Dispatches

Comments

1. Fascinating. I have just been appointed to work with people in a 'middle class' area of a northern town, to help with CVs and jobsearch. The project is funded by the targetted support Fund, and we believe, it is innovative. Previously millions of pounds of funding have been poured into NRF, City Challenge, SRB and European Support Funded areas - the 'deprived areas'. Now there is starting to be recognition that the middle calss are the ones being hit in this recession. I hope that the powers that be in the government, recognise this trend and support small organisations in helping their communities. We are not a recruitment agency and receive little or no 'core funding' from local or national governments. We are a grass roots community resource centre whose staff understand the issues involved and can provide positive help. It's no use the government pouring millions of pounds into training via quangos and colleges. These are not the agencies who can help the unemployed. It needs to be local and personal.

   Posted by Lynne Hall on 16/10/2009 15:57:36

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
2. Those recruitment agencies seem to have a nice scam going! Pay ?500 or more for a "course" that they recommend you go on or it seems unlikely you'll get short-listed for any jobs. Seems a bit on a par with modelling agency's that forced people to pay upfront fees (now illegal of course) I'm surprised that more of an issue wasn't made of this in the program.

   Posted by MARTIN on 30/09/2009 11:09:18

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
3. I have seen the program. I am not surprised. If a person is jobless has a white collar job or is a graduate the government will not help. The government should do more but they have not change and there will be no changes in the future, Labour or Conservative. Over twenty years ago there were much less graduates, fees were less, there were much more graduate jobs to satisfy the graduates. There are much more graduates, but the increase in graduates job has not matched the number of graduates. Manufacturing is being reduced. IT is worse than manufacturing because of outsourcing and non - British nationals working in IT. Graduate jobs without experience are fiercely competitive. If a person has good contacts it can help. If the family will sponsor unpaid internships then it can help but if the person's family live outside London then it is not possible to travel to London. There are much fewer jobs outside London. Small/medium sized companies demand experience and do not always value a degree. Competition for graduate jobs is fierece in general. What about barriers due to ethinicity/religion/disability/gender/age ? Careers advice given at school and university are generally poor. The government just takes the money and will not support graduates. If a person does not have a degree or has undertaken unskilled work the job centre will help. There is a lot of hidden unemployment in the UK. The universities will not get their money. I think non-graduates will increasingly earn more than graduates, not helped by the fact that graduates are over-qualified for many non-graduate jobs. Postgraduate qualifications do not always help. What will happen in the future ? Will the number of underemployed and unemployed graduates cause the government to change its policy towards educated and skilled jobless. Countries like India and China will overtake the UK. If a person does not go to university, what opportunities are there for young people especially outside London. The youth unemployment rate has been rising since the year 2000. There is competition from cheaper EU nationals. The recovery will be weak, some people think there will be no recovery. The permanent high unemployment. What will happen to the skilled and educated jobless, the middle classes is being destroyed, inequality rising to American levels, social mobility falling, already the worst in the Western world.

   Posted by ALADDIN on 28/09/2009 22:27:24

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
4. My name is Adam Hennessy and I was the Loughborough University Graduate in the documentary. I have to say that the documentary was initially supposed to shed positive light on the current economic climate and show that with the right attitude and through hard work, people can still get work during these hard times. Due to non of the main characters in the documentary finding work in their desired career, they decided to go full circle and create a more negative image of the recession. I was initially selected for the programme because the producers found my CV posted on a website called Gum Tree, and after interviewing me they found that I was being very proactive in my search for work. As I have been very poitive the whole way through my search for a career, I felt slightly disapointed that the programme focused on the negatives. The programme said how I had not yet had any interviews but I have actually had many interviews and progressed through to second interviews where I have been getting the same criticisms that I have no experience. The problem I am faced with is I need somebody to take a chance on me to give me that experience. As I am looking in sales and recruitment I am trying to maintain a positive sales outlook on my search for work and see every rejection as a step closer to a yes! And a positive attitude can achive a better impression than a negative one! I did not work in door-door sales for dogs trust very long, but I was keen to learn a lot in that short time, and I am using these things to help me in my every day search for work. It was not stated on the programme but I was actually successful in selling for dogs trust, but I would be leaving the house at 10am in the morning and getting in around 12pm at night and this gave me no time to search for a job which I was looking to make a career of.

   Posted by Adam Hennessy on 21/09/2009 13:39:06

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
5. I watch all your episodes on employment, No5 hit home to me. I have been doing double the effort of what those people shown in the episode, had some interviews but non that have produced anything. Some of the assessment days have been a joke. They relate to nothing about the job at hand but more to the justifying the role of HR departments. Recruitment agencies are a massive letdown in this country, mostly no feed back or automated messages which give noone any insentive or hope. I have been recording every job I've applied for and all interviews I've done which you can count on one hand. I will proberbly loose my home by the end of October. Would love to chat to someone about my experiences & show them what people are up against. Regards Michael (52 yrs old)

   Posted by Michael Reeson on 21/09/2009 12:26:26

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
6. CAPRICIOUS CAPITALISM I agree. Dispatches should run another programme and investigate the recruitment agencies. There has been alot of issues with recruitment agencies over the years and this has not been addressed propertly. Please also investigate their commission tactics and the way candidates are being treated.There are good and well qualified job seekers with excellent CV's has complained about recruitment agencies in the past.

   Posted by Anonymous on 20/09/2009 11:02:12

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
7. It appears that the real issue here is really one of money and the perception that people have of it. There is a gross misconception within society and also as demonstrated by the sheer lack of compassion by participants on this board. What is it that makes people think that the more money you have the better you should be able to cope and somehow have developed some super human ability to not feel the sense of loss and associated human issues that arise when losing a job? It is a fact that people of all backgrounds can act irrationally under stressful situations such as this. Clearly there are elements on this board who are gloating and are in effective no better than the so called 'fat cat bankers' et al. who are alleged to have caused the recession in the first place. If your hearts cannot find the compassion to accommodate the hurting then do not behave like hypocrites and criticise those who have no remorse for the big bonuses they take at a time like this. Sorry but you cannot have it all your way....

   Posted by Layla Dawn on 18/09/2009 20:55:55

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
8. "Extraordinary lengths" in trying to secure a job didn't quite hit the mark for me. As commented by other contributors the marketing exec was clearly expecting to walk into a job relying purely on the fact that he'd worked for Hanleys with little thought for his presentation skills. I also agree that the pizza firm managerial position and door to door sales are ideal for initial entry into the job market. They are worthwhile experience for albeit a limited period but surely longer than a week/few weeks. My experience includes being invited to interview with a large multinational, household name. I was asked to prepare a presentation and travelled several hundred miles within the UK-flights, trains, taxis (all self funded). I am more than happy to relocate. The interview went well and the feedback via the recruitment agency was positive; they liked the presentation - absolutely no negatives. The problem was that none of the candidates would be invited for second interview as the company's recruitment people had not really decided what they wanted from the candidates or the role. This was despite a comprehensive job spec. Frustrating and costly in time, emotion and money for all involved. The conclusion from the recruitment agent was that they were really trying to cherry pick some individual from a competitor. Time for another Dispatches program!

   Posted by capricious capitalism on 18/09/2009 18:23:22

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
9. RE: Andrea "Just seen the programme. The Job Seekers allowance is a means tested benefit and if savings exceed ?16,000 applicants will not be eligible." Job Seekers Allowance Contributions based is not means tested, it requires the previous 2 years of National Insurance contributions to have been paid, regardless of how much savings you have. JSA contributions based is only paid for up to 26 weeks and is capped at ?64.30, there after if your savings exceed ?16000 then you will only recieve NI credits provided you continue attend Job Centre Plus. Job Seekers Allowance Income Based is means tested and savings over ?16000 would make you ineligible. In the case of the program the I think they said that Marketing guy had been out of work for 5 months initially and 8 months by the program aired. I believe he said that his outgoings were around ?1000 a month, after this extended period of time out of work even the "sensible people" with 6-12 months rainy day money would start to struggle. Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI) typically ends after 12 months. I thought one the main points of the program is that this group of people were chronically unprepared for unemployment and had made limited provision to cover these circumstances.

   Posted by GREYDAY on 18/09/2009 00:19:35

   Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
10. It is disgusting that a University graduate is forced to work as a door to door salesman. Its useless to produce all these graduates if there is no work for them to do. In my young days University graduates were somebody and were absorbed into the workforce before they got out of University. Not any more they are now two a penny as the saying goes.A degree is not really worth the paper its written on.

    Posted by ted shepherd on 17/09/2009 22:12:11

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
11. Having watched the programme on: Middle Classes and Jobless. I hade to smile when Matt was on the phone being told that he would be able to benefit from having his Council Tax paid to having the interest paid on his Mortgage - I was told this on the phone only to have the Clerk in the Job Centre itself to roll her eyes to heaven and say that she wished the phone people were breife properly and the facts are that this was not the case if you had any savings at all or your spouse was in work. Alongt with this the impression given for the woman from HR getting benefits must be incorrect as her husban was in the RAF on 30k a year, therefore, according to the Job Centre I went to that she could sign on but not get any actual benefit.

    Posted by Roy Gould on 17/09/2009 21:47:14

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
12. Having watch the programme on Monday, I felt sad for the Director who worked at Hamleys, you can see he was stressed, frustrated, tired, shocked and cannot believe he has lost his job. From my observations of seeing him you can tell he has been in a comfort zone all of his working life and had it good. When he was being interviewed by a Recruitment Consultant, he came across angry, agressive and frustrated. He spoke very loudly, talked too fast as though he is chairing the meeting. Being a former Director why did he not wear a tie and have a shave. There is a clip when he was driving to a interview and he was getting frustrated about the traffic. He did a wrong thing by smoking before the interview. He did not appear calm even before the interview. During this period of his unemployment he states he has got 25 years experience in marketing, why did he not use the opportunity of using an outsourcing placement to see if he can set up his own consultancy or gain further qualifications. Surely a Director of his position he may have had contacts in the past to help him. One thing I do agree with him when he said "something is definitely wrong with the system", when mentioned he had only 2 interviews in six months. I am just wondering are the Recruitment Agencies doing enough to help candidates find work or is there a face fit culture going on here? The HR Director and The Sales Manager I found were extremely positive and really trying their best to find work. Unemployment is not an easy route and with this current climate it is about making sure you stand out even more. I hope all of them find a good job and wish them well.

    Posted by Anomyous on 17/09/2009 14:27:08

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
13. Disturbingly interesting. However, for those who think that because the situation is currently bad, it is not worth the effort to pursue a university career, they are mistaken. The truth is that if this attitude becomes widespread, when the market improves - and it surely will (we hope), jobs requiring higher base qualifications will possibly have to be filled by imported talent. Therefore, I suggest that we keep up our optimism and continue to try and fulfill our ambitions that require higher education.

    Posted by Stafford on 16/09/2009 15:05:00

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
14. In response to Ray Shead's questions as follows: "How is it that MA's are working in pizza restaurants after leaving university?" - Simple. There's too many of them. A Masters is, and has always been intended to be, an academic qualification preparing people for academic life. A careers advisor once told me, and several others have since confirmed, that contrary to popular belief, in the job market a masters is rarely an advantage. It is either a pre-requisite for a given job - in this case everyone will have it so it will not make you stand out - or it's seen as irrelevant by employers. Nonetheless, thousands of students, unable to find a job, have been duped into believing that more postgraduate qualifications are the answer to their problems. At the end of the day, this is symptomatic of the government's view that it's in the best interests of the "disadvantaged" to pack 50% of the population off to Uni where they will be repeatedly promised that their degree will propel them into the upper ranks of society. At the end of the day, the idea that there is room in the upper echelons of the job market for 50% of the population is frankly a myth. Think about it - if 50% of the population were managers or directors, that would mean every single director would be managing precisely one person. Come on economists actually THINK for a second will you? "Is the country headed toward being a nation of shelf-stackers ten years down the pike from now?" - I'd love to see what would happen to society if there were no shelf-stackers, cleaners, truck drivers, checkout workers, and so on. If the world was full of directors sitting staring at pie charts and cost analysis reports all day, nothing would ever get done. So, simply put, yes is the answer. But preferably these shelf stackers would not have been tricked by an empty promise into forking out 21,000 or so to go to University and be convinced they're destined for the heights of fame and fortune. "How come our European neighbours can keep their factories running when we shutter ours?" - Well that's simply based on a false premise. Unilever, Fiat, Nestle, Adidas, Nokia's Bochum Factory, Vauxhall. Need I go on? That aside, Britain has just spent a good 12 years under a Labour government that has done everything to feed the city and little to help workers, so we really shouldn't be surprised that it's continuing with the same policy even now. With regard to your particular predicament - how many times throughout your career have you agreed with your seniors that certain people within your organisation should be "let go" because the organisation could make more money without them? Or how many people have you actively been involved in laying off? Or if your new venture does suceed, how many people will you consider to be dispensible simply because you feel you could fatten your wallet more effectively without them? What goes around comes around, eh? I appologise if my response appears to be something of an ad hominem. However, perhaps if you, and others in your position, had ever stopped to think critically, and I mean really think, about the system within which you live, then maybe - just maybe - you wouldn't be in position you find yourself in today.

    Posted by James on 16/09/2009 12:46:18

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
15. Just seen the programme. The Job Seekers allowance is a means tested benefit and if savings exceed £16,000 applicants will not be eligible. Are we to assume that these middle class people have made no savings provision for a "rainy day" and are now asking the tax payer to bail them out? Yet the unemployed person with savings does not qualify for this benefit. It also appears that these savers are not included in Government unemployement statistics as they will not have 'signed on'. Please correct me if this is wrong. To have no savings now suggests that the people in this programme have no pension provision either. What will they live on in retirement? I hope that the current state of affairs will help all individuals and the UK Government to realise that much more financial planning needed to be done by everyone.

    Posted by Andrea on 16/09/2009 10:16:20

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
16. While this was a fascinating and disturbing program. I believe that a huge opportunity was missed by not including the devastated ranks of the middle class professional self-employed, IFA's & Mortgage brokers as well as being scape-goats for incompetent ministers and regulators join Solicitors, Surveyors and others including formerly successful small business owners who have had their businesses ripped away from them; they are truly invisible, no redundancy payments, few if any state benefits and even less chance of getting help from the Job Center

    Posted by Mark on 15/09/2009 20:38:55

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
17. I watched this programme with growing dismay. I left school with A levels, trained as a secretary, worked for several years, stayed home to raise a family, ran my own retail business for a few years and then returned to higher education to earn a First Class BA and am currently awaiting the results for the MA I have just completed. I've been ambivalent over the last year, vacillating between 'who would want to employ me at my age?' and wondering whether or not to have a try at finding some kind of work that might reward the qualifications I've worked so hard to achieve. Having watched last night's programme, and seen how hard it is for people younger than me, who are professionally more highly qualified, or who have similar academic qualifications, I wonder whether it is worth bothering. On the other hand I'm not ready for the scrap heap yet; I know I have a good brain and would love to put it to further use.

    Posted by Sandra on 15/09/2009 17:39:10

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
18. I am a recent MSc graduate in IT I've had about 20 telephone and face-to-face interviews in the last 2 years. They like my qualifications but say I am inexperienced. Once I am experienced it should make things better but I realise I may have to work for myself rather than expect someone to hand me something.

    Posted by James E on 15/09/2009 12:35:37

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
19. The bulk of graduates suffer from what I call BUBBLE-HEADED OPTOMISM and it holds them back. For the majority of graduates, the top 1% of graduate jobs - the ones that they are want have never been, nor will they ever be availaible to the masses, apart from the ocassional token proletariat. This alone is a debate on its own, but the point I really want to make is that graduates, in the swarm of thousands need to realise where they are in the grand scheme of things. A good degree, from a good Uni is not enough. Many graduates I meet find it extremely difficult to face the reality of their sociqal positioning. For example, a couple of months ago, a final year undergrad accounting student may have been studying international econmics and how food production in Africa is having an impact on the global econmy. When they emerge on the market,the majority of grads (apart from the 1% who get into a top ten firm) start off by doing a temp purchase or sales ledger role, posting invoices and matching & batching - A long long way away from the interesting challanging work they did in their uni studies. A marketing or Business graduate may have been studying PR or how to develop a product marketing strategy but the only marketing jobs most will find incurr sales - mainy telesales, with lots of cold calling, lots of targets and PR is another word for door-to-door. These same grads get duped with titles such as Trainee Manager, or Associate Consultant... Which is nothing more than a guise for a job that is pretty basic, not very stimulating and may lack the true developmental opps the grads want - further, most employers want the "trainee manager" to do the job that they are doing right now, and the management role (which probably does nt exist) is nothing more than a title of little stature. Grad needs to know all of this before Uni, and after Uni. The Milk Round, the Graduate Fairs, the external seminars that the Uni's provide do not help the masses - They need help, they need honesty and they need to be better prepared for reality otherwise, the mass of grads will be holding out for the ideal job that will not appear when in fact, they coould be working, doing a slightly less statuesqe job but one that will give them opportunities for the future, albeit not at the uber superior level they are made to believe at Uni.

    Posted by gaz on 15/09/2009 10:28:01

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
20. The graudate who got the job doing Door to door - I did it too, for two years. Most likely for the same company and if any one has ever had to ring the bell at the end of the day, they know which company I am talking about. Like I said, I did it for two years, it was a great experience and looking back, one I value so much. I am a sales Director for an IT software company now, and my experience of doing door-to-door / pedling / hard sell is well behind me but if you are going to work in a career where there is a sales or performance related element to it, Door-to-door is the best exposure a newbie can have, particulalry if, like for me at the time, its 100% commission. Even now, for this role, I have been in for 4 years, I recall the interview and my time as a door-to-door salesman is still respected, even admired.... At the time, it felt like the bottom rung of the ladder and to my peers, it was below the bottom rung of the ladder but now, I am grateful for this experience and for the first step it gave me.

    Posted by Phil on 15/09/2009 10:15:35

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
21. Thanks for exposing a significant and disturbing development in the career market place with regard to the jobless middle class. The next step should focus on the solution(s). I am a qualified Sales/Marketing and Product Director and was laid off during October 2008 while working in Massachusetts USA. The factory there was shut down and manufacturing moved to a more profitable global location. A common story. I managed to return with my family to the UK without the assistance of my previous multinational employer. To say it's been difficult is an understatement. Since arriving in the UK I have had to sign on for job seekers and housing benefit. For someone in the higher earnings bracket, this comes as a shock. I have been a sales/marketing/product director throughout my career and despite applying for over 100 jobs since arriving back in April, I have had no success and just one interview, just like the others shown on the program. The Job Centre is of little help, although they are well-meaning as their job portfolio does not extend into the specialist professional markets. I have discovered that the term Recruitment Consultant is a misnomer. More often they do not reply to an application. Their screening process too often focuses on a key-word search rather than an individual's ability. How can they be objective in their candidate selection process when they are swamped with applicants? Indeed, they may even demand money for access to job opportunities, some of which do not even exist. They also recommend paying a fee of over 600GBP to prepare one's CV. They prey on this disadvantaged group of middle-class jobless individuals. What chance do candidates stand when many job vacancies attract over 200 applicants? I still do not detect any effective organisation or mechanism that is focused on solving the middle class jobless dilemma. On the positive side I have started my own consultancy called ProfitMill conducting financial performance analysis of industrial processes. While this has been challenging, I now have the infrastructure in place to drive the business. Unfortunately the banks have not been interested to assist. There is no government help either. I have managed to do this on a shoestring thanks to my expert knowledge within the industry I serve and my IT skills. I am optimistic that this venture will work. Right now I do not see sufficient focus on "what is Britain going to do?" we have been distracted by MP's expenses while businesses and banks melt down with escalating unemployment. While America has kept its eye on the ball, trying to stimulate business and the economy, the UK has not placed sufficient emphasis on the problem. How is it that MA's are working in pizza restaurants after leaving university? Is the country headed toward being a nation of shelf-stackers ten years down the pike from now? How come our European neighbours can keep their factories running when we shutter ours? What is Britain's destiny for the future in terms of jobs and expertise? I have been told that I should not expect to work again and that the only way forward is to make my business succeed. It will. Best regards Ray Shead

    Posted by Raymond Shead on 15/09/2009 09:55:13

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
22. PAUL - Most people call companies first rather than cold calling, even if they turned up on spec it is unlike that they would get past reception/intercom to make their case as to why you should employ them. I have been previously adviced to refer all "cold call" employment requests to HR department and not to provide direct contact details. The sheer volume of applications according to the program is causing employers to use employment agencies to screen applications. My experience with employment agencies, indicates that they post "wish list job adverts" and look for maximum number of must have qualification, which does not necessarily translate into ability to do the job. Which means the short list they put forward for the job is flawed. The employer is likely to be frustrated by the lack of suitable candidates from the vast numbers applying. A little more thought into the original job advert would help to people applying to determine if they have the skills necessary to do the job. The program could have been more interesting if they had focussed less on the alledged trappings of middle class life "expensive car", "private school fees" and more on the actual qualifications/experience that these four candidates actual have to offer. The side bar of the excutive training industry that has now sprung up to "help" professionals improve their interview skills would have been pursued. Whilst there may be some good excutive career coaching companies out there, many are staffed by people who could no longer get mainstream jobs where action rather than talk was required. These companies need people who believe that having reached management level jobs that is the only type of job they should have in the future. When they can no longer afford the services of these companies reality will set in.I wait for the next batch of middle class people out of of work "I was an Excutive Career Coach".... Jobcentre plus is not geared to help anyone, you are more likely to get "I don't know" or "contact this other department" than "let me help you". It is to the government's benefit that the people regardless of class are too "proud" to claim.

    Posted by greyday on 15/09/2009 07:42:40

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
23. I have worked at the most senior level in IT and Accountancy recruitment working for some of the biggest and most well known professional recruitment brands. Racism, Ageism, Sexism and Xenephobia amongst employers, ranging from multinational service centres in the UK through to "tin-pot-and-co" small companies all practice widespread discrimination and use agencies as a conduit to practice this, with the ideal candidate at the senior professional level (for perm jobs) always being Professionally Qualified, English Born Men under the age of 40. When a company allows an agency to work on a job, they usually use 2-3 agencies at a time. They produce both a job and a person specification. Once you scratch the surface however, as a recruitment consultant, you realise that all forms of equal opportunities dont really exist - Its never about the best skills match alone or the most experienced. British born, Men, 30-something and professional qualified (with at least 5 years experience) usually go to the top of the pile. Those who we struggle to place are 1) wildly experienced men over the age of 45 who have lots of experience but no professional qualification (we call them QBE's - Qualified By Experince). 2) Young mums with young children. Men and women who are not British or European (in the professional sectors, employers have this UK omnimpotence when it comes to professional qualifications and professional experience). 3) 30-something women, married with no kids (on the logic that they plan to have kids - soon - and will be off for up to a year on maternity in the near future. Because these employers use 2-3 agencies, it forces competition which is healthy however, it results in widespread discrimination. On the last job I filled for a FTSE100 company based in London, there were 4 agencies on the job, each only allowed to submit 2 CV's to this 55k a year job. Because agencies earn money from placement fees, we dont have the luxury of being ethical and moral. We have to be sharp, racist ageist and sexist. We can only submit 2 CV's and we need to be the ones who make the fes, not our competition. We get the job spec, we get the person spec but the most important task is to the find out what kind of person they are looking for... If we dont deliver the absolute ideal, our competition make the placement and we lose the fee (which would be for a 55k a year job over 15,000 pounds. We CANT care about equal opportunities, we CANT care about putting the best person forward for the job, we can only work towards what the employer really wants - the unspoken words are more important than any job spec and any formal document. There have been thousands of ocssions where I have seen an awesome CV of someone who is not qualified that is best for the job that I have REJECTED. There are some great 30'something mums out there who I have had to REJECT. There are some excellent, well priced Accountants from Africa that would be cheap, commited and do a great job that I have had to REJECT. Companies are complicit in this discrimination albeit it is so subtle, so slick there is never any formal proof of this, but this is what happens EVERYTIME. If A recruitment company challanged an employer about what it percieved as Discrimination, we would lose out on many levels - the employer would stop working with us - instantly, why? because we rocked the boat. We would not make any fees because we would not make any placements. With so much agency choice and the fierce bottleneck of good competition out there, an agency cant be politically correct at all - if we do, we lose out. The root of the problem is the employers.... They are excellent discriminators and with some much discrination legislation, they have had to improvise over the years and they have had to change - they use agencies to acomplish this. If something ever did come out, the companies come out smelling like roses, they blame agencies, not themselves. This is Rife.

    Posted by andy on 15/09/2009 06:41:39

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
24. I have worked in recruitment for some of the top brand names in both IT and Accountancy... at the most senior level. Racism, ageism, sexism and Xenophobia is rife among employers - Specifically, I refer to some top household brands, through to "tin-pot-and-co" small companies. The hardest two candidates to place are (a) - Over 45 professional, Qualified by Experience (QBE) men with lots of experience. (b) Professional mothers with young children. (c) International people from non-european countries. (d) Thirty something women, married with no kids. The root cause of the failure to find the middles classes work is agencies, but agencies are being squeezed by employers who maintain these covert models of discrimination even in the modern age. These companies use Agencies as a conduit to discriminate and t

    Posted by Jamie on 15/09/2009 06:14:04

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
25. This program was like a Chris Morris production it felt very Brass Eye in places Apart from the Loughborough Uni graduate the others needed a reality check I don't wish to be cruel but the guy without any marketing qualifications which Hamleys did well to jettison was typical of how middle class middle aged Brits like to get into their comfort zone and relax. Re skilling in my early 40's I have just finished 3 years night school on the way to becoming an electrician. On the course there was an Asian guy who already ran his own optician business and lived on the local millionaires row and drove a Lexus. Why did he remain hungry? Instead of chilling in his comfort zone like ( I have to say a lazy Brit) Jay has passed his optician business onto his graduate children to run whilst he makes a great living as an electrician For a marketing expert he had very little idea how to market himself surely in his 30 years experience he might have gathered it is about looking right, it's showbusiness. Forget wasting cash on coaching and spend some money wisely on an orthodontists, a decent razor, a William Shatner corset, some new threads and Tie some Zit cream and also don't go into an interview stinking like an ashtray the smell puts an image in peoples mind of sad underachieving slackers skiving near the bins in the rain, far too many negative images. All too often over the last decade the type of yuppies featured in tonight's episode would be the sort stereotyping benefit scroungers for having their priorities all wrong such as 'SKY subscription before books'

    Posted by David on 15/09/2009 00:55:23

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
26. Thank you Dispatches for shining a light on this type of unemployed individuals!! Unfortunately I fall under this category myself and it was just really nice and comforting to see the faces and hear the stories of some people who are in the same boat. You really do start taking it personally when all the education and experience you have got gets you absolutely nowhere. I think programmes like this, which shows different aspects of the effects of the recession, are very important because they show how tough things really are for so many people out there (the case studies you included were brilliant!) and how extremely flawed the system is. I hope to see more programmes of this kind in the near future!

    Posted by Unemployed MA graduate on 15/09/2009 00:09:50

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
27. What the middleclasses need to grasp is that University may give you a set of skills that help you 'get on above the rest ', but University doesnt afford them an understanding of the social condition some now find themselves in . This I assure you is thne beginning of a learning process on the fast track . How many of them at university ever learnt about the 'insoluble contradiction of capitaIism' and the crisis of value , and its subsequent assertion in the form of extended social and personal misery for many ,not say anything of the spiral of trade war into war . Perhaps if they had they might have not just taken the 'gravy train' with such enthusism, and applied some intellect in regards to the inevitable consequences to their childeren -to -be , if we proceed in life with such a lack of , and limited consciousness about the world...which is why we're where we are .... This might now prove for some ' their real education and elevation in life .'.........I won't depend on it though .

    Posted by spigglet on 14/09/2009 23:36:01

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
28. Apart from the Bristol University chap, who were the other middle class people in this film? Did I miss something?

    Posted by Real Middle Class Guy on 14/09/2009 23:23:59

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
29. Would you employ any of them? Felt there where very complacent about who they are and their skills, probably what bought them to the top of the pile when it came to redundancies, and most certainly the attitude that has helped bring us into a recession. "ive looked on the same website everyone else has looked on and over 500 people of applied" As an employer, there have been ZERO people, turn up at my company suited and booted, explaining what they could offer my company and why i should employ them. Not that I particarly want anyone turning up, however if someone impressed me I would consider offering them a position. Too much expectation for things to come far too easily, and certainly demonstrates a shake up is in order.

    Posted by Paul on 14/09/2009 22:38:16

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
30. Agreed adeboye. It did a good job in pointing out that even well before the current recession the graduates coming out of university each year vastly outnumbered the opportunities for graduate level employment that were available. The constant expansion of numbers going to university is highly irreponsible now that many are going into so much debt to do it, and they face absurd levels of competition for jobs in their chosen careers even at the best of times.

    Posted by fulliautomatix on 14/09/2009 22:12:12

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
31. Just watched your excellent dispatches programme 14 Sept. The jobseekers Dept. is doing very little for the people out of work. A large number are out of work for the first time after years of employment. This comes after a period of high inflation which means peoples money requirement is greater than ever. I have spent 4 months searching for jobs with no success, although it could be said that I can type faster and spell better now. As I was self-employed 2 years ago I did not get any j/s allowance, so no income since April. People I have spoken to have similar experience to myself we would all agree that the j/s Dept would appear to help those who are full time unemployed. I just can't see any help for those who want to get back to work quickly. When you attend the j/s office every 2 weeks it takes about 2 minutes to sign and thats it there is nothing positive or helpful. Yet in this office there are perhaps 16 desks staffed with interviewers, only some of whom seem to be working. When I had two weeks out of the country for a holiday that was booked some time before I was made redundant I was told that I would not have my stamp paid, so I had to deregister and then reregister when I came back. I have now got a 2 week gap in this years stamps. I now think I should plan away time within my fortnightly visits. Instead of all these time wasteing visits to j/s staff, I feel they would be better setting up jobseekers work fourms where information could be made available and some help given with career development, in order for people to feel more at ease when they have to approach the workplace for interviews. I was never told what if any benefits were available. Still I continue to plod on hoping some day I will be able to shop for that little bar of chocolate that I now desire. Maybe all my friends are out of the country, or is that that my phone is not working as well as myself. On the upside I think I might have enough material for a play for today with all one sees in these hard times. Keep up all of your good work at channel 4 and may all your programmes be as watchable as the one before. Many thanks if you read this.

    Posted by Peter Langton on 14/09/2009 22:07:01

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
32. I am disappointed with this programme as the Jobcentre was slated as offering no suitable vacancies. If employers choose not to use the Jobcentre then the vacancies won't be there to be offered. Instead of being negative about the work carried out by JCP where was the slating of employers for not making their vacancies available through the JCP? Employers need to wake up to the free services offered and the calibre of people now using JCP to help get them back into work. Change the employers opinions and the job market will be properly stimulated again.

    Posted by AnnieMack on 14/09/2009 21:23:04

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
33. Excellent programme. I can empathise with the people in this programme as I too was made redundant in June of this year. Can only agree that Jobcentre Plus mainly caters for the 18-25 age group and can offer very little help to the older, more experinced managers and executives. Having said that I believe people should sign on as unemployed if only for the fact that it keeps your National Insurance contributions going - an important point which your programme did not pick up on. Nonetheless excellent television from your Dispatches team. Thank you.

    Posted by Explosif on 14/09/2009 21:20:07

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
34. It is clear that the government's glorification of a university degree is irresponsible, more emphasis should be placed on technical and vocational education. It is a disgrace, under any circumstance, for a honours graduate, or a masters degree holder for that matter, to even think of taking up such employments those two graduates took up. This world needs less degrees in certain fields of learning.

    Posted by Adeboye on 14/09/2009 21:03:05

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
35. The information on the Mortgage Interest assistance is misleading. You need to be on income based JSA before you can get help and if you have worked for 2-3 years, they initially put you on Contribution based JSA for 6months, which then changes to income based, so its 6months, not 13 weeks before you get help. And suprise surprise, they do not explain this when you sign on. Good programme though, I can relate to it as I was made redundant last November and only signed on in May of this year.

    Posted by SharonJane on 14/09/2009 20:31:18

    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment