Fairy Jobmother

25 May 2011

Fairy Jobmother Hayley Taylor is back, helping to get Britain's unemployed back to work. With the biggest benefits shake up since the 1940s, the government are bringing in tough new measures to make sure all those who can work do work. But just how easy will it be to take people who've become reliant on benefits, and prepare them for the world of work?

Hayley is on a mission to find out, visiting four unemployment hotspots across the UK, to help groups of unemployed locals, from NEETS (Not in Employment, Education or Training), lone parents, victims of redundancy and the long-term jobless get off benefits and into employment. 

 

Episode 1: Bootle

Tuesday 7th June, 9pm, Channel 4

This week Hayley visits Bootle, Merseyside, with more than a quarter of its 64,000 work age residents claiming out-of-work benefits it has one of the hightest rates of unemployment in the country.

Four long-term unemployed people from the local area say they want Hayley's help to get them off benefits and back into work:  Dave Lonorgan, 53, has been unemployed for almost two years, after being laid off from his job as a security guard.  21-year-old Louise Lonorgan is Dave's daughter.  She's never worked and has been claiming benefits since leaving school at 16.  Sue McArd, 31, is a lone parent and qualified beauty therapist who has been on benefits since the birth of her daughter, six years ago, and 27-year-old expectant father Alex Foster has struggled to find work since dropping out of police training four years ago.

 

To help them, Hayley runs a job club from a community centre in Bootle, with the aim of getting each individual back into work, in just two weeks.   

On the first day of the work club, details of the coalition government's plans to reform the benefit system make the newspaper headlines.   Determined to slash their £87 billion welfare bill, the government believe the unemployed should be less choosy about the jobs they will consider, if it means getting off benefits.  Hayley tells the group, that under the new regime, the government will cut their benefits if they repeatedly turn down reasonable job offers.  Dave, says "It's not England!  They're taking our rights away.  We've always had choice."  Hayley reminds him that taxpayers can't chose whether or not they pay tax.

Before Hayley gets to work on the individuals in her job club, she wants to see for herself their attitude and approach to a day's work and arranges for them to run a local charity car wash.  Sue impresses Hayley in her role as team leader, but it isn't long before Dave kicks up a fuss.  Having worked as a security guard for the past 10 years, he thinks washing cars is beneath him and storms off.

Back at the work club, Hayley shows the group an article she's seen in a local newspaper about a ‘job fair' held in Liverpool earlier in the year.  Over a thousand jobless people attended with several hundred gaining employment as a result.  She asks the group if they attended, but nobody was even aware it took place.  Sue is defensive as she feels Hayley is making them look like "lazy arseholes".  As Sue's daughter is six, the government doesn't yet expect her to actively seek work,  but Hayley reminds her that, as soon her daughter turns seven in a few months time, she'll be put on Jobseeker's Allowance and expected to take whatever work she can get - or face sanctions.   Hayley wants the group to find work for themselves now, rather than be forced into it by the government under the new system.

As the week progresses Hayley takes the work club group back to basics, teaching them how to job search effectively and create professional looking CVs. 

Hayley knows that getting Louise into work will be a tall order as she's never had a job.  To give Louise her first taste of work she arranges for her to do a day's work experience at local discount store, Home Bargains.  With 10,000 customers passing through their checkouts every week, it's one of their busiest shops.   Louise is put on the tills, but her lack of previous experience causes problems.  Getting flustered, she swears in front of a customer and deserts the till, half way through a transaction.  Hayley calms her down, and after apologising to the manager, Louise carries on.

Back in the work club, Hayley is worried about expectant father Alex, who has been very quiet and reserved.  She finds out he's struggled to find work since his mother died suddenly four years ago.  He tells Hayley, that when it happened, he dropped out of police training, feeling like his world had ended.  Now he feels like a failure because he wants to provide for his family, but can't. 

To improve the group's communication skills and confidence, Hayley takes them into the centre of Liverpool to have a go at ‘town crying'.  Dave is unusually nervous, but everybody has a go, including Louise, the shyest member of the group.

That evening Hayley visits Dave at home to find out why he's limiting himself to security jobs.  Dave reveals that he had a drink problem when he was younger and that Louise was brought up in care.  He thinks that's why she has low self esteem.

In week two, Hayley starts to make real progress in the Bootle work club.  She concentrates on the group's marketability; their body language, personal presentation and interview skills.  Dave is his usual difficult self throughout and Hayley is worried that he isn't taking her advice on board.  In his mock interview, Hayley asks him what he thinks his biggest weakness is.  Dave replies "...my sugar diabetes!".

Hayley has one last surprise challenge in store for the group before they go for real job interviews, which she hopes will get them used to performing under pressure.  Each group member must make a two minute pitch, selling themselves in front of a panel of VIPs from the local business community - including Councillor Hazel Williams, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool.   As they prepare, most of the group are incredibly nervous. 

With the pitches behind them, Hayley tells the group she's found four job vacancies with local companies, who are willing to interview members of her Bootle work club. 

On the day of the interviews,  Alex goes for two jobs, a supervisor role with cleaning company, Transform and a sales assistant job with a games store.  Sue also interviews for the job at the games store, while Louise tries for a sales assistant vacancy at a local garden centre.  Dave and Louise both go for jobs with recruitment company Gap Personnel.  

On the last day of the work club, the group wait nervously for calls from the employers, to find out whether or not they've been successful in gaining employment.

 

Fairy Jobmother Hayley Taylor is back, helping to get Britain's unemployed back to work. With the biggest benefits shake up since the 1940s, the government are bringing in tough new measures to make sure all those who can work do work. But just how easy will it be to take people who've become reliant on benefits, and prepare them for the world of work?

Hayley is on a mission to find out, visiting four unemployment hotspots across the UK, to help groups of unemployed locals, from NEETS (Not in Employment, Education or Training), lone parents, victims of redundancy and the long-term jobless get off benefits and into employment. 

 

Episode 1: Bootle

Tuesday 7th June, 9pm, Channel 4

This week Hayley visits Bootle, Merseyside, with more than a quarter of its 64,000 work age residents claiming out-of-work benefits it has one of the hightest rates of unemployment in the country.

Four long-term unemployed people from the local area say they want Hayley's help to get them off benefits and back into work:  Dave Lonorgan, 53, has been unemployed for almost two years, after being laid off from his job as a security guard.  21-year-old Louise Lonorgan is Dave's daughter.  She's never worked and has been claiming benefits since leaving school at 16.  Sue McArd, 31, is a lone parent and qualified beauty therapist who has been on benefits since the birth of her daughter, six years ago, and 27-year-old expectant father Alex Foster has struggled to find work since dropping out of police training four years ago.

 

To help them, Hayley runs a job club from a community centre in Bootle, with the aim of getting each individual back into work, in just two weeks.   

On the first day of the work club, details of the coalition government's plans to reform the benefit system make the newspaper headlines.   Determined to slash their £87 billion welfare bill, the government believe the unemployed should be less choosy about the jobs they will consider, if it means getting off benefits.  Hayley tells the group, that under the new regime, the government will cut their benefits if they repeatedly turn down reasonable job offers.  Dave, says "It's not England!  They're taking our rights away.  We've always had choice."  Hayley reminds him that taxpayers can't chose whether or not they pay tax.

Before Hayley gets to work on the individuals in her job club, she wants to see for herself their attitude and approach to a day's work and arranges for them to run a local charity car wash.  Sue impresses Hayley in her role as team leader, but it isn't long before Dave kicks up a fuss.  Having worked as a security guard for the past 10 years, he thinks washing cars is beneath him and storms off.

Back at the work club, Hayley shows the group an article she's seen in a local newspaper about a ‘job fair' held in Liverpool earlier in the year.  Over a thousand jobless people attended with several hundred gaining employment as a result.  She asks the group if they attended, but nobody was even aware it took place.  Sue is defensive as she feels Hayley is making them look like "lazy arseholes".  As Sue's daughter is six, the government doesn't yet expect her to actively seek work,  but Hayley reminds her that, as soon her daughter turns seven in a few months time, she'll be put on Jobseeker's Allowance and expected to take whatever work she can get - or face sanctions.   Hayley wants the group to find work for themselves now, rather than be forced into it by the government under the new system.

As the week progresses Hayley takes the work club group back to basics, teaching them how to job search effectively and create professional looking CVs. 

Hayley knows that getting Louise into work will be a tall order as she's never had a job.  To give Louise her first taste of work she arranges for her to do a day's work experience at local discount store, Home Bargains.  With 10,000 customers passing through their checkouts every week, it's one of their busiest shops.   Louise is put on the tills, but her lack of previous experience causes problems.  Getting flustered, she swears in front of a customer and deserts the till, half way through a transaction.  Hayley calms her down, and after apologising to the manager, Louise carries on.

Back in the work club, Hayley is worried about expectant father Alex, who has been very quiet and reserved.  She finds out he's struggled to find work since his mother died suddenly four years ago.  He tells Hayley, that when it happened, he dropped out of police training, feeling like his world had ended.  Now he feels like a failure because he wants to provide for his family, but can't. 

To improve the group's communication skills and confidence, Hayley takes them into the centre of Liverpool to have a go at ‘town crying'.  Dave is unusually nervous, but everybody has a go, including Louise, the shyest member of the group.

That evening Hayley visits Dave at home to find out why he's limiting himself to security jobs.  Dave reveals that he had a drink problem when he was younger and that Louise was brought up in care.  He thinks that's why she has low self esteem.

In week two, Hayley starts to make real progress in the Bootle work club.  She concentrates on the group's marketability; their body language, personal presentation and interview skills.  Dave is his usual difficult self throughout and Hayley is worried that he isn't taking her advice on board.  In his mock interview, Hayley asks him what he thinks his biggest weakness is.  Dave replies "...my sugar diabetes!".

Hayley has one last surprise challenge in store for the group before they go for real job interviews, which she hopes will get them used to performing under pressure.  Each group member must make a two minute pitch, selling themselves in front of a panel of VIPs from the local business community - including Councillor Hazel Williams, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool.   As they prepare, most of the group are incredibly nervous. 

With the pitches behind them, Hayley tells the group she's found four job vacancies with local companies, who are willing to interview members of her Bootle work club. 

On the day of the interviews,  Alex goes for two jobs, a supervisor role with cleaning company, Transform and a sales assistant job with a games store.  Sue also interviews for the job at the games store, while Louise tries for a sales assistant vacancy at a local garden centre.  Dave and Louise both go for jobs with recruitment company Gap Personnel.  

On the last day of the work club, the group wait nervously for calls from the employers, to find out whether or not they've been successful in gaining employment.

 

Fairy Jobmother Hayley Taylor is back, helping to get Britain's unemployed back to work. With the biggest benefits shake up since the 1940s, the government are bringing in tough new measures to make sure all those who can work do work. But just how easy will it be to take people who've become reliant on benefits, and prepare them for the world of work?

Hayley is on a mission to find out, visiting four unemployment hotspots across the UK, to help groups of unemployed locals, from NEETS (Not in Employment, Education or Training), lone parents, victims of redundancy and the long-term jobless get off benefits and into employment. 

 

Episode 1: Bootle

Tuesday 7th June, 9pm, Channel 4

This week Hayley visits Bootle, Merseyside, with more than a quarter of its 64,000 work age residents claiming out-of-work benefits it has one of the hightest rates of unemployment in the country.

Four long-term unemployed people from the local area say they want Hayley's help to get them off benefits and back into work:  Dave Lonorgan, 53, has been unemployed for almost two years, after being laid off from his job as a security guard.  21-year-old Louise Lonorgan is Dave's daughter.  She's never worked and has been claiming benefits since leaving school at 16.  Sue McArd, 31, is a lone parent and qualified beauty therapist who has been on benefits since the birth of her daughter, six years ago, and 27-year-old expectant father Alex Foster has struggled to find work since dropping out of police training four years ago.

 

To help them, Hayley runs a job club from a community centre in Bootle, with the aim of getting each individual back into work, in just two weeks.   

On the first day of the work club, details of the coalition government's plans to reform the benefit system make the newspaper headlines.   Determined to slash their £87 billion welfare bill, the government believe the unemployed should be less choosy about the jobs they will consider, if it means getting off benefits.  Hayley tells the group, that under the new regime, the government will cut their benefits if they repeatedly turn down reasonable job offers.  Dave, says "It's not England!  They're taking our rights away.  We've always had choice."  Hayley reminds him that taxpayers can't chose whether or not they pay tax.

Before Hayley gets to work on the individuals in her job club, she wants to see for herself their attitude and approach to a day's work and arranges for them to run a local charity car wash.  Sue impresses Hayley in her role as team leader, but it isn't long before Dave kicks up a fuss.  Having worked as a security guard for the past 10 years, he thinks washing cars is beneath him and storms off.

Back at the work club, Hayley shows the group an article she's seen in a local newspaper about a ‘job fair' held in Liverpool earlier in the year.  Over a thousand jobless people attended with several hundred gaining employment as a result.  She asks the group if they attended, but nobody was even aware it took place.  Sue is defensive as she feels Hayley is making them look like "lazy arseholes".  As Sue's daughter is six, the government doesn't yet expect her to actively seek work,  but Hayley reminds her that, as soon her daughter turns seven in a few months time, she'll be put on Jobseeker's Allowance and expected to take whatever work she can get - or face sanctions.   Hayley wants the group to find work for themselves now, rather than be forced into it by the government under the new system.

As the week progresses Hayley takes the work club group back to basics, teaching them how to job search effectively and create professional looking CVs. 

Hayley knows that getting Louise into work will be a tall order as she's never had a job.  To give Louise her first taste of work she arranges for her to do a day's work experience at local discount store, Home Bargains.  With 10,000 customers passing through their checkouts every week, it's one of their busiest shops.   Louise is put on the tills, but her lack of previous experience causes problems.  Getting flustered, she swears in front of a customer and deserts the till, half way through a transaction.  Hayley calms her down, and after apologising to the manager, Louise carries on.

Back in the work club, Hayley is worried about expectant father Alex, who has been very quiet and reserved.  She finds out he's struggled to find work since his mother died suddenly four years ago.  He tells Hayley, that when it happened, he dropped out of police training, feeling like his world had ended.  Now he feels like a failure because he wants to provide for his family, but can't. 

To improve the group's communication skills and confidence, Hayley takes them into the centre of Liverpool to have a go at ‘town crying'.  Dave is unusually nervous, but everybody has a go, including Louise, the shyest member of the group.

That evening Hayley visits Dave at home to find out why he's limiting himself to security jobs.  Dave reveals that he had a drink problem when he was younger and that Louise was brought up in care.  He thinks that's why she has low self esteem.

In week two, Hayley starts to make real progress in the Bootle work club.  She concentrates on the group's marketability; their body language, personal presentation and interview skills.  Dave is his usual difficult self throughout and Hayley is worried that he isn't taking her advice on board.  In his mock interview, Hayley asks him what he thinks his biggest weakness is.  Dave replies "...my sugar diabetes!".

Hayley has one last surprise challenge in store for the group before they go for real job interviews, which she hopes will get them used to performing under pressure.  Each group member must make a two minute pitch, selling themselves in front of a panel of VIPs from the local business community - including Councillor Hazel Williams, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool.   As they prepare, most of the group are incredibly nervous. 

With the pitches behind them, Hayley tells the group she's found four job vacancies with local companies, who are willing to interview members of her Bootle work club. 

On the day of the interviews,  Alex goes for two jobs, a supervisor role with cleaning company, Transform and a sales assistant job with a games store.  Sue also interviews for the job at the games store, while Louise tries for a sales assistant vacancy at a local garden centre.  Dave and Louise both go for jobs with recruitment company Gap Personnel.  

On the last day of the work club, the group wait nervously for calls from the employers, to find out whether or not they've been successful in gaining employment.