I've started out on doing some volunteering as a Generalist Adviser with the local Citizens Advice which involves doing a 10 week training course once a week, so I'm officially back in school until early September....
I guess this makes it my summer school!
It's kind of odd given that just three years ago I was teaching the AET - which is what the trainers on a course just like this would have been sent on.
But I won't pass judgement on the quality of teaching here!
For now it's just really nice to be back learning again, being a student again - I've always enjoyed learning as an adult, much more fun than delivering the training... and 0 stress as opposed to a lot of stress as the trainer!
Lots to learn...
There's a lot to the course.... the first three weeks have been very much base level stuff - what is CA and systems for example.
The coming weeks cover the substantive areas they deal with such as employment, benefits (40% of their case load), consumer and debt (the last dealt with by specialists).
I'm looking forward to getting stuck into to meat of the substantive policies... as someone thinking about doing an MSC related to social policy it makes sense.
The face to face learning is backed up with a lot of online learning materials...
As with many systems, it's a bit of a pain to log in and navigate, but once you've used it a few times it's O.K. to use!
Research Opportunities...
I'm also interested in the CA databse.... every interview is tagged so they have hundreds of thousands of cases a year which show what government policies are causing the most social problems.
And I'm attending a research meet this Weds - part of what they do is collect data to advocate - something which interests me.
I am training to be a generalist advisor which is fine but I hadn't realised CA does more national level research - and there are paid opps that come up from time to time which appeals.
Overall it's been a really positive experience - with a nice mix of older retired people and younger law students looking for work experience - and a very high level of education and competence all round!
I like these kind of win-win-win ventures, they are rare finds these days!
Learning stuff is always good, especially if it might open new doors! ;)
That's quite an investment from CA to offer a ten week training program before the volunteers can become productive, and I guess there's no committee from volunteers afterward? With the cost of living crisis and increase in domestic issues nowadays I'm sure CA can play a vital role in supporting people
They do ask for a minimum of one day a week volunteering for a year, but they're short days - 10.00 to 15.00!
It's potentially really useful work for students too.
That's a great thing to be involved in. Their training course is very good, a really good grounding. I've worked with them a couple of times, in a previous job where we were looking at debt and another one where we were looking at anti-poverty policy. So many pluses from so many different perspectives for you!
Be interesting to find out more about the research side and the whole parliamentary influencing process is fascinating (not necessarily effective, but fascinating)!
Slightly off topic, I was so disappointed by Labour's performance about ULEZ in the Uxbridge election - not that I'm thrilled about Labour, but being able to mount a defence of ULEZ is pretty minimal.
It's going well so far the CA.
Maybe ULEZ did make the difference, too many people with old card maybe?!? It's £300 a month extra if you drive every day a car that doesn't meet the requirements, you can't defend against that kind of financial loss.
I expect it was a factor, ULEZ is very unpopular in other parts of the outer reaches of London, too, and people already in the scheme are paying those additional amounts.
On the other hand:
I guess it's the first two! For winning the argument I mean!
Ah, now it looks like we're starting to get somewhere 😁.
Is it kind of vocational education centre? Here it is free, but I think teachers are paid.
It's just in house training with the CA!
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