Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

JobBridge is one of the key initiatives introduced to assist individuals to bridge the gap between unemployment and the world of work. As of 10 October, some 21,842 jobseekers had participated in the scheme, with 5,918 participants in active internships. In addition, 2,948 internship posts have been advertised and are available on the JobBridge website. It is important to highlight that participation in the scheme is voluntary for both jobseekers and host organisations. A key measure of the effectiveness of any scheme designed to provide a pathway into employment is the extent to which participants progress into employment within a short period following completion of their placement. In the past, a criticism made by the ESRI and the OECD was that the State did not perform a robust ex-post evaluation of scheme effectiveness and, as a consequence, ineffective schemes were allowed to continue in operation at a considerable cost to the Exchequer. I decided, therefore, to commission an independent evaluation of JobBridge to assess its effectiveness early in its lifecycle. I published the independent evaluation conducted by Indecon economic consultants earlier this year. The evaluation found that 61% of interns who finished placements secured employment within five months. These progression outcomes indicate that JobBridge is the best performing of all employment schemes and that it compares more than favourably with European averages for equivalent schemes. In the context of the evaluation, 89% of interns stated JobBridge had given them new skills, 88% stated they had gained quality work experience, 81% stated it had improved their chances of gaining employment, 81% stated it had improved their self-confidence, 80% stated it had helped them identify job opportunities and 76% stated it helped them to establish contacts and networks. These types of benefits accrue, regardless of whether an internship placement is within the public or the private sector.

The Department's records indicate that 20% of all placements to date have been in the public sector. The Indecon evaluation found that 41.2% of interns who undertook their internships in public sector organisations progressed into paid employment with other organisations. This rate of progression exceeds that for other schemes such as the community employment scheme and Tú, and shows that the experience that interns gain in public sector host organisations enhances their CVs and facilitates them in gaining employment with other employers. I am satisfied, therefore, that public sector internships provide a valuable pathway to employment for many and I will continue to support such internships through the JobBridge scheme.

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