When is a job not a job?

Answer: When it is less than 16 hours a week .

How did I come to that conclusion? It follows DVSC taking on a few contracts involving Wales European Funding Office and the EU. We are told that for the people we place in work they must work at least 16 hours a week if we are to secure payment for the support services we have provided in the run up to them gaining work.

Given  ,I thought,  that we were all encouraged to help people into work the fact that there is a minimum threshold of 16 hours a week cuts right across the spirit of what is intended as we find that for many venturing back into work after many years at home caring for elderly parents or bringing up children or similar  the prospect of going straight into 16 hours work each week  is daunting. Far better to start with say 5 hours a week and build up to 16 or more. That's what I call progression and giving the right support to people.

So that means if we find employment for someone less than 16 hours it doesn't count but you can imagine for the individual concerned and their immediate and possibly extended family it is a big difference.

Also when you consider the current financial climate there are many employers who are now looking to take people on for a limited number of hours as their budgets will not stand longer hours.

So I call on all politicians and the community at large to lobby for  change so that we can all celebrate the  gaining of work irrespective of number of hours worked.