website at £99.00 including a day of training to update and manage their site. The government would then subsidize the rest via a4e money and give us a total of £1500. As you can imagine, pretty much everyone wanted this deal and we had older salesman going and signing them up to these sites and training people to update them in around an hour.

Heres where the fraud kicked in. They received no real I.T training and our company ( owned by an American criminal) were filling out the a4e forms stating that the customers were paying £499.00 for their sites and receiving a days training!!! This Was in order to qualify for the £1500.00 and the owner realized he could sell more by offering the sites lower. He wasn't allowed to do this.

Fast forward a few months. I found all this out when the owner marries an American-Malaysian woman and brings her over to run the office. She is a nurse by trade and starts to boss people around. I was told to do things that were not for a lead designer so I started to hate the Job. One day she leaves the government forms on her desk with a companies cheque for £99.00 when I thought they were paying £499 . I realize the fraud and take copies of the paperwork where they filled out the a4e forms showing a payment of £499.00 and the actual cheque saying £99.

As the weeks went on the bosses wife was openly talking about firing me to get her family in Malaysia to design the sites which slowly started to happen as my work was passed over there and came back all messed up code wise. My job was now fixing mistakes. I was told they were making £120k plus a month from this and they were going to fire me to save money!!!

I left with depression for two weeks and received an email laying me off. I was planning on leaving anyways becausen i couldnt be part of the scam anymore, it was disgusting. The next day I called a4e and told them of the scam and they arranged some senior employees to meet me secretly at a local Starbucks.

I met up with two people in suits and gave them the evidence and they were shocked how easy it was to scam this money from the I.T. Pot. Well they said they would do something and file charges against the owner of my former company but guess what? After two months nothing happened so I called them up. They told me this exactly "we couldnt do anything about this because the government would cut off our money and this £5m I.T. pot would hurt us". I said "this is taxpayers money and you throw it away, you do nothing for anyone, you're a joke" .

That's about it but when I heard a4e was in trouble for less than savory actives I knew nothing would ever happen to them!

I've been on the 'steps to work' program since last November, which is run by a4e in this area, and I've only had ONE placement offer from them and that was completely unsuitable for me due to circumstances THAT THEY HAD BEEN TOLD ABOUT. There's been no sanctions for me turning it down, but I'm still waiting for them to give me another, suitable, placement.

After reading this I'm not holding my breath.

Two weeks ago my advisor at the dole office was telling me how companies such as A4E have all got together to put pressure on the government to stop peoples dole money if they dont start looking for work. Needless to say, the government now requires you to apply for 5 jobs a week instead of 3 - Or your pittance is stopped.

Will see if i can find a link confirming this.

But OP you are absolutely right, these companies are a total waste of money. Im sick of private enterprise raping this country for every penny.

is applying for 5 jobs a week really that difficult??

I was managing that and more when I was unemployed. E-mail/Agencies etc...

You just gotta keep on, keeping on. It's a bind I know but you gotta keep going.

Originally posted by PaulyQ
is applying for 5 jobs a week really that difficult??

I was managing that and more when I was unemployed. E-mail/Agencies etc...

You just gotta keep on, keeping on. It's a bind I know but you gotta keep going.

Oh no, im not saying its difficult, im just saying, their pressuring job seekers to pass off their own incompetence.

But i should mention, alot of the jobs out there are not full time, related to target driven sales/marketing and if you dont have experience in a certain field you might as well not even bother replying. 5 jobs a week is like buying 5 lottery tickets haha

reply to post by PaulyQ


Depends where you live and how many of the advertised jobs actually exist.

I'm not holding out any hope of working ever again, despite being on the steps-to-work thing. I'm in my middle forties and have been 'in the pokie'. A forty-something ex-jailbird might as well be a modern-day leper when it comes to employers.