Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the consideration she has given to extending the JobBridge scheme to persons who are working in part-time jobs that are not giving them the experience that is directly related to their qualifications; if she has considered the possibility of a different internship programme for persons who are not on social welfare but are working part-time to gain work experience; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4483/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In order to qualify for an internship, an individual must be in receipt of a live jobseekers claim and have been in receipt of jobseekers allowance or jobseekers benefit, or signing for credits, for a minimum of three of the previous six months. Time spent of certain government sponsored training may also be taken into account when calculating eligibility. Providing they fulfil all Jobbridge eligibility criteria regarding jobseekers allowance/benefit, persons in part-time employment can participate in JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme provided that their employer is not the provider of the internship.

A standard Internship working week will range from 30 -40 hours per week. Therefore an intern will be required to participate on the scheme for a minimum of 30 hours and a maximum of 40 hours per week. Hence, an additional requirement is that the part-time employment does not interfere with the minimum weekly hours (thirty) of the internship.

My Department continues to monitor and review the eligibility criteria for the JobBridge programme on an ongoing basis. The Department of Social Protection has invited tenders for consultancy for an evaluation of JobBridge, National Internship Scheme for the Department.

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.

Individuals who are not in receipt of social welfare payments and are working part-time may also access the Work Placement Programme wherein there is a requirement to work 25 hours per week with a Host Organisation.