The appointment given to me to attend Working Links in Cardiff after the two week course with Skills Wales was for 10.20am on wednesday 25th January. I attended and was given a couple of forms to complete that basically asked questions about the course. I completed the form honestly and then was taken to a room to discuss my views. This happens to everyone on the course. I was fair and didn't rubbish the course because if you rubbish everything then all your valid concerns tend to be taken lightly. I was left with the feeling that I had been either told wrong information by Skills Wales or Working Links as it seemed that the statements being made to me appeared to contradict the other company. I'm not against being put on a course as they have to do something with us to justify the money they are receiving from government and to leave us just turning up twice a week to do jobsearch would clearly show what a waste of money the work programme is. To put us on an employability course after we have been declared job ready was absurd. Working Links were attempting to see if Skills Wales had a course that could help people into work and I believe that these courses will be continued. Interesting to find out that the two week course was supposed to be confined to class based and not using any computers. The word processing task we had to do was set by Skills Wales it appears but I asked the Skills Wales tutor last week and he told me that it was something that Working Links wanted included in the two week course. I don't know who to believe but they made people looking for warehouse and security work complete the task and that doesn't make sense. One good thing came out of it all. During my discussion with a Working Links member of staff discussing my experience on the Skills Wales course I was told that from now on everyone can stay on jobseekers allowance and not have to go on a training allowance for that fortnight and that should avoid any problems with benefits. Maybe they will also scrap the word processing task as well. I am due for my next Working Links appointment next monday and I am expecting it to be jobsearch but who knows. They might surprise me with something else. Before I left the building on wednesday I asked for my next appointment and I was given it on a piece of paper instead of one of their attendance cards. It seems they are running short of them. I once was sitting in the Working Links offices waiting for someone to call me and after a guy left the office the member of staff who had been chatting to him said out loud in the open plan office that she couldn't stand him and a couple of staff laughed and joked about it. Totally unprofessional and nasty behaviour, it wouldn't surprise me if some of them say some nasty things about me when I leave but I will still stand up for my rights in a dignified way. I will always be fair as we all make mistakes but it's sad when the poor unemployed have to set an example to the staff at Working Links.