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Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020

Thursday, 3 December 2020

Ceisteanna (75)

Claire Kerrane

Ceist:

75. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to support persons back to education and back to work in response to Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39995/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and resulting public health measures, has greatly impacted economic activity in the State and the labour market. The latest CSO data records a Covid-19 adjusted overall unemployment rate of 20.2 percent, with an equivalent measure for youth at just over 45 percent. With the second wave of Covid-19 and the subsequent introduction of Level 5 restrictions in October, there has been a rolling impact on the labour market bringing additional employment challenges. There are currently over 350,000 persons in receipt of PUP from a peak number of over 600,000 in May 2020, to a low of 205,000 in October 2020. Most of those currently on PUP will return to employment as restrictions ease and the economy re-opens. However, it is inevitable that some jobs will be permanently lost, and additional numbers of persons will require State support to find new jobs. I am acutely aware that when people lose their jobs and remain unemployed for some time they can become disconnected from the labour market. These individuals risk losing the vital social and work connections that are needed to identify and pursue work opportunities and for many it may be the case that their existing work experience and skills cannot easily translate into new sectors of employment. My Department, and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, are developing a range of educational, training and support measures to assist the unemployed on their journey back to work. Measures announced under the July Jobs Stimulus included:

- Expanding the capacity of Intreo to provide enhanced employment services by assigning 100 Job Coaches by Q1 2021. Job coaches will supplement the work of case officers by providing jobseekers with a personalised career development and guidance service, with the ultimate goal of securing employment.

- Increasing the capacity of contracted services by extending existing contracts for Local Employment Services, Jobpath and Employability into 2021 to ensure business continuity and services are in place to deal with increased demand.

- Expanding the benefit of the JobsPlus recruitment subsidy to employers who hire people from the Live Register. Promotion of this measure will resume when public health restrictions are eased.

- Providing access to additional fulltime and part-time education, including targeted short-term courses with over 35,000 new education and training places for those currently unemployed.

- Providing incentives to employers to take on more apprentices, with the provision of a grant of €3,000 for each new apprentice recruited. By end September, over 3,000 new apprenticeships with over 600 employers were registered.

- Facilitating access to the Back to Education Allowance and Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to those displaced by the pandemic. This has been done by waiving the usual qualification period of 3 – 9 months. By end October, approx. 6,000 students had received support through the BTEA, and in excess of 3,000 self-employed individuals had received support through the BTWEA.

As part of the July Jobs Stimulus, my Department is also developing a work experience placement programme available for all those out of work for at least six months, including periods of time spent in receipt of PUP. This programme, which will incorporate a training and development plan, will provide jobseekers with the necessary workplace skills to compete in the labour market. I expect to launch the Programme in early 2021, subject to public health restrictions. In the New Year, my Department plans to commence engaging with PUP customers to initially provide them with information on the range of education, skills development, work placement schemes, recruitment subsidies and job search and assistance measures, that will help those who have lost their jobs find a new one, retrain, or develop new skills, in particular for emerging growth sectors. It is anticipated that communication will commence on a phased basis, initially focusing on those in receipt of PUP for the longest periods of time. Work is at an advanced stage in my Department to develop Pathways to Work 2021-2025; the national employment services and activation strategy for the coming period. The strategy will seek to build on the measures outlined under the July Jobs Stimulus to assist the unemployed with their journey back to work. Publication is expected to follow the launch of the Government’s National Economic Plan, in early 2021. This will be a central element of the Government's response to the impact of COVID on the labour market and employment.

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