Måned: august 2010

Dear Mr Ribsskog,

My name is

Gary Birch and I am the manager with overall responsibility for the BME

Employability Team and as such have been forwarded your recent email exchanges

with both members of my team and the Liverpool JET Services.

I have requested

and received all background information regarding your enquiry, looked at the

accuracy of the information and advice you received and reviewed all relevant client

case notes. It is my opinion that the service you received was appropriate and

of a standard that we expect our Guidance Officers to meet during each and

every client intervention. I do appreciate that on occasion the signposting

process may lead to a destination were a cost implication is unavoidable and

that no suggested sources of funding may be forthcoming. However, these

circumstances in no way diminish the accuracy, relevance or quality of the

service provided. You are perfectly entitled to be dissatisfied with the

service you received and to disagree with my opinion. I therefore encourage you

to provide your honest comments, whether positive or negative, on the service as

part of our post contact evaluation process. I will ensure you are sent an

evaluation form in the next couple of days.

An issue of

greater concern to me is the references you make in your emails to both your ‘colour’

and that of the BME Employability Team members. You appear to be suggesting that the service

provided to you was less than that offered to clients of other ethnic origins

and that this was because of the team’s ethnic mix. If this is the case, I must point

out that the work of the BME Employability Team is held in the highest regard

and that they enjoy an enviable reputation in supporting the needs of all clients in the same professional

manner, no matter the race, creed, country of origin or religious beliefs of

the individual or group. Any evidence you have of discriminatory practices should

be forwarded to me immediately. I will then arrange to meet with you at the

earliest opportunity and I can guarantee you that all allegations will be fully

investigated.

I do hope I have

made my position in this matter very clear but please do not hesitate to

contact me if you have any queries arising from this email.

Regards

Gary Birch

Contracts

Manager

Adult Learning Service

1st Floor,

Clubmoor Childrens Centre

Utting Avenue East

Liverpool

L11 1DQ

Phone: 0151 233

8537

Mail: gary.birch@liverpool.gov.uk

Supporting

Liverpool and England's

2018 World Cup Bid

---

From:

Costello, Mary On Behalf Of JET

Sent: 16 August 2010 10:04

To: Birch,

Gary

Cc: Pineda, Carlos

Subject: FW: Complaint/Fwd: Is it

possible to convert Norwegian degrees/certificates to English

degrees/certificates?/Fwd: Update/Fwd: Complaint about Jet Employability

Team/Fwd: Update/Fwd: IT Manager

Please see email below

Mary

Mary Costello-Smith

Central JET Team

Liverpool JET Service

Neighbourhood Employment

Services

2nd Floor Millennium

House

Victoria Street

Liverpool, L1 6JF

T: 0151 233 5462

F: 0151 233 8241

M: 07540 643100

E: mary.costello@liverpool.gov.uk

W: www.liverpooljet.org

2010 Year of

Health and Wellbeing

www.2010healthandwellbeing.org.uk

---

From:

Erik Ribsskog [mailto:eribsskog@gmail.com]

Sent: 13 August 2010 17:12

To: JET

Subject: Fwd: Complaint/Fwd: Is it

possible to convert Norwegian degrees/certificates to English degrees/certificates?/Fwd:

Update/Fwd: Complaint about Jet Employability Team/Fwd: Update/Fwd: IT Manager

Hi,

I mean, is it because I'm not coloured, (not black).

Because in the first meeting, then they said there that they could sometimes

send to Naric, but not before companies asked for it.

And I've had problems with the Jobcentre giving me grief, so then I thought I

could ask to get about my qualifications clearified.

(And they didn't look at my Upper

Secondary school

qualifications in the first meeting).

So I think it's strange I have to pay the £40.

I feel a bit tricked by Mr. Carlos Pineda.

He didn't tell me that this involved a £40 bill.

I think he should have told me that, in the meeting at Jet job-bank, on

Wednesday.

It's like he clouded it, about this, I think.

Therefore I think I was tricked, I think the normal procedure, in this, is that

this goes through JET.

Right?

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

———- Forwarded message ———-

From: Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com>

Date: Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 4:55 PM

Subject: Complaint/Fwd: Is it possible to convert Norwegian

degrees/certificates to English degrees/certificates?/Fwd: Update/Fwd:

Complaint about Jet Employability Team/Fwd: Update/Fwd: IT Manager

To: Jet@liverpool.gov.uk

Hi,

is it because I am not black, that I have to pay £40, for this?

Wouldn't Jet normally

have paid this?

Regards,

Erik Ribsskog

———- Forwarded

message ———-

From: info <info@naric.org.uk>

Date: Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 9:42 AM

Subject: RE: Is it possible to convert Norwegian degrees/certificates to

English degrees/certificates?/Fwd: Update/Fwd: Complaint about Jet

Employability Team/Fwd: Update/Fwd: IT Manager

To: "eribsskog@gmail.com"

<eribsskog@gmail.com>

Dear Erik Ribsskog,

Thank you for your email.

UK NARIC is

the National Agency responsible for providing information and advice about

vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications from all over the

world. We provide information about the equivalency of qualifications and

skills from overseas to the UK's

national qualifications frameworks.

Unfortunately

we are unable to comment on qualifications or institutions via email or provide

comparability statements by email.

If you would like to use our services you can call us on

(0044) (0)871 330 7033, Monday to Friday (between 9:00am and 5:00pm), to speak

to an information adviser and they will be happy to discuss this with you

further. Detailed information on our services and the various steps to

take can also be found here: http://www.naric.org.uk/index.asp?page=16

and http://www.naric.org.uk/index.asp?page=22

If you

require a written statement of comparability from us you can apply to our

organisation in two ways:

1) You can

apply online through our website: www.naric.org.uk, where

you can fill in our online application form with your personal details and pay

by credit or debit card. You will receive a discount for applying online

and the total price will be £40.00 if you live outside of the EU or £40.00 +VAT

(£47.00) if you live within the EU. The fee is per Statement, which can include

multiple qualifications.

You then

need to forward us photocopies of all your academic documentation including

your final transcripts and final certificates. If these are not in

English, please include certified translations. You may send these to us

along with a print out of your online application form to our address which is:

UK NARIC

ORIEL HOUSE

ORIEL ROAD

CHELTENHAM

GLOS

GL50 1XP

Alternatively,

you can also fax your documentation to us on (0044) (0)871 330 7005

2) If you do

not want to apply online you can also apply through the post. You need to

send us photocopies of all your academic documentation including your final

transcripts and final certificates (if these are not in English, please include

certified translations) along with a covering letter, with all your contact

details on it, including your name and address and a contact email address (if

you have one) and a contact telephone number. Your covering letter also needs

to contain a brief description of why you wish to apply to us.

If you apply

through the post this service will cost you £46.00 if you live outside the EU,

or £46.00 +VAT (£54.05) if you live within the EU.

The turnaround time

for the Statement of Comparability is 15 working days from the date of receipt

of all required documentation and payment. Please note that this timeframe does

not include delivery time and cannot be guaranteed. In some cases, such as

those requiring additional research, the process may take longer and the

applicant will be informed.

I

hope this information is of assistance to you. If you have any further

queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

UK NARIC

t: +44 (0)871 330 7033

f: +44 (0)871 330 7005

//. www.naric.org.uk

Oriel House, Oriel Road,

Cheltenham, GL50 1XP

From: Erik Ribsskog [mailto:eribsskog@gmail.com]

Sent: 11 August 2010 18:52

To: Customer Services

Cc: carlos.pineda@liverpool.gov.uk

Subject: Is it possible to convert

Norwegian degrees/certificates to English degrees/certificates?/Fwd:

Update/Fwd: Complaint about Jet Employability Team/Fwd: Update/Fwd: IT Manager

Hi,

I was at a meeting

at Jet Liverpool today, with Mr. Carlos Pineda, Guidance Officer, Adult Learning Service, Ethnic Minority Employability

Project.

We agreed, that

I'd contact Naric, regarding my degrees from Norway.

I have degrees at

both level 3 and level 5/6.

I send about this

in different e-mails, first about the level 3 degrees, then I think it's easier

to keep the overviev.

I went three years

on Upper Secondary

Business School,

in Norway,

from 1986 to 1989.

For all of these three years, I got a 'vitnemål', that's a (school leaving)

certificate.

These I think must

be at National Diploma-level.

The first year, I graduated in 'Grunnleggende handels og kontorfag', which

means 'Basic commerce and office-knowledge'.

The second year, I

graduated, in 'Markedføring', that's Marketing.

The third year, I graduated in 'Informasjonsbehandling', that's Information

Management.

The third year, I

had an optional subject, 'Matematikk', that's Maths, (even if we had an a bit

un-structurised teacher, in that subject, I'd say, so I only got a 2, as a

grade, but that's still a pass).

So, since I passed

in maths, as an optional subject, then I got a qualification, called 'generell

studiekompetanse', earlier called 'examen artium', in Norway.

(I think this is

what you call A-levels, in the UK).

I didn't get this in writing, from my Upper Secondary School.

But I got matriculated, at the University

of Oslo, in 1991.

(Since I had a rest-year, from the Information

Management University

College, which I studied

on then, NHI.

And then I got a job in a shop, to save up money for further full time studies.

And then I wanted to try to use my mind a bit more as well, since I only sat in

the check out in the shop, and I was a bit curios about what 'Examen

Philosoficum' was, at the University of Oslo, so I studied there.

So the Univeristy of Oslo, can confirm that I have this qualificiation, (I'm

sending a copy of their letter), called 'generell studiekompetanse'/'examen

artium'/A-levels.

Which that I can study at (Norwegian) universities.

So these three years at Upper Secondary School in Norway, they gave me three

certificates/National Diplomas and one academic qualification, (examen

artium/generell studiekompetanse).

So I was wondering it I could then please get these transfered to English

degrees/qualifications.

Because I'm not sure that e.g. the Jobcentre, understand my Norwegian

degrees/qualification.

(It would then be three National Diplomas I'd guess:

– One in Basic

Commerce and Office-knowledge/work.

– One in

Marketing.

– One in Information

Management.

– And also an

academic qualification, that means I can study at unversities, (A-levels?).

I hope you have

the chance to look at this!

Thank you very

much in advance, for any help!

I'm also going to send you another e-mail, about my level 5/6

qualifications/degrees/grades.

But I send two different e-mails, about this, since I think it helps with

keeping the overview, regarding this.

Hopes this is alright!

I enclose scanned

copies of the three certificates, and the letter from the University of Oslo,

regarding the academic qualification, 'generell studiekompetanse'/A-levels(?).

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

———-

Forwarded message ———-

From: Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com>

Date: Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 5:29 PM

Subject: Update/Fwd: Complaint about Jet Employability Team/Fwd: Update/Fwd: IT

Manager

To: Jet@liverpool.gov.uk

Cc: carlos.pineda@liverpool.gov.uk

Hi,

I was at Jet

job-bank today, and spoke with Mr. Carlos Pineda, Guidance Officer, Adult Learning Service, Ethnic Minority Employabilitiy

Project.

We discussed my

complaint.

And I explained that the Jobcentre gave me grief, because they say that my

degree from Norway,

is at level 4, while Jet and Direct Gov say it's at level 5.

So we agreed I'd

contact Naric, about this, (and to see if my grades from two University

Colleges in Norway

are enough to get a Bachelor Degree, etc).

I appolised for that I think I perhaps over-reacted a bit in my compaint.

It's just that I'm a bit stressed from being un-employed, and the Jobcentre are

giving me a bit grief regarding this and other issues.

So we agreed that

this complaint was now solved, with the new information I got the meeting

today.

Thank you very much for your help with finding out which level my degrees from Norway

are!

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

———-

Forwarded message ———-

From: Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com>

Date: Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 6:22 PM

Subject: Complaint about Jet Employability Team/Fwd: Update/Fwd: IT Manager

To: Jet@liverpool.gov.uk

Hi,

I was sent by

Gill, from JET in Walton, to Jet employability team, last month.

They didn't want to transfer my degree, to a UK degree, so I now strugle, when I

apply for work, and the Jobcentre says I'm at level 4, when I'm really at level

5 or 6.

I think I really have a level 6, (bachelor), degree.

But Jet Employability Team, didn't want to look at my files thorowly, but were

almost hostile, I think, (maybe because I'm white, since all of the people in

that office were coloured).

And they didn't want to transfer my degrees from Upper Secondary School

eighter.

They only wanted

to look at one file, and that was it.

But I also have a file from another University

College, where I almost

got a degree.

So I think this really-really is like a Bachelor-degree.

But I don't think the person at Jet employability team, seemed qualified to

judge this.

It seemed like he had enough with finding Norway on the screen.

Is it any way I could get this looked at properly?

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

———-

Forwarded message ———-

From: Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com>

Date: Wed, Jul 28,

2010 at 5:47 PM

Subject: Update/Fwd: IT Manager

To: Lesley.Sloan@alfa.com

Hi,

sorry that I'm

sending this many e-mails.

But you see, I'm from Norway,

so I'm not used with 'fancy' sections on the CV, called things like 'Personal

Profile', and 'Skills'.

So it could be that I get my CV a bit wrong now.

And the Jobcentre, Working Links etc., they tell me things like to have those

sections, and that the CV shouldn't be more than two pages, and to only write

work-experience from the last 10-15 years.

So I've changed the CV a lot of times now.

But I think it's

maybe best for me, to just have a very basic style of CV, like I've learned in Norway.

Since CV really means Curriculum Vitea, which means a description of how one

have lived ones life.

As far as I understand.

So really, I'm not sure if the 'fancy' sections should be on the CV,

originally.

And to cut out pieses

of one's work-experience, on one's CV, isn't really true to the original nature

of a CV, which means a descripiton of what one have done, in one's life.

So I think the Jobcentre, and Working-links are a bit silly, perhaps.

But you have given me valueable feed-back.

Thank you very much for the feed-back!

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

———-

Forwarded message ———-

From: Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com>

Date: Wed, Jul 28,

2010 at 5:05 PM

Subject: Re: IT Manager

To: Lesley Sloan <Lesley.Sloan@alfa.com>

Hi,

well, I've studied

IT for four and a half years at university-level, so I think I have some

skills.

I've also worked with system development, in 1993, even if maybe that isn't on

my CV, since it's many years ago.

But thank you anyway for your reply.

Best regards,

Erik Ribsskog

On Wed, Jul 28,

2010 at 4:54 PM, Lesley Sloan <Lesley.Sloan@alfa.com> wrote:

Dear Erik

Thank you

for your application for the position of IT Manger at Alfa Aesar, Heysham.

Unfortunately

your skills and experience do not meet our specifications and therefore we will

not be pursuing your application further.

In the

meantime I would like to thank you for your interest in the position and indeed

Alfa Aesar and I wish you every success in securing suitable employment in the

future

Many

Regards

Lesley

Sloan

HR Manager

Alfa Aesar

A Johnson

Matthey Company

Shore Road

Port of Heysham Industrial Park

Heysham

Lancs.

LA3 2XY

Phone 01524 862241

Email lesley.sloan@alfa.com

At Johnson

Matthey, sustainability is key to our success.

Social –

Environment – Health & Safety

To learn

more, visit http://www.matthey.com/cr/sustainability

>>> Erik Ribsskog <eribsskog@gmail.com> 28/07/2010 15:59 >>>

Hi,

I read

about this vacancy, on the Jobcentre Plus website.

I have a degree from Norway,

in IT, from 2009, which is comparable with a Higher National Diploma, here in

the UK, and I've also

studied Information Management, at university-level in Norway, for two years, in addition

to this.

I also

have degrees from Upper Secondary Business-school, in Norway, in Basic Commerce and

Office-work, Marketing and Information Management, which are comparable with

National Diplomas here.

I've also worked as a manager, in Norway,

for ten years, in one of Norways

biggest food shop-chains, Rimi, (owned by ICA),

so I'm used with working with management and customer support.

I attach

my CV, and hope to hear back from you!

Yours

sincerely,

Erik

Ribsskog

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