Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

County Louth is well served, with three speakers having spoken on the motion. Dundalk IT is obviously doing wonderful work where Springboard is concerned. I recently read in a local newspaper a headline suggesting that the Government was massaging the live register figures because there was a 300% increase in people on Government schemes. The information came from a press release from an opposition Deputy. The 300% increase was an increase from about 80 to 250 or 260 people, while the live register had reduced by over 2,000 people. That shows one how headlines cannot tell the true story at times.

As has been mentioned, there has been some exploitation of workers through the JobBridge scheme, which has been addressed, but I do not think anybody can say the same about Springboard and Springboard Plus, which have proved to be a resounding success. As my colleague, Senator Brennan, mentioned, a survey of all graduates between 2011 and 2014 indicated that within two years of completing a Springboard course, 60% were employed or self-employed and 74% of Springboard participants from these years were no longer on the live register. Those figures are very positive.

Self-employment is a significant feature of Springboard, with 740, or 15%, of the respondents surveyed between 2011 and 2014 reporting being in self-employment. The quality of employment is also trending upwards, with 86% of those employed being in full-time jobs. That nails a lie, namely, that there are no jobs being created as a result of Government schemes. Springboard and Springboard Plus provide full-time jobs. More than half of those who withdrew from the courses early, some 24% of participants, went on to take up employment. The feedback on Springboard from participants is excellent, with 98% of the 2014 graduates willing to recommend Springboard to others wishing to reskill for employment.

Some 73% of graduates felt, six weeks after course completion, that their career prospects were better. That is what these schemes are all about, especially Springboard and Springboard Plus. They give confidence back to people who have lost it because of unemployment.

There are many other programmes under the Action Plan for Jobs being pressed by the Government. The ICT skills conversion programme was introduced in 2012 as part of the joint Government and industry ICT action plan as a means to address the concerns of industry about continuing difficulties in sourcing ICT graduates with the requisite skills in Ireland, not only to fill existing vacancies but also to support the expansion of their activities and potential employment opportunities.

A second ICT action plan for 2014 to 2018, launched in 2014, recommended that further rounds of ICT skills conversion programmes should be rolled out, something Senator Quinn has addressed on several occasions during the Order of Business. People involved in businesses have said we must address the skills shortage which industry is witnessing in the country. Senator Quinn also alluded to the question of modern languages, which is another area where we need to upgrade skills and have people in place when jobs come on board.

The ICT skills conversion programme is open to all applicants, regardless of their social welfare status, who have the capacity and underlying aptitude, as well as an honours degrees in a cognitive discipline, to undergo an intensive programme of study and work experience to acquire honours degree level at ICT programming skills. The programmes which are selected for funding following a competitive call for proposals are designed and delivered in partnership with industry. Partnership is key because these schemes must be designed in partnership with the industry which requires the skills and include an accredited work placement of three to six months' duration.

In terms of the back to education allowance, a person in receipt of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance for at least nine of the previous 12 months may qualify to retain his or her income support while participating in an ICT skills conversion course. Eligible participants will transfer to a bespoke version of the back to education allowance. Many necessary schemes have been introduced and will give people confidence.

I am fed up listening to people say that all of the schemes are the same and are only a mechanism to take people off the live register. They should speak to the people involved in Springboard and Springboard Plus. The results and data are there for everybody to see. People need more and more skills and we need to upskill our workforce to fill the jobs that have been and will be created. People laughed when the Government suggested that we would create 100,000 net jobs over five years. That has been achieved over four years but there is a long way to go.