a4e newcastle
65As an ex employee of A4e in Newcastle upon Tyne, - sacked for speaking out, and exposing the incompetency of management - I can vouch for the more realistic expositions of clients' experiences like that of Manchester.
I found that clients' were harassed into taking any job no matter how demeaning just so A4e Newcastle could meet its targets. One Pakistani client with a doctorate in toxicology and 2.5 years experience in a highly regarded research post, and with international awards and academic publications was humiliated by one member of staff. When this proud, respectable 50 something man asked for the applicable training that would help him get a post suitable to his calibre he was humiliated by a tutor - minus a teaching qualification -in front of other clients and ordered like a concentration camp victim to a private room. She ordered me like a junior to accompany her. The man was accused of been unable to speak proper English by this woman, and that he could not have the training that he requested, or more to the point, that was necessary to his line of work experience. At this juncture I was on the verge of walking out, and tears welled in my eyes. I couldn't speak as I was emotionally upset. The same battleaxe tutor privately informed me that she doubted the Pakistani’s qualifications, saying that they were suspect. She had no evidence, but was making the assumptions based on his race. She assumed he’d purchased a bogus qualification in his home country, whereas the man studied at Newcastle University.
The same man along with other highly qualified clients at A4e Newcastle were told by one recruitment team member that she and her colleagues could not help them as they were over qualified. The jobs that clients were persuaded to apply for were low paid, and more to the point low skilled, such as cleaning. These are the jobs that nobody wants to take as they are not sustainable or financially viable to most clients.
The training placements clients were offered were low skilled, such as shop work in a charity store where most clients complained that they received no training in all aspects of the job, but for the most part told to sort out stock, or sweep the floor.
There was one female client from Iran who has a degree and is qualified in administration. As such this woman was offered a placement at a4e where she was only given photocopying duties. In-between photocopying she sat and twiddled her thumbs. She complained to me as did other clients as I was prepared to listen. However because of the fascist nature in which the branch was run I was helpless to change any situation for the complaining clients.
The clients who did complain about A4e Newcastle were the more educated, skilled ones. Those most vulnerable such as the low skilled clients were terrified of having their benefits stopped - as this was a constant threat made to them by staff members - and therefore dared not speak out.
Indeed, the lower skilled were herded together into one classroom, which was heavily over-subscribed often with clients sitting on desks or the floor due to a lack of provisions. There was a severe lacking of computers and certainly severely disproportionate to the client numbers. With only 15 computers between approximately 100 clients, they were made to use them in 1- 1.5 hour relays and were sat two - three at one computer station. This over subscription was marketed as peer - to - peer job searches
There was a point when the only printer accessible to the clients in the department I taught in broke down. It was broke for weeks on ends without being fixed or replaced.
The parsony of A4e Newcastle meant that there was no air conditioning as they were not budgeted for such facilities. As such clients sweltered in high temperatures during the hot summer days. As they became dehydrated the water coolers ran out of water and clients were left to further dehydrate.
Other facilities in very short supply were basic utensils such as pens and paper. Of course this is because A4e Newcastle branch has a tight budget and as such the clients don't receive an adequate service even at the most basic level. Moreover it is the tax payers’ money that is funding this shambles while ivory tower owner Emma Harrison sits in her huge mansion with a fleet of classic cars profiting from the naive tax payer.
Yes, A4e will say they do fulfil their obligation and that they get jobs for clients. But the jobs are for the most part, low paid and low skilled and dead end types. They often don't last and the client is back at A4e in no time at all. A4e of course has made their statistics look good and formed a PR stunt that makes the company look as if it’s fulfilling its obligations.
The public relations of A4e Newcastle branch were reliant on what is termed in the company’s’ jargon as 'good news stories' written by clients about their positive experiences whilst on programme. The reality is that staff were coerced and harassed by the Newcastle branch manager and likewise line managers into acquiring 'good news stories' from clients. The staff then coerced clients, to tell a story about their experience at A4e Newcastle which was then given a positive spin by the tutor. The majority of stories were negative from clients, but they were never written about or published in the clients' monthly newspaper.
When I protested about what was going on at A4e Newcastle, exposing my managers' incompetence, I was told that I was a poor performer and unprofessional. As such I was sacked. One such gripe was the lack of training for the specialised nature of the teaching. I was just thrown into a classroom of angry, disillusioned clients and left to 'get on with it'.
Last edited by highpark1 on Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
If you would like to set up an interview with Emma Harrison please contact Jenny Wilkinson or Nina Hands at a4ePress@brahm.com
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I am glad that you got out of there. I am a 'customer' on A4e and i totally agree with you that there is no respect for anyone, which contradicts the brochure they send you which has two flaws: a)Respect them and they will respect you. So far I have had no say in what i want to happen. b) you don't always have to have an appointment at A4e. Yeah right oh...they told me before I got on the course that after my first appointment i could have the rest in the town i come from, yet when I got there they told me that all appointments would be at A4e. The manager or whoever she thought she was should have been charged with racial harrasment the Pakistani should have told the Police. As far the manager on Cocaine, I can beleive it unfortunately that is the messed up society we live in but what hipocrosy!
I'am on A4E at the moment thay have you looking at the same job every day.Printer is broken.Thay have you doing pointless exersises which do not have any thing to do with geting a job
A4e is full of ex crimanils and junkies.The places is over crowded. The tutors treat you like you are still at school.Most of the you just sit around and do nothing.
omg i just read this out in A4e newcastle and 1 of the people has just been kicked off the course for it, claudine seen me readeing it and draged us into the coke adits offise and give me a warning and kicked him off, THIS PLACE IS SHITTT, CLAUDINE IS A FUKUIN HOBBIT BITCH :)
Tony Daglish :)
Protesters Shut Down A4e Edinburgh Office 18/06/2010
next to maners metro, but apparently you was sacked for doing something in the building you was not aloud to, and was taken to court for slander or some shit like that
haha did a bit more then upset em, there was fukin kickoffs hahaha
ye and he sells the white i got a bag fron him
and thats not all the staff are up to!!!! and he was not sacked sacked for doing something in the building !!!! a4e Newcastle is a sham it is a total Disgrace why jcp have not done somthing about it is beyond me
regarding the recent revelations about A4e. I was forced to go to that stinking pool of scum in Newcastle for three months, (the scum I refer to is the staff) I witnessed by staff bullying, trivial reasons for forced attendants who were exited, and even drug smoking by staff!
A4e would not let forced unemployed to use their lifts they claimed they were used by us as a toilet. Re bullying at Newcastle I was looking at a job lead board and a so called tutor Bernie told me to get back into the classroom, I did put in a written complaint about her and nothing happened this thuggish behaviour is common practice. Few will challenge these thugs who work at a4e. I had three months of having to argue with this woman who is called Bernie. She wanted to get me exited the arguments ranged from the trivial. I would not take the bait by swearing at this woman for this would have given her the chance of exiting me.
One person came in and got a job off his own back his brother offered him a job in his own restaurant and staff at a4e Newcastle forced him to say a4e in particular a man called Steve got him the job.
The man who is in charge of the IT room asked me what type of work I was looking for I said photography and he laughed out load and said Ohh I suppose you have a nvq in photography have you? I replied No I have a college degree! He then asked me some what he considered were testing questions about photography after a few minutes this thug was beginning to believe me.
A4e break health and safety rules I was on the gateway and 70 people were crowded into a room, the windows at Newcastle cannot be opened for they fall out, labels are on all windows for them not to be opened. The place stinks and is too hot to sit in even in winter. I contacted the fire chief at the fire brigade and nothing was done about overcrowding etc etc. I know this to be still true for one of my friends has just been sent to A4e Action 4 exploitation.
The reception Newcastle has an image of that fraudster woman who owns a4e she appears like a Stalinist dictator.
Staff at a4e would be jumping for joy when someone got a placement at poundland. They would say that person has a job I said to Bernie is this person paid or is she on a work trial? Turned out she was on a work trail I text ed her and asked her she told me she had to go there and work for nothing or she would be exited from A4e.
I can sincerely say that In my hard time at A4e one got a job this is out of around 90 people from 3 rooms. ONE PERSON
I asked Bernie not to call her self a tutor and she took offense I discovered that she has no relevant qualifications , it is an insult to people who have slaved hard to get a college degree. Bernie asked me how was my time at a4e prior to leaving I said it was soporific she then asked how do you spell that and in a panic stricken voice what does it mean?
If you want to get people back into work make work affordable when I worked full time I was paying £280 rent a month, I have relatives who earn 40k a year and pay less than 200 a month mortgage. Its a poverty stricken existence, paying that much rent will always keep a single person down. It wou;ld be unwise for me to buy my property the m,maths dont make it worthwhile for the service chargers make you worse off.
All I u sed to hear from a4e staff four times a day was do we have any cleaners in here? Cleaners any cleaners
Please please dont renew your contract with A4e they are thugs, thieves, bully's, and uneducated.
oops, for adding that comment above I have now been kicked off the course and this site has been blocked by them, lololollllll
i had a run in with Claudine when she made written comments about'problems in my life'I'd had no personal contact or conversation with her whatsoever when i complained two of them ganged up on me,I was also told by Bernie while on the 13weeks I was not entitled to any holiday I went over her head and found i was entitled to 5 days,dont put up with it complain, the staff all seem to hate each other.
if you complain you may think nothing will happen but it will piss them off with each other,
on the induction week I was subjected t a presentation by one of the 'reps' called michael compton,another dullard who seems to have convinced himself he is a teacher,this was about stereo types,it was absolute trash i love the thought someone told him this and he took it in, as i dont think he has the imagination to make it up,
i am on the so called course now, and yes i can confirm the staff smoke weed, the place is a waste of time
me 2, an ye they all pot heads
they are saying that people have got a job for 13 weeks when they havnt. just to claim the job outcome! its been going on there for years
I went to the shit hole last year and they made me sign a form to say i got a job for 13 weeks when i never it was for 7 weeks not 13
I was there just before xmas, they were offering any one who got a job a £100 bonus,which begs the question, how much were they getting,I complained to my MP i got an email back basically calling me a scrounger, Other than the elderly nazi in the tea room, Who do you think was the Worst staff member? you never know they may just read this.
this place is a fuckin joke! look at the state of the staff red eyes etc its a joke
wot you on about Claudene,and bernie are just sex on legs.that alone is worth turning up every day for,
dont forget the charisma and comedy genius of johnny,oh and the magnetism, wit and musical taste of michael,and rons happy go lucky aproach to the inmates,
New Deal private sector providers and the amounts
received from the DWP in the financial year 2008-9
Provider Spend 08-09
A4e (11 contracts) £84,433,506
Access Training South West Ltd £265,567
Best Ltd (2 Contracts) £14,324,285
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce £2,056,355
Careers Wales Cardiff & Vale £84,685
Crosby Training (2 Contracts) £2,478,492
DASH Training South Wales £1,919,478
DMT Business Services £773,192
Glasgow Mentoring Network £47,546
Inbiz £758,366
Inspire to Independence £3,688,027
Juniper Training £2,408,592
Management Introductions (5 Contracts) £1,785,408
Manpower UK £3,243,918
MBW Training Services(2 Contracts) £1,583,963
Pertemps People Development Group (5 Contracts) £33,903,613
Prospects Services £1,268,852
Quadrant (2 Contracts) £132,894
Reed £47,111,328
Scottish Cultural Enterprise Ltd £63,333
SEETEC (5 Contracts) £16,653,137
Sencia £6,006,267
Shackleton Associates (2 Contracts) £885,604
Skills Training (2 Contracts) £8,085,783
Standguide (3 Contracts) £2,225,362
Steps to Work Walsall £5,843,184
Support into Work £269,600
Support Training Ltd (7 Contracts) £910,361
TBG Learning (3 Contracts) £8,888,502
Training Network Group Ltd (16 Contracts) £240
Triage Central Ltd (5 Contracts) £5,259,740
Work Directions £45,533,303
Work First £4,410,327
Working Links (3 Contracts) £56,581,024
WTCS (now Max Employment UK) £920,019
In 2008, A4e overall had some 13,000 New Deal clients at its 100 or so centres throughout the country. This represented approximately 50% of the company’s activities, but 40% of it was subcontracted to smaller providers. In 2008-9, A4e received £84,433,506 for New Deal provision; that is, more than £6,000 per client.
£6,000 to keep me sitting doing nothing for three month, False pretences,FRAUD, Ms Harrison,who was it who said crime dos'nt pay?
i wonder if there are any unaltered numbers on success rates? in the two times i have been over the years probably four people have got jobs and only one was full time permanent, one even had a placement with her part time employer,,
well it looks as if a4e have blocked this site aswell
How To Hack The Administrator Password On WindowsXP :)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzrXUGoCsXE
what so we just change the password then we can go on any site,,, koooool try it tomoz
they have there eye on us, looooool
what i would like to know is what are we doing here? we do jack shit all day
hello babyy, well this is what you do, you have a smoke then have a buzz with the staff
a4e Select Committee pathways to work part 1 http://tiny.cc/i1fi6 scam Select Committee part 2 http://tiny.cc/zdthl A4e's Steve Marsland was giving evidence yesterday, along with Chris Melvin of Reed, to the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons
it's brilliant watching Marsland squirm telling lies in front of tha committee!!!
is it a bird is it a plane?
A4E how come the tutors r right up them slefs nee wounder there r kicks ofs in the place why dont they just treat u like human beings !!!!!!!
one o the de staff tried it on with me the other day!!!! fuckin perv said he could teach me a thing or two in the bedroom
COMPLAIN! they constantly drone on about rights in the work place even if he was joking its still sexual harassment,dont take the crap,and name him on here,
A4e Gets Back to Work Emma Harrison http://bit.ly/9KbeL7
she shud go undercover get her self to a4e in n/cle or anywere esle and c how we get treeted of sum of the staff we are tret like kids :O( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TO BIG FOR THERE BOOTS !!!
have there been any changes in the way the staff in newcastle treat you etc this week??
1 of the staff is of and the other i dont give a 2nd glance too if ya face fits ya ok ..........
as for sum big wigs comin in 2day all the staff want u doin work and looking busy thats b 4 they get there y dont they just walk in amaziz me lol ah well not long left never ever goin there again !!!
same happend at my a4e we were told that there boss was coming the next day and they made us put names on some chart on the wall to say that they had a jobs(they put my name on it) told us if there was any trouble when there boss came or if the staff got in trouble, we would be in for it
if you get chucked of the scheme the job centre plus only put u back on it. There was a kid who went for a job they said oh we will call u and let u know if u got it. (no call) So asked the job bloke there he says oh i'll call and find out STILL NO FUKCIN PHONE CALL nee wounder sum ppl dont want a job if u dont hear back from them
they have lost the contract ha ha ha ha
what contract ?
whats this about a staff member from a4e flashing on a train he got arrested didnt he
the contract with DWP it means no more compulsary so called courses,with a4e any way,most of the staff will be paid off,it could not happen to nicer bunch of people,
I wonder, will any of them put teacher on thier CV? or just condesending gob shite!
they have lost the contract for newcastle?? how do you know this??
I was told in the Job centre this morning, the'Adviser' said they are running down now and no one will be sent as the contract has expired, i have been trying to find out for sure all day, I was even going to phone manors technopole.
i think what they might mean is they are going on to the work programme now, so no more new deal fnd
yes, no more new deal,with a bit of luck they will finaly realise the big mandatory schemes cost to much and dont work.
were i am from new deal is still going on! an i just talked to someone in the know an they said it will still be new deal here untill next year.. hmmm makes you think whats going on in newcastle if as you say the job center said to you no more new deal
where in the country are you?
well what the JCP tell you and what is true are a very grey area, I mean, i was told a4e were one of the better training providers?
I actually want a job, and want to do well, and I thought the job centre could help me, in what I want to do, they send me to A4E Newcastle - and I'm still there now, and it's so bad, we learn nothing day in day out. The most productive week was probably the induction week because the teacher/tutor actually give a damn, and made it fun to learn - they force jobs on you that you don't want to do, just to meet their own targets.
They're rubbish and someone needs to sort them out, starting with the staff in that place, they look down on you, they think they're better then you, and just are stuck up, and arrogant to say the least!
complain to your job center put it in writing! take a look at a4e complaint on here,, complain about lack of tranning work placement staff abusing you etc say it the way it is take no prisoners you can cut n paste my complaint and change it to suite your complaint or get in touch with me and i will try help you, dont let the bastards get you down. is there anyone ot you a4e that works on building sites if so ask them to take a look around the building for health n safety issues if there are any complain!!!!!!!!!!!
There are a lot of health and safety issues, one being the windows, they don't open and if they do they are hanging off by a hinge - how can I contact you? I don't know who you are and I rather not tell you through this who I am!
if you have a utube account message me on there i am paltalk1000 put my name in the search box on utube my vids will come up click on my name my channel will come up then message me
you shud g t the papers and make it a big issue cos they need to be put to shame!
I was present when a so called health and safety official turned up,when i pointed out my concerns i was basicaly told to 'shut up you dont know what you are talking about' as for kkk and the induction week, it obviously wasnt run by the dick head i had to endure Michael compton(i dont know how it is spelled)he just made up loads of shit(stereo types he knows)and looked down rediculous bespecticled nose at everyone,and sent us out in the snow dispite our protests. and then there is Bernie,grossly unnesisary, well just gross.
Hi am starting a course with A4E NEWCASTLE would like some feedback from people who have all ready done this course its a unemplyment course from i have been told from the jobcentre!!
you have been there for a while now,is it still as condisending,as it was last year when i was there? Are the two ugly sisters still there, claudene and bernie
Nas: It's not so much a course, it's more of a torture for being unemployed. Good luck anyway.
Hi I have just finished my first week at newcastle. And i can tell you that bernie is still there.And the place is still a big pile of CRAP.The first week was like this 45 People in the class,75% every time someone opened a window Ron shut it.They are dangerous we had one fight.And as for the wheelie project.Just how is this stupid waste of time going to get me a job?
week 2 between 80 and 100 new starters in the induction alone.The line was unbelieveble Jobcentre does not have a clue what is happening , Talk of moving to new premises soon. A number of staff seem to look down on the clients , but not all. people in my new class seem to be ok. Will post report on this week on sunday.
a4e are getting as many as they can ontop the course coz at the end of the month there will be no more being referred... never mind that a4e cant cope with all the new people to many in class rooms no chairs etc.. its going on all over the country.. there are that many people on a4e that a4e cant find them all work placements coz there are way to many people.. they are just parking people there and getting £££££££££ for it
is the office at 'mannors' still open?
spa. yesit is :end of week2.some people have reported that while outside handing out c.vs (what a4e calls externals)some companies in the town are refusing applications from a4e clients.one said that he handed one over, and as soon as he turned around they appeared to put it in a bin. another said a sign went up saying no a4e.meanwhile after a fight inside over the royal wedding? there is going to be more changes soon will report on it and how many inducts there are this week.
a4e southport stopped people going out doing externals last week. a4e are getting as many people as they can back to a4e southport were these people are going to sit is beyond me
there will be a kick off soon.
end of week 3: you spend around an hour and a half on jobsearch and rest is what for , can somebody tell me why? A better idea would be to have people come in for a half day rather than 7 hours,Anyway Iam still not sure what the new changes are. Iam getting conflicting stories but if anyone knows what they are?
end of week 4 the changes are these, a4e in newcastle are changing to a two day course or 15 hours where you will go for approx two years or 104 weeks. The current 13 week clients as far is known will finish their course as normal, and then if they havent got jobs within a certin time will go back onto this "training". as for inducts, only around 9 this week apparently there will be no more because the changes are happening now.
Personally if I were one of the people posting on this talkback I would say you should be thankful that the benefits system is worth so much capital.
Personally I would remove all benefits from everyone apart from the seriously ill, elderly or infirm. Believe that no amount of justification in terms of individual entitlement is relevant outside of these most needy groups.
Vacancies exist. I work in the employment sector and have seen individuals from the entire spectrum of challenging backgrounds and environments move into work. From 16 to 75 years old I could personally name over 100 people I have known to move into employment since the 1st of April this year, so the idea of work being unavailable is simply put, moot.
What the existence of A4E and other welfare to work providers proves is that there is an enormous number of people in our country who are simply not prepared to work. Individuals use arguments such as 'I want to work with my hands', 'I can't handle working with the public', 'I'm not working at f***ing mcdonalds' as if these are reasonable excuses for not working.
Simply put, if there were no jobs in my sector and I was facing the jobseekers allowance queue I would be serving big macs in no time.
I love this blog, it reminds me of the difference between us (the people who genuinely contribute to the economy regardless of personal preference) and them (the people who tend to end up at A4E).
Keep up the hard work boys & girls - you really want to stick it to A4E? Find a job :)
the type of country that you describe sounds like the sort Hitler would approve of. Both nasty, mean sprited and spiteful. And since I know more about a4e and the people that go there, then you do,allow me,in one class alone ( in one week) 3 people have found work there is a wide group of clients some are going to college some are housewives going back to work, ex armed forces,some who have been in work for years, decades even.yes a tiny few are not bothered. but to lable a whole group without even bothering to find out for yourself? and finally for the record eveyone Ive met there is looking for work,
I was at an operational level within the organisation for 15 years. I am acutely aware of both the statistics and the attitudes of attendees.
dear my two pence, you sound just like the type of wanker we are looking for please get intouch, you will find us at A4e.
when i was at a4e, none of the reps who worked there gave a toss about anything other than being awkward and obstuctive.i had an ongiong run in with an extremely fat little woman called Bernie,about my entitlement to time off, she tried her best to stop me having any,when i did get it she moved on and startd giving some other poor young lad, who could not speak up for himself,the grief she couldnt give me. another one called Claudine!another strange looking,Fat,little,condescening moron,did some written review,in wich she made comments on 'problems in my life at the moment'i had never spoken to her on any personal level and she had never met me before. when i complained they ganged up on me,i would not let it go,but she still never apologzed,both of these bloody people revelled in being bastards, and i know this job will come back to haunt them.
A4E CLOSDED
ahaa 2 years ago
I am also an ex employee at the same branch, isnt it funny how the blind lead the blind.. One of the higher managers is into his cocaine ... how ironic when a large proportion of A4e Newcastle' clients are on methadone progams to keep a drug addiction of the same illegal grading at bay!!...Drug tests i say