Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 140: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the proposed evaluation of the JobBridge national internship scheme; the persons who have been appointed to evaluate the scheme; the nature of their remit; the time timeframe in which it is envisaged the evaluation will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1660/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department of Social Protection has invited tenders for consultancy for an evaluation of the JobBridge, National Internship Scheme for the Department. The Department has received a significant number of tender responses and is currently in the process of reviewing and scoring these tender responses. It is envisaged that a successful vendor will be selected in the coming weeks.

Remit of the Evaluation

The Department requires this Project to be undertaken to assess the design, delivery and impact of the JobBridge scheme on the unemployed. It should also assist the Department in making further policy decisions on the benefit of work placement programmes in the overall context of the Government's activation policy which is to engage with every unemployed individual to provide them with a pathway to employment and to prevent and reduce long term unemployment.

The evaluation should include the following key outcomes:

· Socio economic profile of the participants on the scheme;

· Information on the host organisations that have used the scheme including, size, sector and reason for participating;

· Details of the progression of those on the scheme into education, training or job placement. In the case of job placement this should detail if placement is with the same company, in the same sector and the sustainability of that placement;

· Details of the nature of the work experience of the participants and a measurement of the relevance of that experience to the labour market and to progression into employment;

· An assessment of the displacement effect of the scheme;

· An assessment of the level of deadweight in the scheme;

· Information on the satisfaction of participants with their experience of the scheme;

· Information on the satisfaction of host organisations with their experience of the scheme;

· An assessment of the process and procedures used by the Department in running the scheme;

· Recommendations on how the scheme might be improved.

Timescale

It is anticipated that the entire work will be undertaken by the successful vendor and will be completed by the end of the year.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 141: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of participants on the JobBridge scheme to date; the number who have now completed their internships; the number who have successfully entered the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1661/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, came into operation on 1 July 2011. As of Wednesday, 11 January, a total of 3,916 internships have commenced. The first internships did not commence until mid July. As JobBridge internships are for either 6 or 9 months it is too early to report on the number of interns who have completed their internship. It is also too early to determine the number of interns who have attained full employment as a result of their internship. My Department has invited tenders for consultancy for the evaluation of the JobBridge, National Internship Scheme for the Department. Progression rates from JobBridge into employment will feature as part of this evaluation. It is expected that this evaluation will commence in early 2012.