The primary purpose of the community employment programme, CE, is to reintegrate long-term unemployed persons into employment in the open labour market. Through CE participants are provided with valuable opportunities for development and training, and communities are provided with the resources necessary to provide services locally and/or develop their local area. Opportunities, in an increasingly positive labour market environment, for CE participants who have completed their term on the programme to obtain permanent employment are influenced by location, education and the skill level of the participants.
There are currently in the region of 33,500 participants on CE, of whom 10,520 are over 50 years of age. Following a restructuring of the programme in 1999 participation levels are gradually being reduced to 28,000 by the end of 2003. The mainstreaming of certain essential services currently undertaken by CE participants, which will provide new employment opportunities for CE participants and other long-term unemployed persons, will further reduce the numbers employed on the programme. The maximum duration on CE for all participants is three years with the exception of offshore island inhabitants and participants on drugs taskforce projects.