THE DEPARTMENT OF Social Protection has launched two new schemes aimed at battling unemployment, both of which are aimed specifically at the 18-25 years age group.
‘First Steps’ will offer work placements for six or nine months to unemployed people in that age group.
Four out of five days weekly will be spent on placement while the final day is expected to be spent jobsearching.
The standard Jobbridge internship fee of €50 is payable weekly under First Steps. Aimed at providing 2,000 such internships in 2015, the scheme will kick off in April.
JobsPlus Youth meanwhile is an update of sorts to Jobsplus, a scheme which discounts an employer’s wage bill when they hire directly from the live register. The programme is aimed again at under-25s and has gone live immediately.
The Department of Social Protection expects to provide 1,500 additional jobs via the scheme this year.
Reaction to the announcement has been predictably polarised. The Tánaiste and Social Protection minister Joan Burton was naturally enthusiastic:
The recovering economy will improve the prospects for many young people leaving school and college, but others will find it hard to take that first step onto the employment ladder.
The purpose of these schemes is to give them that opportunity.
The Anti-Austerity Alliance meanwhile were as critical of the schemes as you might expect.
“The First Steps scheme is really JobBridge by another name,” said Paul Murphy TD in response to the launch.
JobBridge has been shown to be exploitative, a source of free labour, and in some cases is acting as a block on paid employment.The only difference here is that First Steps is based over a four day week.
The debate over this one is likely to run and run…
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