# leaving job for fas course



## sillyaboutmo (8 Jul 2013)

hi all,
My hubby signed up for a fas course that he really wants to do a while back.  He is in full time employment at the moment.
citizen's advise said that he needs to be on the live register to qualify for the course.  the course starts next month so what I need to know is.
#can he go part time (ie work weekends) and Is that still classed as being on the live register. or will he need to be unemployed.
#once he gets the course (its a 6 month course), can he work extra hours or return to work if needs be.
I know its sounds crazy in this day and age giving up work and going on benefits but its a means to an end and once he completes this course he can command good money and we will be better of.  
mo


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## SarahMc (8 Jul 2013)

Sorry but If he gives up work, or voluntarily reduces his hours,  he will disallowed from claiming for 9 weeks, so won't qualify for the course.


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## sillyaboutmo (8 Jul 2013)

the girl in citizens advise said he just needs to be on the live register to qualify for a fas course.  I asked her did he need to be in receipt of payment and she said no


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## phoenix (8 Jul 2013)

I was not able to join any fas courses until I was in receipt of benefits.  I had to wait the nine weeks as mentioned above.  This was confirmed to me by fas when I asked to join a course prior to the nine week period being up.  This happened this year.

Phoenix


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## TommyB (8 Jul 2013)

I'm sorry but this makes me so angry. The mentality around this shows you how the welfare state is getting out of hand. 

A person in a paying job sees a course they like that will improve their earning potential. In the normal world they pay for that course (like I'm currently doing, 4K a year for two years) and do it part time in the evening. 

But in our entitled welfare state they want to leave their paying job to receive welfare allowance, a free course and then to profit from their increased earnings. Madness. Readnig the advice above I will be lobbying for the government to increase the time someone is eligible for welfare after voluntarily leaving a job to one year. 

PS. I doubt there is any course that Fas offer that could improve your earning potential.


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## SarahMc (8 Jul 2013)

Phoenix is correct, you are not on the live register during those 9 weeks, so you do not qualify. The person in Citizens Informaion was referring to people signing for credits or qualified adults.

Tommy, calm down, no rant or lobbying required. There is a big policy shift in activation measures being available to the long term unemployed.


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## wbbs (9 Jul 2013)

Most Fas courses are not accessible to people signing for credits either unless you pay for them, you can do the night courses for free when on credits, nothing else though so would have thought receiving a sw payment was essential.


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## sillyaboutmo (9 Jul 2013)

the course is in welding.  when he went to fas about the course he was willing to pay for it as he really wants to do it.  there is no other course available in this country that gives the same training.  believe me we looked.  we have explored all options and leaving and being unemployed is the only route.  its only for 6 months and he will be working while he's doing it and after so we're not sponging.  
mo


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## Jim2007 (9 Jul 2013)

sillyaboutmo said:


> its only for 6 months and he will be working while he's doing it and after so we're not sponging.
> mo



He will be claiming benefits, while working and attending a course paid for by the state, so how exactly does your definition of sponging go???


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## TommyB (9 Jul 2013)

> we have explored all options and leaving and being unemployed is the only route


No, your only option is not to do the course and keep on looking for a similar paid one.


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## sillyaboutmo (9 Jul 2013)

touché. he was quite willing to pay for the course but they were having none of it.   If you can offer any advise on another way of training as a welder please do so.
back to the original question as its seemed to of detoured. 
 is he classed as being on the live register if he works part time and claims part time job seekers?


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## sillyaboutmo (9 Jul 2013)

tommy if it were a course in computers or caring they are ten a penny.  this particular course in coded pipe welding is only run by FAS.


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## SarahMc (9 Jul 2013)

I answered your question about part time work in the first reply to you.


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## PaddyBloggit (9 Jul 2013)

sillyaboutmo said:


> .... this particular course in coded pipe welding is only run by FAS.



Googling course in coded welding throws up lots of places offering courses:

e.g.



[broken link removed]

[broken link removed]

Deliberately becoming unemployed to get on a FÁS course sounds ridiculous given the times we're in.

All may not be rosy in the coded welding employment sector:

http://ie.linkedin.com/pub/darren-field/66/2a9/5a4


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## Luternau (9 Jul 2013)

+1 for not giving up a job to go on any course. The system is totally wrong if that is what it is leading people to consider.

One thing confuses me, how could someone working part time and also claiming part time JSA, be cosidered unemployed/to be on the live register? Or am I missing something?


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## SarahMc (10 Jul 2013)

Because you can only claim part time JS if you have suffered a significant loss of employment, ie if your company puts you on a short week, or you are unemployed already and an only find part time work.

Although included in the live register figure, you are right they are really under employed, not unemployed. 88,322 such people on live register, making up 20% of the total.


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## grenzgebiet (10 Jul 2013)

*Welding Courses - CIT evenings*

Cork Institute of Technology offers six different welding courses from Basic to Arc to Tags etc.
All evening courses, all part-time (2 to 3 evenings per week).

http://www.cit.ie/courses/eveningweekendcourseslist/#letter-W

No need to give up employment to take a course.


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## sillyaboutmo (10 Jul 2013)

PaddyBloggit said:


> Googling course in coded welding throws up lots of places offering courses:
> 
> e.g.
> 
> ...


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## sillyaboutmo (10 Jul 2013)

grenzgebiet said:


> Cork Institute of Technology offers six different welding courses from Basic to Arc to Tags etc.
> All evening courses, all part-time (2 to 3 evenings per week).
> 
> http://www.cit.ie/courses/eveningweekendcourseslist/#letter-W
> ...


 

thank you, I do know how to use google.
Again these are 3 day courses in the opposite side of the country that are for qualified welders looking to upskill.  its complicated unless you are in the business.  my hubby is an engineer with welding experience but no papers.  I was merely looking for facts about qualifying for a FAS course.


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## Ann1 (10 Jul 2013)

Would it be possible for your husband to avail of the Apprentice Training Allowance through his present
employer, that is assuming he is at present employed in the engineering field. 

http://www.fas.ie/en/Allowances+and+Grants/Apprentice+Wages.htm

http://www.qualifax.ie/qf/QFPublic/?Mainsec=courses&Subsec=course_details&ID=74738&CSH_ID=

http://www.qualifax.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=5


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