Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

JobBridge is not the panacea for the teaching profession, but the evidence is that we are creating more teaching jobs through the Department of Education and Skills by virtue of demographic changes with an increase in the birth rate, and the Deputy will acknowledge that many projects are under way to reflect that in our own county of Cork. JobBridge is a labour activation measure, which is having a positive effect on getting people into work. Approximately 500 job matches have been taken up as a result of the JobsPlus scheme. MOMENTUM comprises a €20 million package offering 6,500 training places through 36 education providers in 87 locations. We are conducting a review of apprenticeships because if one looks at where jobs were lost, young people were last in, first out. We need to examine, in particular, how we can upskill those who lost jobs in the construction industry, and that is why have introduced Springboard, the start your own business initiative, and the home renovation scheme, which will have a positive knock-on effect in getting young people back into the workplace. There is a vigorous and robust response to this issue, but I take the Deputy's point about the youth guarantee. The plan is being formulated and we can discuss that when it comes to fruition.

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