Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The economic crisis has had a severe impact on young people in Ireland and the rest of the EU. Youth training, progression to employment and unemployment among young people continue to present a major challenge for Ireland, as they do for most member states. The aim of the Action Plan for Jobs is to develop a supportive environment for enterprise to create and sustain jobs. All of the measures in the Action Plan are designed to promote employment. The Pathways to Work scheme provides opportunities for young people through further education and employment services. A range of new initiatives are in place in Ireland to support young people looking for employment, such as JobsPlus, JobBridge, Springboard, Momentum and the ICT action plan, which are delivered by the Departments of Social Protection and Education and Skills.

My Department, supported by its agencies, actively encourages enterprises to engage with specialist programmes designed to support young people in accessing employment opportunities. The agencies' focus is primarily on supporting enterprise development and job creation rather than specific age-related interventions. However, many of our interventions are closely aligned to new technologies and institutes of higher education where young entrepreneurs play an important role. We are also reviewing entrepreneurship policy and will be investigating the scope for special programmes to help young people to consider starting a business as a career choice. We will also work with the Department of Education and Skills to help refocus apprenticeship as an alternative progression route into employment for school leavers.

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