Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
378. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of placements advertised by employers under the work placement experience programme scheme that have been rejected or removed by her Department due to the fact they did not meet the standards required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60404/21]
View answer379. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of placements advertised by employers under the work placement experience programme scheme that have been removed at the request of the employer; the reasons cited for requesting the placement be removed by the employer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60405/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 378 and 379 together.
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy; Pathways to Work 2021-2025. WPEP is a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience opportunities for up to 10,000 jobseekers who are unemployed for more than six months, including time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). Participation on WPEP is entirely voluntary. All participants are paid €306 per week plus any social welfare increases for qualified adults and children. Increases will be paid to participants from January 2022 on foot of Social Welfare Budget 2022 announcements.
In advance of advertising any placement opportunity, host organisations’ tax compliance is verified by the Department. Host organisations must have appropriate insurance and health and safety measures in place and accept the terms and conditions of the programme.
The scope of the work experience on offer for each placement is reviewed in advance to ensure that it is in line with the objectives of the programme. In addition, placements must provide training opportunities, including workplace training and accredited training as part of the programme. Options include a new accredited work placement award which will be delivered by the Education and Training Boards at levels 3, 4 and 5. All host organisations must also demonstrate that they can provide supervision and mentoring to participants.
Host organisations and individual placements are vetted in order to ensure that they satisfy these WPEP eligibility criteria. Since the launch of the programme 250 placements have not been approved due to not meeting the required criteria. This can include any of the above elements.
As of 2nd December 2021, 341 WPEP placements that had been advertised on JobsIreland were closed. Where placements are advertised, they may be closed for a variety of reasons:
- the primary reason is where a jobseeker has been selected by the host and approved for placement taken up a placement immediately or for a future date.
- placements automatically close if they have not been filled within a given period - 56 days. In such cases, organisations may choose to re-advertise the placements
- the host does not wish to progress with their placement offer.
The Department does not track the reasons for the closure of work placements at an individual level, where hosts do not wish to proceed with their placement offer as host organisations can close an offer directly on-line without needing to give reasons.
There are currently 98 WPEP positions currently advertised on JobsIreland.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
