Well, I have to admit that I was dreading the rigmarole of having to do the deed of signing on again. I had resisted as much as I could but now the time had sadly come. Anyway, I went online and filled in those lovely forms then had a phone call saying when to head to Streatham Jobcentre for an interview where I needed to produce a million bits of paper to prove my credentials.
Anyway, firstly Streatham jobcentre for what it was actually seemed to have a pleasant décor. It was no way near as worn out as Wood Green Jobcentre Plus and the staff were actually polite. I had had heard a horror story about Streatham so I was a bit worried that I would have to deal with some battleaxe but I was pleasantly surprised.
Both ladies I spoke to were lovely and friendly. They took all my identification and it was good to see that they had improved some of their systems since the last time that I signed on in light of the increasing numbers of jobless professionals that now darken their doors. Wow they actually now know what some of us do and I think may even have a few relevant jobs on their systems. A big improvement from 2009.
The sad thing was that when I asked about training etc as I figured this down time would be an ideal time for me to sharpen up my skills. I had the response that the only courses on offer were basic literacy skills. Other training and workshops had now been cut due to cuts. That's a crying shame in my eyes as the Government's ultimate aim should be to help up-skill the unemployed, build their confidence and help revive the economy so that they can get back into work.
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