Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

JobBridge, the national internship scheme came into operation on 1 July 2011. As of Friday, 18 November a total of 2,712 individuals had commenced an internship and there were a further 2,591 internships available to be filled. JobBridge is a Government scheme, which is being administered by the Department of Social Protection in line with normal accounting procedures. I have appointed a steering group chaired by Mr. Martin Murphy, managing director of Hewlett Packard Ireland. The steering group, which has my full confidence, contains representatives from Glen Dimplex, the National Youth Council of Ireland, my Department, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and FÁS.

The steering group has played a leading role in the promotion of JobBridge to the business community and has been a key factor in securing its very welcome support and participation in the scheme. Companies participating in the scheme, including HP, are providing interns with opportunities to secure invaluable work experience that will enhance their employability. Hewlett Packard's participation in JobBridge is a sign of its commitment to and belief in the value of the scheme and the vital support it will offer thousands of jobseekers.

All organisations participating in the JobBridge scheme are required to abide by the criteria of the scheme, including the specific measures which have been designed to prevent the abuse of the scheme by employers, protect the intern from exploitation and ensure the integrity of the JobBridge scheme. The scheme provides valuable talent to employers based on the enthusiasm, energy and application of the intern. The conditions include the following: that the internship does not allow the intern to work unsupervised; that the internship is not displacing an employee; and that the intern accrues significant experience throughout the entire internship.

In addition, all host organisations must comply with the monitoring requirements of the scheme, including completion of the monthly compliance reports and the standard internship agreement with their interns. This agreement clearly stipulates the terms of the internship and states the specific learning outcomes the intern will receive over the course of his or her internship.

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