asked the Minister for Labour the objectives of the following programmes (i) Teamwork (ii) social employment scheme (iii) community enterprise programme (iv) enterprise scheme (v) employment incentive scheme (vi) work experience programme; the performance of each of these programmes based on their objectives; if he has any plans during the next year to make any changes in these programmes, in particular with regard to wages and allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Work Programmes.
125.
Teamwork is a community managed scheme designed to help local voluntary non-profit making organisations provide temporary community based employment for young persons (under 25 years of age) on projects of a finite nature to the mutual benefit of both the young persons concerned and their communities. The performance of the scheme, in relation to its objectives has been satisfactory.
The purpose of the Social Employment Scheme (SES) is to assist people in the over 25 age group who have been unemployed for a prolonged period to make a worthwhile contribution to the development of the community by breaking a period of long term unemployment and motivating individuals with a view to their reintroduction into the labour market. It provides the discipline of working together with the opportunity to learn new skills or practice existing skills.
There are currently 2,843 projects in operation providing employment for 11,000 participants. The scheme has received universal favourable comment from sponsors and participants alike with participants' attendance, productivity and enthusiasm for work surpassing expectations.
Sponsors, who include local authorities, health boards, educational authorities as well as voluntary organisations have carried out work of a high standard which, without the scheme, they would have been unable to consider.
The goal of the Community Enterprise Programme (CEP) is to help community based groups and worker co-operatives to generate extra income and employment by either setting up businesses directly or helping individuals and groups to set up businesses. The programme is particularly geared towards disadvantaged groups and areas, and the unemployed.
Performance of the programme has been positive on these goals. Some 350 groups are currently being worked with, of whom 120 are at the stage of developing businesses, trading as businesses or helping other people to set up businesses. The other 230 groups are at earlier stages of development.
At the end of 1986, 320 people were employed in businesses directly supported by the programme and during 1987 a further 34 businesses (with job potential of over 200) will have been approved funding. The Youth Employment Agency through the programme also provides assistance to some 20 groups who provide incubator workspace (currently 185 people working with a total potential of over 600) and to groups who help individuals into self-employment (helps provide extra income locally, notably in mariculture, tourism and forestry).
Over 40 per cent of groups are catering for particularly disadvantaged groups and some 75 per cent of jobs provided in businesses directly supported are taken up by unemployed people.
The enterprise scheme is designed to assist eligible unemployed persons to set up their own businesses and to become self-reliant economically. Since its introduction in December 1983, the scheme has assisted over 18,000 unemployed persons to set up their own businesses. The Economic and Social Research Institute are currently engaged in research work on the scheme. The scheme will be reviewed in the light of any recommendations which may emanate from the ESRI Report (which is expected to be published early 1988).
The objective of the Employment Incentive Scheme (EIS) is to provide long term permanent employment. The performance of the scheme in relation to its objectives has been satisfactory. Approximately 70,000 recruitments have been notified to the Department of Labour since the inception of the scheme in 1977. The ESRI is also engaged in research work on this scheme and the scheme will be reviewed in the light of any recommendations which may emanate from this report.
The objective of the Work Experience Programme (WEP) is to help young people (under 25 years of age) who have left the educational system but cannot obtain employment because they lack experience. Over 65,000 young people have participated in WEP since its inception and the majority of these obtained employment (usually with their sponsors) when they left the programme. (The placement rates in 1985 and 1986 were 65 per cent and 63 per cent respectively).
Despite the high placement rate there has been growing concern about the programme. The proportion of well qualified young people on WEP has always been high and it is believed that many of these could have found jobs for themselves without any State intervention. It is for this reason and because I consider that the moneys saved can be better spent in other areas that I decided to suspend recruitment to the programme with effect from 30 September 1987.
There are no plans at present to make substantive changes in the above programmes. One of the major functions of FÁS will be to provide a better integrated service for the unemployed. In this connection it is possible that FÁS will decide upon changes in the present conditions of schemes.