unemployed former MSP and Labour Minister Frank McAveety has said people struggling to find work are not getting the help they need.
Mr McAveety held ministerial posts in the Labour-LibDem Executive at Holyrood, but lost his Glasgow Shettleston seat at the last election.
He is still unemployed and said being jobless for the first time had helped him appreciate the misery faced by people on the dole.
He said Government claims that the unemployed got appropriate support to help them find work "did not match reality".
Mr McAveety, a former leader of Glasgow City Council who is again standing for election to the council, said public figures would benefit from feeling the frustration of trying to find work.
He said: "I had never been out of work in my whole life but I found after politics it wasn't the case that I could walk straight into a good job. At times it was very demoralising but I also found it to be a hugely corrective experience.
"I saw people desperately trying to get back into employment but who for a variety of reasons couldn't.
"Imagine waking up week after week, caught in a cycle of wanting to work but not being able to get a job. I think it would be really helpful if people in public office experienced what it's like to try to find work."
He said Jobcentre Plus staff were was not geared up to helping professional people with degrees.
Although critical of the support available at Jobcentres, Mr McAveety backed their staff, saying they were under pressure because they had suffered job cuts and were facing more but still had to deliver services with diminishing resources.
He added: "The rhetoric is that people are given tailored support but the reality is that it's a fairly limited palette. If we are serious about getting people back to work, the support programme must be better tailored to the individual."
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