Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of this initiative is to bring the case officer and the unemployed person together and based on the latter's knowledge of what he or she would like to do, previous experience, educational levels and so on, find the best path to work or training for that individual. If there are particular problems, such as poor numeracy or literacy skills, the employment officer will seek to address them in co-operation with the jobseeker. It is very important to ask people the simple question of what they would like to do. Some jobseekers, particularly younger people, might never have worked before. It is about suggesting that they try this or that, based on their interests, skills and experience.

I have just come from a meeting at Diageo Ireland. Three years ago, in collaboration with Guinness, we set up a scheme whereby young people seeking to work in the hospitality sector could partake of a dedicated education course offering a FETAC qualification, after which they would participate in a similar period of work experience. I met those young people at the outset and the transformation in them since they completed the programme is remarkable. That scheme, which started in St. James's Gate, has since been rolled out to Dundalk, with the first participants there graduating last year, and to Belfast. We intend to roll it out countrywide, including to Derry.

All I can say is that if done well and with support, particularly from employers and likely employers, it has the potential to give people a lot of additional opportunities to get back to work.

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