Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

A key concern is that jobseekers who participate in JobPath are, at best, offered courses of between three and six months duration. We know, given the skills shortages in the economy that have been identified, that the type of training required - FETAC level 5 and level 6 - requires training for a minimum of eight months and up to two years in most cases. The Department spends €300 million on the contract for JobPath. There is a central contradiction between the policy of the Department in its approach to JobPath and the recently published national skills strategy 2025. JobPath promotes work first, whereas the skills strategy promotes a learn first strategy. We know that there are significant numbers of people who left school early, who have very poor skills and who end up being long-term unemployed. The level of training available to them under JobPath is completely inadequate.

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