Spiffo Idea?
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:22 pm
THere are some stories that you read in the newspaper which have you checking that it isn't April 1st.
Take this spiffo idea from the Ministry of Justice - setting up call centres inside prisons.
The blurb reads prisoners could offer "lower costs and overheads" to businesses who signed up. "Flexible resources that can deal with overflow calls and specific projects, all dedicated to growing and supporting your business". The flyer added that the prison-run call centres could offer trained operators "with British regional accents as an effective alternative to offshoring operations". A marketing email sent with the flyer confirmed that the government backed the initiative.
Now don't get me wrong, I am all in favour of trying to give prisoners' skills and getting them working, but working in call centres? WTF.
Also maybe I have missed something but don't we have quite a few unemployed people? How are they going to compete with prisoners who typically get paid between ?10 and ?40 a week? Apparently prisoners in open prisons are currently working in call centres in Wales for ?3 per day which has resulted in a significant number of existing workers getting the push.
If you take this and add in the huge expansion planned in the work experience scheme where long-term unemployed work for free for private employers for 6 months at a time, it makes you wonder if unemployment will ever come down.
Take this spiffo idea from the Ministry of Justice - setting up call centres inside prisons.
The blurb reads prisoners could offer "lower costs and overheads" to businesses who signed up. "Flexible resources that can deal with overflow calls and specific projects, all dedicated to growing and supporting your business". The flyer added that the prison-run call centres could offer trained operators "with British regional accents as an effective alternative to offshoring operations". A marketing email sent with the flyer confirmed that the government backed the initiative.
Now don't get me wrong, I am all in favour of trying to give prisoners' skills and getting them working, but working in call centres? WTF.
Also maybe I have missed something but don't we have quite a few unemployed people? How are they going to compete with prisoners who typically get paid between ?10 and ?40 a week? Apparently prisoners in open prisons are currently working in call centres in Wales for ?3 per day which has resulted in a significant number of existing workers getting the push.
If you take this and add in the huge expansion planned in the work experience scheme where long-term unemployed work for free for private employers for 6 months at a time, it makes you wonder if unemployment will ever come down.