The Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth and the availability of productive employment for young people.
However, the Government recognises that as the recovery takes hold, there is a need for additional measures to ensure that as many as possible of the jobs created are taken up by jobseekers and young jobseekers in particular. This is the rationale behind the Government’s Pathways to Work strategy and the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan.
Within this framework, the Youth Guarantee sets a medium-term objective of ensuring that young people receive an offer of employment within four months of becoming unemployed. The main plank of the guarantee is assistance to young people in finding and securing sustainable jobs. For those who do not find employment, additional offers are provided for. Most such offers (over 70%) are in further education or training. Others are in community-based employment programmes such as CE, Gateway and Tús, or through the JobsPlus employment subsidy for private employment.
Overall, the Youth Guarantee provided nearly 25,000 places for young people in 2014 (a similar number are expected to be provided in 2015). This figure excludes some 24,000 places provided for young people through PLC courses and apprenticeships. These PLC and apprenticeship places, together with the wide range of vocational third-level courses provided for the young, although not reserved for unemployed jobseekers, nevertheless contribute to the spirit of the guarantee. The following table details the expected full year intake for 2015 as well the number of Youth Guarantee starters, where data is available.
Youth Guarantee Progress 2015 Starters
|
Programme
|
Expected full-year intake
|
2015 information to date
|
Note
|
|
Youthreach
|
|
688
|
Expected full year intake combines Youthreach and Community Training Centres.
Youthreach places as of end May 2015
|
|
Community Training Centres
|
3,300
|
916
|
Supersedes Youthreach from July 2015.
As of end August 2015
|
|
JobBridge
|
5,000
|
1,784
|
As of end September 2015
|
|
Tús
|
1,000
|
1,070
|
As of end September 2015
|
|
JobsPlus ( including JobPlus Youth)
|
1,500
|
445
|
As of end August 2015
|
|
Momentum
|
2,000
|
971
|
As of end September 2015
|
|
BTEA (excl Momentum)
|
3,300
|
N/A
|
|
|
BTWEA
|
200
|
151
|
As of end September 2015
|
|
VTOS
|
500
|
N/A
|
Enrolment begins in September
|
|
Former FÁS/SOLAS*
|
9500
|
4,534
|
Based on Specific Skills Training, Traineeship, Bridging & Local Training Initiative starters end August 2015.
|
|
County Enterprise Board Youth Entrepreneurship Training and Mentoring supports.
|
700
|
|
This programme has been superseded by Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur 2014/5 competition
|
|
Micro Finance Ireland micro-loans for young people.
|
150
|
N/A
|
Age-specific breakdowns not yet available.
|
|
International Work Experience and Training
|
250
|
6
|
As of end September 2015
|
|
Gateway
|
450
|
272
|
As of end September 2015
|
|
Community Employment
|
500
|
540
|
As of end September 2015
|
|
Total
|
28,350
|
11,375
|
Excluding where figures are not available
|
*FÁS – Former Training and Employment Authority/SOLAS – Further Education and Training Authority
*NB The figures above refer to the cumulative starters under 25 upon entry to the programme, from 1 January 2015.
