One thing they also said in the training session was that, for whatever reasons, certain training programs aren't held in regard by the employers. You should check and make sure yours is, which is easier said than done. At that point, I didn't even bother asking them if they would sponsor me because after my first contacts with counsellors it seemed pretty obvious that they probably wouldn't sponsor me in Agriculture. I would have a much better chance as a fee-payer, which means I would pay tuition, books, and transportation, and they would keep me on UI.

Would they allow me to keep my Unemployment Insurance (UI) going while I went to school? They said, "How long is the break between terms?" If it was only an eight- week break they would keep my claim going, but because it was over eight weeks, they wouldn't. They said, "If you work over the summer, you can requalify, you could reapply." But there weren't enough weeks to requalify, so I said, "Will you do the first term?" He wanted me to phone one more person, and finally I just said, "Are you approving this or not?" He said, "I really shouldn't because we're not supposed to fund only part of a course."

But, they agreed to do it for that one term. Later when I went back to get the paperwork I thought I'd better make sure that getting this funding I wouldn't disqualify me from future training sponsorship. They said that they didn't have a rule like that at the moment, but one could come in. They didn't want to put people through school for the rest of their lives, but if I had a good reason I might get another shot.

After I was in school for a week, the secretary told me I had to sign in every day because I was on UI. Nobody from UI had told me about attendance. Fortunately, the secretary had seen me the first week.

I see from the sign-in sheets that a number of people in my two-year course are in fact sponsored by UI, so they probably came from a different office. One person told me that every year CEC chooses two or three geographic areas which, because they have exceptionally low employment, they put more money into and loosen up on the rules.

I would have liked if they did have more employment information, but people keep telling me they can't predict the future. I didn't start on the training thing until I was some months into my UI, and I realize now; it's much smarter to start right away. A lot of courses fill up six months before they start. The investigation takes longer than you think it will because you do a lot of running around and you will get contradictory information. If you've been unemployed for a longer time, it shows you really don't have employment prospects, but then it's harder to get it all done before your claim runs out, especially if there are waiting lists.

There's all these little rules at UI that can screw you. The first thing you should do is apply to the course but not register at the institution - put your name on the waiting list but make sure you don't register. Even if you're looking at three different courses and it costs a $10 application fee each time, it might be worthwhile to apply because the educational institutions have such big waiting lists. They say that you have to have a barrier to employment and they will help you overcome that barrier. But if you have just junky employment and want better, then they're not too interested in helping you. If you're a fee-payer and not asking for sponsorship, they're a bit looser.

Some workers are more cooperative than others. Some know more about the employment situation in the field you are looking in. They can give you the name of who to phone, instead of a secretary who mayor may not understand your questions, or people who may never return your call.

I think, in retrospect, when they told me to go somewhere else, I could have said, "Is there anyone else in this office who has more information about this field than you do?"