Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021
407. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection when the work placement programme announced as part of the July jobs stimulus and again as part of the national economic recovery plan is due to commence; the level of pay for participants during the work placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33110/21]
View answerThe July Jobs Stimulus set out the Government investment plan of €200m investment towards training, education, skill development, work placement schemes, recruitment subsidies and job search and assistance measures; these measures aim to help those who have lost their jobs find a new one, retrain or develop new skills, in particular for emerging growth sectors.
Included in this is provision for a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience for 10,000 jobseekers over two years, where the jobseeker (aged 18 - 65 years) has been unemployed for more than six months. Time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) will contribute towards eligibility. The programme will be open to all those who are job seeking with the particular aim of assisting those who have been affected by Covid-19 to pivot into new employment in new sectors through additional learning with new and relevant work experience. This work experience opportunity will provide important and valuable work and development opportunities to persons whose previous jobs are permanently lost due to Covid-19, as well as to those who were unemployed prior to the pandemic. The programme will support innovative learning and development opportunities for participants.
Under the July Jobs Stimulus, provision was made for €135m to fund the programme. These costs include a weekly uplift to the usual welfare payments for participants. This programme is included as one of the measures under the Economic Recovery Plan, with some measures to be partially funded under an application to the Resilience and Recovery Facility to the EU.
Roll out of the programme was delayed because of the pandemic with restricted social mobility and the necessary closure of some business operations. I'm pleased to advise, however, that I will be bringing details of the programme, including the levels of payment, to Government shortly for consideration and approval with a view to launching the programme shortly thereafter.
