Employing the Unemployable?
| Published date | 01 June 1978 |
| Date | 01 June 1978 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455057802500206 |
| Author | Martin L.J. Rudenko |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Employing the Unemployable?
MARTIN L. J. RUDENKO
THE CURRENT economic crisis with its concomitant unemployment pro-
blems is a cause for concern for all those who are seeking employment.
For some people the current situation adds a further burden to an already
disadvantaged position. Ex-offenders, alcoholics, ex-psychiatric patients
and a number of Probation Service clients fall into this category. When
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work is found by these men it is often of a menial nature in occupations
where they can be exploited, in which they are unable to use their
abilities and where there is little prospect of improvement. They stand
little chance in competition for Government-run training schemes, often
because of poor work records. Many of these men are hostel residents.
In December 1977 a survey was made of some of the residents of
various Southamptow hostels. It took place between October 1976 and
March 1977 with the aim of trying to find, and implement, possible
solutions to the employment problems of not only clients of the Probation
Service but also the residents of the various voluntary hostels.
The survey of men who were residents of the Church Army, Salvation
Army, St James’s Night Shelter, St Dismas and St Dismas Day Centre,
established age, criminal record, periods of imprisonment and/or length
of stay in a psychiatric hospital, qualifications, and periods of employ-
ment in the last twelve months to five years.
Apart from the statistics produced several general impressions were
gained whilst interviewing. These appeared to be a general sense of
apathy among those who were out of work. Many disliked the fact that
the only work available to them meant them being treated as the ’dogs-
body’. Of those working, none spoke of job satisfaction and spoke of
work only as a source of money. Related to this is the fact that some
said they would not work because the wages they received would only
be slightly above benefits paid by DHSS. None of the men interviewed
declared their criminal records when they applied for work believing,
in the light of past experience, that it would place them at a disadvantage.
Some said they would not...
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