The vocational training opportunities scheme was established to enable long-term unemployment people to return to education programmes without losing their social welfare entitlements. Participants on the scheme are paid a training allowance equal to their social welfare entitlement if they had remained on the live register. They also retain their secondary benefit entitlements, such as rent allowances, butter and fuel vouchers. In addition they are paid a travel allowance if they reside more than three miles from the centre and meal allowance.
The community employment scheme, which is operated under the auspices of the Department of Enterprise and Employment, differs from the vocational training opportunities scheme in that it is an employment rather than an educational scheme. The level of training allowance paid to participants of that scheme is a matter for the Minister for Enterprise and Employment.
There are no plans at this stage to increase the training allowance rates for participants on the vocational training opportunities scheme so as to bring them into line with those applying to the community employment scheme.