Registering with Fás

rachel101

Registered User
Messages
18
Hi All,

I'm coming off BTWEA and signing back on. My problem so far in getting a job isn't lack of experience, it's lack of qualifications. I've gotten a few interviews over last few months and feedback has always been positive but I've been told each time that a person with qualifications has been picked over me. Now that I'm heading back on dole I want to upskill as it's the only way I can see of getting off welfare.
I was told to sign up with Fás to avail of courses but I'm wary of this from feedback off other people. One guy said he was told to do a childcare course, even though he didn't have an interest in kids! Basically I want the course I do to be relevant to my experience so it will tie in well on my CV. I'm afraid to sign up with Fas in case this means I can't pick my own course or that they'll hassle me to do any old course or else threaten to take my JA away.
Am I worrying unnessarily? As in, if I sign up can I turn down their courses if I don't think they're certified properly or relevant? I especially don't want to end up having to take part in work experience programmes as I have plenty of experience already & this isn't hindering my employment prospects, it's just the qualifications.

Hope this is in right section & hope it makes sense!

Thanks
Rach
 
Hi Rachel I can not give you any help at the moment as i too am waiting to see what fas has to offer in courses.I retired in june and am 63 and am to go next week to fas at local social welfare office for an interview have worked all of 40 years so will maybe able to give you some information next week
 
One guy said he was told to do a childcare course, even though he didn't have an interest in kids!
Probably not a good idea to be reluctant based on a single negative anecdotal story. I'd imagine that it's better to just go in and discuss your goals and training needs with them in a businesslike/professional manner. Ultimately I'm not sure that you're going to have much choice since isn't it one of the conditions of receiving JB/JA that you deal with them?
 
I am in the same position, lots of experience but a lack of qualification has been hindering me. I have had dozens of interviews and in a lot of them it has been brought up about my lack of third level qualification.

My advice regarding Fas would be to research courses on their website before you go in, make a note of the name and number of a course you are interested in and ask to be referred to that. (if you have a printer I would recommend you print off the details as I was once told in Fas that a course didn't exist even though they were advertising it in their office)

Keep in mind that it is of no consequence to the fas advisor what course they get you on as long as they can tick a box to say they did. I too was threatened with having my JSB stopped if I didn't accept a course, though I am not sure how often this happens.

I was put on a course that has no interest and relevance to me, it's very very boring but am sticking with it, purely because it looks better to say you are trying. Another course I did was an area I had loads of experience in so was actually fairly useless in terms of learning ( I knew way more than the instructor) but again did it to just show I had the qualification. There were a few people on that course who simply couldn't grasp it, (an older man who had never used a computer was put on an advanced computer based course!) and subsequently failed the exam.

I had a jobbridge interview last week and was offered a postion yesterday. At my interview the issue of experience v qualification was brought up but I was able to show that I was at least trying to upskill and enhance, which did seem to impress them.

All I can say to you is go in there with a good idea of what you want to get out of it, make it work to your benefit rather than being another "success" for Fas.

Good Luck!
 
I too was threatened with having my JSB stopped if I didn't accept a course, though I am not sure how often this happens.
Happens more often than you think.
 
I'll go in and talk to them as I had a look at their website and see that they do some decent online courses so will see if I can do them. The courses being run locally at the moment are mainly to do with ECDL which I already have.

Thanks for all the replies :)
 
...I'm wary of this from feedback off other people. One guy said he was told to do a childcare course, even though he didn't have an interest in kids! ...

If they try do that I'd report them. I would assume shouldn't be sending people on inappropriate courses. Its a waste of resources. They should have some policy document to back up what they do. I'd ask to see it.
 
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