Passport To Success life skills course is proving a big hit

“ImmArthur - As far as I'm aware, Community Learning Services is run by NELC so how can the GT be both putting a negative spin on it in this article whilst also fulfilling their alleged mantra of saying everything NELC do is "amazing and great"?”

“Dear Ms Spence,

What you have been exposed to is the GT team's Spin Machine. It is usually set to one of fIVE modes:
1/ NELC (and all it's councillors) is both amazing and great.
2/ Local property developers are philanthropic individuals with no interest in filthy lucre.
3/ NELC (and all it's councillors) is both amazing and great.
4/ Disadvantaged people need to be demonstrated to be scumbags, if only by inference, so that our readers attack them viciously.
5/ NELC (and all it's councillors) is both amazing and great.

Arthur, Immingham”

“Do they award a diploma for getting out of bed?”

“A COURSE teaching young people to get out of bed on time and apply for benefits has seen numbers more than double from the previous year.!!!!!!

What did they expect? A course teaching young people to get out of bed on time, find a job and look after themselves instead of relying on benefits might not have been so well attended I think.

What is this country coming to when the only well attended course these days is in 'benefit training'.”

“While we at Community Learning Services welcome your coverage of the success of the course, we just want to make it clear the aim of the course is not "getting young people out of bed on time and applying for benefits.''

Delivered by the Council's Community Learning Services from Freeman Street Resource Centre, the course is designed to support learners with the skills necessary to find a job. For those who have not done so well at school, this is a vital step towards an improvement in self esteem, growing confidence and enabling them to become self sufficient, independent people.

As you have indicated, it's excellent news that it's proving such a big hit and the learners' improved attitudes are testament to their hard work and commitment.

To assist your readers, if you know of anyone who would benefit from the course call Kelly or Jo in the Passport to Success Team on (01472) 324649

Caroline Spence
Curriculum Manager
Community Learning Services”

“There is certainly an increased sense these days that applying for benefits is something that can be done as an option without any real thought put into it. To me, it encourages an attitude that, rather than being the safety net they are supposed to be, benefits are seen as just another form of income.

There have been one or two occasions in the past when I have been eligible to claim certain benefits but refused to do so out of principle. I see them as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted no matter how hard you have tried to avoid the situation.”

“Is it just me or should your parents teach you to get up in a morning, go out lead a productive life.
Since when do people who cant get out of bed in a morning need advice on claiming benifits? That's the one thing they all get an A* for.
I would need help getting benifits because having worked since 17 I would have no idea where to start.”

“Harsh rant by WoolfySmiff, but by god it's all true.
I hope some good does come out of this, but a course on how to get out of bed and claim benefits.
Is that to enable them to go back to bed with their tinnies and fags ?
This generation needs to wake up and smell the coffee instead of expecting others to hand it all to them on a plate.
The government and the people that fund / run such courses also need to take a long hard look at themselves, then look at all the worth while causes out there that are in desperate need of funding such as looking after our elders properly.
Expect there to be a hell of a lot comments on this article !!!!!!!!!!!
Mainly by people that have had to graft their way through life.”

“WoolfySmifff.......... Couldnt have put it better myself.
How ridiculous.”

“A course to teach young people to apply for benefits and get up in the mornings? Gosh if only I'd known about this sooner, I could have saved myself the stress, worry, hard work and devotion that I've put into the past 20 odd years of raising my children and just dropped them into this course when they were grown up instead. I'm gutted that I've taught them the values of a good education and hard work and encouraged them to ensure they are financially stable before having children, I should have neglected it all and sent them on a how to claim benefits course instead.

Surely this is a joke. At a time when funding is being cut to worthwhile projects left right and centre who on Earth is funding this? When are parents going to be made to bring their children up and stop leaving it to the state to wipe up after them or made to not have children? Not to single people out or to ''have a go at' the 'success' story but it speaks volumes... clearly the lady involved learned from the course that the age old method of having a baby to get 'your own' place is a safe bet and that the associated benefits are definitely worth while partaking of as opposed to the outmoded system whereby you get a job and provide for yourself and your children.

I get it, I really do and I see how it could be a good thing and I get it that some people don't have good role models but please, please, please make the success story one of a course graduate who has gone into education or employment. Please tell me there is one.

The sooner you have to have a contraceptive implant before you can claim out of work benefits the better.”