Before we end the year, lets recap on this year’s highlights of our favourite local christian poverty pimp YMCA Training.
I was browsing Google referrer search terms (i.e. what people search to find us) and noticed amongst the many, a lot of search terms relating to providers, the owners/founders and those who run them. This is obviously in addition to many more in regards to New Deal, Flexible New Deal and the upcoming Work Programme. This is far more than happened 6 months ago.
Giving A4e‘s Emma “Cuts are fantastic!” Harrison a break (for today) I focused on a few Google searches to see how well the sites are doing (No I don’t intend this to be a Google advertisement haha). One popped up, a search for “ymca training sally smith”. No less than our favourite prison warden! (Please don’t take the word favourite in this article too much to heart!!)
She not so recently gave a speech at Jimmy’s Farm – an event organised by yes, you guessed it YMCA Training!
The news article on the Official Jimmy’s Farm Rare Breeds (since 2002) website, reads:
Jimmy’s Farm Acknowledged As Making An Outstanding Contribution To The Professional Development of Learners
MORE than 100 representatives from Suffolk’s top businesses celebrated their contribution to training at Jimmy’s Farm this week.
The event, hosted by the YMCA Training, recognised the input local businesses have made to its volunteer programme over the last year.
Starts off quite well, then we are hit with the following blow:
YMCA Training provides the long-term unemployed and young people, some of whom have been permanently excluded from mainstream education, with work placements.
Although the announcement of work placements at YMCA Training (yes really!! Feel free to recover before continuing, fellow YMCA Training New Deal Dencora House Detention Centre inmates) comes to many as a shocking surprise; I think their contracts are for more than just “work placements”. One of their contracts is to subcontract the Flexible New Deal for TNG (we can understand why… completely incompetent organisation talking about TNG although could also stretch to YMCA Training rather easily) and the MWRA period is just a month and TNG have a 3 monthly assessment period to determine who stays and who goes into Dencora House Detention Centre. Do they not offer anything else? I wouldn’t be surprised.
It continues with the possibly-Conservative middle-class wannabe Sally Smith making a rather posh statement:
YMCA Training manager, Sally Smith, said: “Our close working relationship with employers is vital to the success of our business and to the ultimate up-skilling and success of our customers. The event is also an opportunity to showcase our provision to a number of influential local dignitaries including county councillors, other local employers and service commissioners.”
It then continues, with what happens to be rather disappointing news, which is only 15 people over 2 years have had a work placement. Adults likely referring to Flexible New Deal and young people as for those excluded from school etc. As for adults alone, 15 isn’t too bad, but as the figure includes those excluded from school etc where such activities are much more popular, its rather disappointing to say the least.
If that isn’t bad enough, only dozens have taken part in giving work placements throughout Suffolk. Why bringing 100 representatives other than a low budget wannabe celebrity event as an excuse to dress up smart and get drunk?!
Jimmy’s Farm is one of dozens of companies in Suffolk which has taken part in the scheme.
Farm Manager Nathan Dodd said: “We’ve been happy to work in partnership with the YMCA Training for the past two years. We have had more than 15 young people and adults from YMCA over that time, who have helped out, undertaking various activities on the farm. We are proud to have developed their career potential as well as taking on some young people at the farm.”
However, you can read the full article here.