Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
1116. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to use private contractors to provide case officer staff to link in with participants and hosts taking part in the work placement experience programme. [39495/21]
View answerThe Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a key policy initiative under Pillar 2 of the National Recovery Programme, launched by Government on the 1st June 2021. It is also a central measure of the Government's new national employment services strategy, Pathways to Work 2021-2025. This sets out the national framework for activation and employment supports to assist persons, whose employment has been adversely affected by COVID, back to work, while continuing to support those who were unemployed pre-pandemic.
The Pathways strategy sets out an ambitious plan for investment in training, education, skill development, work placement schemes, recruitment subsidies and jobs search. The focus is on helping persons who have lost jobs to find new ones, to retrain and develop new skills, in particular in emerging growth sectors with new employment opportunities
WPEP is a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience for jobseekers who have been unemployed for more than six months, including time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) and regardless of age. Participation on the WPEP is entirely voluntary.
I was very pleased to launch the WPEP on Monday 12th July 2021. Placements will provide unemployed persons with valuable work experience, recognised internationally as being effective in assisting jobseekers find new jobs. Payments to participants will be €306 per week plus increases for qualified adults and children. All placements will provide training opportunities and in particular, participants will be provided with opportunities to undertake accredited training as part of the programme. Options include a new QQI accredited work placement award which will be delivered by the Education and Training Boards at levels 3, 4 and 5.
The Department’s externally contracted employment support services, which includes Local Employment Services (LES), JobPath and Employability, have been briefed on the new programme and are encouraged to promote WPEP opportunities to interested jobseekers. Where jobseekers are successful in gaining a WPEP work placement, they will be referred back to the Department and be assigned an Intreo Case Officer to work with them throughout their placement. This Case Officer will support the participant and the host organisation throughout the programme and will ensure that the training and other requirements of the placement are satisfied. For example, the Case Officer can advise of suitable training options to achieve the required 20 hours of accredited or sector-recognised training, as well as the 60 hours work experience training, ensure that the participant is being supported by a mentor and deal with any issues arising during the placement. The Case Officer can refer the jobseeker to an ETB if they are interested in pursuing the QQI accredited WPEP work experience award at level 3, 4, or 5.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
