In order to develop and implement a Youth Guarantee Plan, the Department of Social Protection has set up an interdepartmental Youth Guarantee Implementation Group with officials and programme managers from the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The terms of reference for this group are to review the current range of youth employment services in Ireland, to assess what measures are appropriate to deliver the Youth Guarantee in Ireland and to develop the implementation plan for approval of Government and transmission to the EU.
In addition, in order to get non-governmental input into the Youth Guarantee implementation plan the Department of Social Protection held a YG stakeholders’ consultation forum in October. The DSP has invited further submissions from the bodies that attended. In addition the Department has retained the OECD to provide input and advice on the framing of the plan (the OECD is also providing assistance to a number of other countries). As part of this process a delegation from the OECD met with stakeholders at the aforementioned forum as well as with a range of relevant public bodies. Ultimately stakeholder feedback via the forum, submissions and bilateral meetings with the OECD has fed into the design of the national YG implementation plan.
A Labour Market Council (LMC) has also been established. The LMC is comprised of ministerial appointees from the business, trade union, community and voluntary and academic sectors which was established in September of this year. The LMC reports directly to the Minister for Social on matters of labour market policy. One of the main tasks of the LMC is to advise on the implementation of the Youth Guarantee.
