"Statistics suggest 23% of people under 25 are unemployed in Europe."

Fuck me, that is A LOT of people.

I am scared, scared for young people that leave education and have very little chance of getting onto the employment ladder. However, at the same time, listening to friends and other bits from things I have seen online, I don't think that young people are completely helpless. I just feel as if there is low moral amongst incredibly bright and brilliant people that is being wasted at mind numbing visits to the job centre, week in week out.

Right now, I think you have to make your own opportunities. I am. I work endlessly doing things which I know will make a difference. I still volunteer on a weekend, and actually because it isn't a full time commitment, I am going to work on something else too on a weekend as well as my job. It' is tiring, but I think at the end of the day my CV will look awesome and I'll have some great references to back it up. I go on about volunteer work a lot but I really feel if you want to get in somewhere, starting as a volunteer is a great way to get your foot in the door.

 If you're concious of the cost implications, some - not all organisations will pay reasonable expenses (bus fairs/petrol money) for your time, which is quite good. That obviously does depend on where you go.

I understand that you might feel put out by having to shell out dolla for a bus but just think of the rewards - more experience, making friends, networking, improved or new skills and a killer reference. And let us not forget that when applying for work, that people love a cheeky bit of volunteer work because you don't seen some self involved! Hahaha.

I still can't get over that figure, I mean, bloody hell.

To my friends who have graduated this year, well done and now comes the hard part! A couple of friends have managed to gain employment before they even graduated... and I couldn't be prouder!

I don't feel as if this blog is that funny without my hilarious trips to the job centre... not that I miss them, but it would be funny to make a return one day. Just for a minute or so. that place is pretty depressing. Soz.

So yeah mate, got something to say?
@DebStevo90 - give me a tweet and tell me if you don't like it, I won't take offence, honest.

Laters,
Stevo, xo

"Back to work schemes"

Fundamentally, the 'back to work' scheme had positive connotations, giving those work experience and in some cases the opportunity to be taken on at the end of eight weeks of work. Now, I know it isn't completely unpaid work because you still claim your benefits and are given your expenses, but why should you do exactly the same amount of work as someone on the payroll for less than half what they're earning? 

Example; 

Cait Reilly was forced to work for Poundland stacking shelves, she will have only been given her benefits of £56.25 a week plus expenses. So say she gets the bus everyday at £3.00 return? Altogether she will have been earning £68.25 a week for a 30 hour week. Someone on the payroll, lets say they were the same age will have been earning £6.19 an hour for the pleasure of restocking the shelves in Poundland, a thirty hour week will have seen her taken home more than DOUBLE what Cait will have, £185.70 to be exact. That amount won't have been taxed either because it falls under the bracket, so lucky lucky! 

Before I started my intern ship I was doing some sort of 'back to work' scheme, but mine was called 'work experience' instead to avoid placing in the same category as Cait Reilly as her fight against DWP was making some big headlines. I'm not going to badmouth where I was on experience because the people I worked for were great, and gave me time and their energy to gain some more experience. 

My issue with this scheme is that the government is paying for a business to have a worker doing work that they're basically not prepared to do themselves. Cait Reilly was forced to stack shelves for a discount store when she was volunteering at a local gallery, something which interested her and gave her experience of all kinds. But because she was claiming JSA she was forced to stack shelves to fit in with her 'contract' under the DWP. 

A lot of the businesses that involve themselves in the 'back to work' scheme are there to get free labour for the work they can't be bothered to do themselves, with the 'potential' for a job at the end, most of them don't have a job for you at the end. Where I was did have the opportunity for it in the end because I knew they were looking for someone to do tele-marketing from their website before I went there, but I was there with another guy who was also hoping for a job at the end. There will have only been one job - and both of us fighting for it despite us both doing the same amount of work, it's too ruthless for me. I knew I had my intern ship starting in January so leaving after six weeks felt like the right decision. I was going to some other work experience but it fell through with it being so close to Christmas. 

The government is being taken for a ride with these schemes because they're having to continue to pay someone their benefits and expenses whilst businesses get free labour. Whereas, if they allowed people to volunteer their time with a cause they felt they could help, they would be paying an expenses themselves. 

What a surprise, the coalition are wasting money, yet again. I haven't heard of anyone having any luck with the scheme and I've known quite a few people take that route out of sheer boredom of job hunting. Most have come back and said "an utter waste of money, my time and theirs". 

Cannot argue with that, can you? 

Got something to say? 

Tweet me; @DebStevo90 

I've not written in ages....

... sorry, I've been busy working and that. You know!

Anyhow, wanting to get back into this because I love a good bitchy comment!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to one and all. Hope you all had a lovely evening whatever you got up to!

Hope that 2013 brings you good health and happiness!


Stevo xoxo

Merry Christmas!

Hello!

I just wanted to wish all my friends and readers a very merry Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday whatever you got up to! Have a great new year too!

Lots of love,

Stevo xoxo

Nothing can wipe the smile from my chubby face!

So yesterday, I finally got the call I had been waiting at least 3 weeks for. I've been volunteering at a local church - St Andrews in Paull and the woman who is in charge emailed me about an intern ship she had been forwarded. The position was to improve communications within a church in North Hull - social media and journalism, something I want to get into. And this is the perfect position and it's also stepping stones. Starting at the very bottom and hopefully working my way up!

The closing date wasn't for a little while and there were emails back and forth so when I got an interview, I was relived otherwise it might have been a wasted effort. Anyhow, I had my interview during work experience (that's a whole other blog post in itself). I thought I would be nervous because there were three interviewees, but it didn't phase me which was strange - cool as a bloody cucumber! The interview went really well, I didn't want to be cocky at the time but I felt I aced it. There were so many smiles and nods and each other.

I had to go back to work experience after my interview, it didn't matter though because it went so positively. Literally two hours after my interview (I was the first interview, and they had at least two more) they called to say that they wanted to offer me the intern ship and it was a unanimous vote to me.... SMIRK.

My role as the intern is to make more people aware of the charity SEARCH, using social media, creating a blog called 'a day in the life of a church intern' - not set up yet. Creating press releases, interviewing at events and encouraging volunteering in the community. It may not be for everyone, but the role will be so varied that it won't get tedious, no day will be the same.

I couldn't share the news with everyone because the intern ship is funding by The Rank Foundation and they were yet to make their decision on whether they wanted to give the money to Search - don't bother googling them, they don't have a website, yet.

I met with the two women from The Rank Foundation - it went really well, they were 'raving' about me after the interview, (I don't think my ego is going to fit through the door soon). Anyhow, they phoned to say the board were still making their decision but should they say no, Helen had already been enquiring about somewhere else I could go but they wanted to fund me, because they think I am so talented. Smirk.

ANYHOW, after a week or so of waiting, I finally got the call yesterday to say that they had approved the funding, but The Rank Foundation had asked that my role be expanded to other places that will need me for journalistic issues because I had impressed them so much.

Now, in my interview I said that I felt that this position was perfect for me because it's exactly what I had been looking for and it fell into my lap because of something else. Without using my initiative to volunteer I would never have been sent the information on that intern ship.

I CANNOT BLOODY WAIT.

I won't stop blogging, I am still very passionate about youth unemployment because it's such a big issue in Hull and all over the country at the moment, it needs to be addressed often by people who are living with it.

I'll be posting some more over Christmas :]

Leave comments, or you can tweet me at @DebStevo90

Stevo xxxx

Merci beaucoup à mes disciples belles!

I just want to express my gratitude to people who have taken the time to support me and the work I am doing. This week I was featured on a local blog which was great publicity for me, it was lovely of Ray from the blog to feature me and my little blog. Give it a read - I didn't expect a full article I though there may just a link and a bit of information but there is so much more, it's fabulous. Visit the blog here;  http://www.hu12online.net/debate/hedon-neet-blogger-tells-us-how-it-is-for-the-young-unemployed/ If you're local as in Hedon/Holderness way, then the website is quite interesting in that you'll find out about local events and if you want something advertising, if you ask Ray, I am sure he'll give the event a mention.

Furthermore, to everyone who retweets my links, who tells me they like what I am writing and who take the time to find me on Twitter to tell me that they really like what I do. THANK YOU. I want to upload screen caps of the nice comments, but I don't think Twitter will allow you to go back more than 10 days or so.

Oh well, you know who you are - thank you! :)

This month has been so exciting, but I just can't tell you yet! When I can, I will tell you everything, but for now, eeeeee.

So, finally. Again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And if you don't like it, tell me if you really want to, @DebStevo90 or comment on here.

Stevo!xo