Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I recently announced that people engaged with the JobPath service would, from 1 June, have the option of applying for community employment scheme and Tús placements while continuing to work with the JobPath programme. This will ensure jobseekers can benefit both from the job seeking support of the JobPath service and also avail of part-time work placements provided by Tús or under the community employment scheme. I believe the Deputy is aware that community employment scheme host companies and the ILDN have been in contact with me on a number of occasions in the past year to voice their concern that the vacancy rate for the very valuable services they provide in their counties is too high. The change which will come into effect on 1 June was an easy decision to make and I was pleased to make it.

JobPath is an employment activation service designed to support long-term unemployed persons to secure sustainable employment. Those who engage with the service are assigned a dedicated employment personal adviser who works with them on a one-to-one basis. The providers work with employers to source jobs that are suitable for the jobseekers concerned. To date, approximately 160,000 participants have engaged with the service.

Case management services such as those provided by JobPath providers and the Department’s Intreo service and the local employment service are shown internationally to be the most effective form of what is known as an active labour market programme. Other types of programme include training programmes and schemes such as the community employment scheme and Tús. They also provide important supports. However, they should be delivered alongside case management services, rather than as an alternative to such services.

In 2017, as part of an ongoing programme of tracking customer satisfaction, the Department commissioned an independent survey of customer experience of the JobPath service. Between 76% and 81% of customers surveyed were satisfied with the service and believed JobPath had improved their chances of finding a job. Furthermore, the Department has published four performance reports covering those who commenced engagement with the service between July 2015 and June 2016. Employment outcomes among this group are higher than among other groups not referred to the service. These data and the results of the surveys are available on the Department’s website. In addition, the Department regularly carries out on-site inspections to ensure the JobPath programme is delivered in accordance not only with the contractual obligations but also the motivations and ambitions the Department has for the service.

Additional information not given on the floor of House

To date, 54 on-site inspections have been carried out and, again, the results have been satisfactory.

A full econometric evaluation of the service has commenced and is expected to be completed by the start of quarter 4 of this year. Although I have no plans to review the service at this time, the results of the econometric review will inform our approach during 2019.

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