Today was the day that I had to attend the British Gas Workclub at Callaghan Square in Cardiff. The entrance to the British Gas building is directly opposite the car park behind the railway station. The easiest way from the centre of Cardiff is to head down Penarth Rd and cross over to the left side as it is less than 200 metres from St Mary St. I only mention this in case anyone is interested in the vacancies they have. At the reception desk I was one of twelve waiting with a lady who I think was from the Jobcentre. Eventually a guy came along and took us up to the fifth floor to have a look around. We were told that around 1200 people work in the British Gas offices and the advisors are on three floors. We were given a short tour that included a canteen area where the tea and coffee are free. They have a ping pong table and a large television for the staff to relax and the guy said that on another floor they have a snooker table. We were even shown a small kind of shopping area that the staff can use. They had a free cashpoint, they could buy sandwiches and various items such as batteries. we were told that if someone wanted their car taxed for example then they have someone who will do that for them while they are at work. After the tour we all ended up in a room sitting in front of a screen that showed a few details while the guy from British Gas explained the finer points. It appears that if we want to apply for the jobs then it has to be done online and then it would lead to a phone interview and then it could lead to an assessment at the British Gas building. The guy from British Gas did mention that the starters would be on 60 days of training where they would be helped by more experienced staff. He also said that at this moment in time they do not sell anything over the phone from the Cardiff Centre but things might change in the future. The hours are a fixed 37 hours between 8am to 8pm. The salary details for the jobs were interesting to hear about. The basic salary is 17k with a possibility of earning a bonus of I think he said 16% of the salary. Staff also receive a 3% extra payment, I think that is yearly as a thank you from British Gas and staff can also buy British Gas shares at a discount. Why don't they just pay them the basic salary and reduce customers bills? One young guy joined us late and another over fifty minutes late and the whole thing was over in just over an hour. The lady who I thought was from the Jobcentre did ask for the names of the two young guys but then again she asked for all our names as we entered the building. Let's hope it isn't mentioned to their advisors at the Jobcentre later. I have to see my advisor later this week to discuss how things went and he did tell me last week that I would have to apply online for the jobs. I think some of the unemployed were showing a little bit of enthusiasm, call centres are clearly not my kind of thing and I don't think I have any chance really.