I attended these 2 compulsory courses for English speakers in Zürich today 16.08.11. The experience has left me bewildered. The first part was a three hour long lecture by someone on how to best squeeze the most money out of the government. That was strange in itself.

We were each given this lunch pass voucher worth 15.00Chf and then we were left to make our way to a different center in another part of the city. We were all waiting there until finally in the end some bloke showed up. He gave a quick speech that 80% of the group didn't understand because he only spoke in Swiss German. Then he handed out a really basic German test, about 5 pages and that was it. Half a day in my view wasted.

Is this experience normal for anyone who's attended these obligatory "courses" in the past. Or has anyone had the misfortune of witnessing this farce first hand today. I'm not sure where to post this, as I'm not complaining, mostly just confused as to what the RAV is playing at.

Thats about what happened when I went 5 years ago, except the first guy was an hour & a half late.

My German was very basic, however the RAV never bothered with a course.

I've got this very thing scheduled at the end of the month. The important question is: how was the lunch?

90 minutes I think.

You get these vouchers that you can redeem at restaurants. I'm going to frame my ones.

I've found it fairly useful in the past because there is always something that you find you never thought about and didn't know the answer to before the session.

I hadn't understood, for example, the calculation of additional payments if you do interim work (you can actually earn more this way) and other people in my meeting had been listening to "hearsay" rather than fact so the session leader was able to put them straight and dispel any rumours.

The lunch checks could be redeemed in most restaurants and I spent the lunchtime with some of the people from my session, which was nice.

The German assessment was fairly straightforward, as I recall, and I was home for tea and biscuits a good hour earlier than the written invitation stated.

I think once you are in the RAV system, you just have to suck it up and do as you are told until you get that job and can cut the shackles for good - it's a good feeling finally writing that email to your advisor that you don't need them any more.

I have the same meeting in a couple of days. Figure there is no harm going and seeing what they say, especially if it could help me out. I mean if they can help me get a job, I dont mind doing all the stuff they ask, especially since I write at least 10 new applications every month. But we shall see.

What they tell you on extra work is not always fact. If your earnings are one chf below your insurance payout you will get 70 or 80% the difference, if your earnings are the same as the insurance payout would be it's assumed you worked 100% that month so no further payment is made. How do I know? I am about to start year 6 with the RAV in September ! holiday pay is taken from your earnings so even with an insurance payout , earning over 100% is possible!

Does anyone know how it works with the RAV if you resigned yourself because your employer cannot offer part time work when one has a young baby? Would they penalize you?
If you have already booked holiday to see families before you have resigned, would this get penalized too? Thanks.

Probably & Probably, it depends on your advisor. If you don't have child care arranged they won't pay you either as you must be available for work immediately.

It's better to be fired than resign, it could cost up to 90 days. If you have a very good reason then it's OK. Some RAV's are helpful others less so.

Good luck.

Thanks for the info.
Do you know what happens on the first meeting with the consultant?

It really seems very, very variable from one place/advisor to another. I did a German assessment last week after asking for the RAV to fund German refresher classes for me.

What I got was at the other end of the scale from what the OP describes: I was given an online "BULATS" test where the level of difficulty of the questions adapted on the fly depending on whether my previous answer was right or wrong. The test took 75 minutes and there were 100 multiple choice questions altogether. My only gripe would be that it only tested written/oral comprehension and not speaking, but the whole thing was very serious (and bloody difficult!).

It might vary because German isn't the local language in Neuchatel. Probably the local language tests are pretty standard.

That's quite possible, yes. I know people who have done RAV-sponsored French tests here and it was much less "official" and more conversation-oriented.

You must go with lots of advertisements for jobs that you have applied for. Your CV, & all paperwork reference's etc. If you are trying hard to find work they will be helpful.
They will explain to you what is expected of you. You will be sent on a course on how the RAV works, how to claim everything your entitled to, & what happens if you get occasional part time work. All available in English.
There may be a language test. You will probably sent on a CV course.
If you get on with the advisor you will get an easy time, do not argue just listen & think before you say anything.

Good Luck

Thanks everyone. I went today and the guy told me that they don't usually speak English but he will for me as I had to bring my baby along with me. He then said it's ok if when we meet that I don't bring a translator and he will speak English with me. He was very nice.

Your lucky, I am happy for you.

So, I went to the English-language RAV info session and German assessment last week in Zürich, and in contrast to the OP's experience, it was positive and absolutely worthwhile.

The information meeting in the morning was spent going over how the RAV works, what your responsibilities are when you sign up, and how the unemployment insurance compensation payments are made. A couple of the points (the period of entitlement and daily compensation calculations especially) were laboured over a bit too long, but it was all useful stuff, and no questions went unanswered apart from the ones that were too case-specific.

After cashing in the Schweizer Lunch Checks (valid in Zürich in these places), making the way to the German assessment venue was fairly easy, in part due to the comically-enlarged maps printed out and given at the info session. The whole point of the assessment is to determine if you're ready for German lessons, and if so, at what level, which is clear afterwards but not explained beforehand - one of my few gripes. The instructions were given only in German, and the test given out consisted of 5 short but progressively more difficult questions to check your vocabulary and grammar, followed by a 5-minute discussion with one of the markers afterwards to size up your oral abilities. In German, obviously. Those who knew very little German were encouraged to just do what they could, and everyone could leave as soon as they were done.

Seeing as it was a beautiful day outside, I would've rather been sitting by the Sihl having a beer (the good news is: Schweizer Lunch Checks can be used for this purpose) and fulfilling the unemployed stereotype, but all in all it was one of the more pleasant compulsory-thingies I've been to.

That's very useful info. Have you heard from the Kasse yet?

The Kasse will just want a years payslips. Then you fill in your form on the 25th month (or possibly later if you did part time work) & they will pay you out in a few days.