Print the value of index0
Experience Works disorganized, Irresponsible, Dishonest Nationwide
I applied in New Jersey in March 2014. Signed paperwork, but told not to put date in space next to my signature, Had to jump through many hoops before I was told I was accepted. The coordinator set up an interview with a host agency, after many weeks of waiting. I used an entire tank of gas getting to the interview, and pushed my already compromised vehicle to the limit; it broke down, but I had given myself plenty of time and made to the interview in time. Ater sitting in the waiting area for just over 1/2 an hour the conference room door opened. Two people remained having a casual conversation. After 25 more minutes passed I stepped inside to ask an unrelated question; only to learn that one of the people present was the director who was supposed to interview me. i introduced myself, and she then said, "oh, I forgot all about you, she was the director. It's my undersatanding that I should have been accompanied to an interview by someone connected to Experience Works. The long and the short of that story is, she was totally unprepared had not even checked her own schedule, and therefore learned she had zero to a few hours open for a participant. I went out to my broken down vehicle and I too broke down. I was there for 2 hours.
Becasue the coordinator knew I was in serious need she constantly suggested that I try other agencies for assistance. I continualy explained to her that I just needed her to work with my Experience Works application. I had been informed that I needed to get a government ID, I did so, at great expense. Although I turned in the 2014 SS verification letter. I was told by the participant worker that I might need the verification for the previous year. I never asked anyone to work outside their pay grade. However, it took very long for Patti, the coordinator to pick up my paperwork at the Burlington County location her to even come to the Burlington County location to pick up my paperwork. Two days after I was told she had picked it up I called her to confirm that everything was okay or whether I did need to get any other documents. She told me she had everything. There had been a question as to whether my Social Security Medicare card was sufficient. the participant worker who signed me up had asked her previosly on the phone. In that tiny cubicle, I could hear Patti's response. She indicated that the card should be sufficient. That's why I called her to make sure everything was truly in order. She assured me it was. By now it was the 3rd week in April.
The long and short is I was eventually sent on that fist interview, and after continuing to get "the run around" I on June 10th, phoned the regional director, Joe Farrone, who contacted Patti, who had stopped answering or returning my calls. She called me back within 15 minuts of the end of my call to the regional director. She had me meet her the next day in another county, that was convenient. She then went over my paperwork; paperwork I was led to believe she had reviewed a month earlier, when she told me everything was fine and also volunteered that all she needed to do was set up my "consloe." At that time i didn't even know what that meant. At any rate on June 11th she did set up the consloe, giving me a user name and password. I started my job training that day, after completing a 4 hour orientation the month before. Certainly I had clearance. How could a person begin logging hours unless they were cleared for participation. On that day she wrote down 2 documents I still needed I still have them in here hand. I drove to the SS office in another town, and had the other one faxed to her.
This is important when I asked whether she received the faxed she said, I'm not at home... That's right the fax number she supplied was her home. But wait there's more. Her whole sentence was: I'm not at home, I'LL CALL MY SON TO CHECK. I had already cautioned her regarding my confidentiality.
She then set up another interview as I continued to train online with the program. The interview was successful and I was to start June 17th Patti called me saying the HR coordinator had cancelled because she would be out of the office. She must have forgotten that the coordinator had given me her cell number. I called her, she said she had not cancelled and still planned to meet me. The next morning June 17th, the HR coordinator called me saying Patti had that morning sent her an e-mail cancelling. Apparently the TRUTH is Patti had missed a missing document in my paperwork, and that was the true reason.
I called Joe Farrone, who had said that I should keep him abreast of any further problems. He says he can not pay me for the work I put in without that document. Why was I allowed to start working without it? Why were interview even scheduled unless I was accepted in the program. the worst of it is they want to play the senior Experince Works Participant, but she is not the one who entered me into the Jobready coursework, or scheduled the interviews.
How can I have a timesheet with hours entered, and online tracking of the first class I passed and the second one I got more than 1/2 way through? Does anyone ever perform an audit? This is a Department Of Labor program. They owe me.
By the way during my last conversation with Patti Green, she again suggested I try yet anothe; this time an organization called 55+.
Can you belive it ?