Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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535. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of teaching posts and other educational positions that will be filled in the 2013/14 academic year through the JobBridge programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37980/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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JobBridge delivers valuable internship opportunities for jobseekers and independent research has demonstrated it is an effective and efficient scheme. The independent evaluation, by Indecon Economic Consultants, demonstrated that 61% of interns who completed their placements subsequently progressed to paid employment. The 61% progression rate for JobBridge is among the best in Europe, where progression rates for similar internship schemes average just 34%.

As at 22^nd August, 2013, 19,954 internships had commenced since JobBridge came into operation, 5,338 individuals were actually on internships and 2,149 internship opportunities were advertised on the JobBridge website ().

It is a matter for each individual Host Organisation to seek to advertise an internship opportunity. All applications are reviewed by the Department in accordance with established quality criteria. Clearly, the Department are not in a position to forsee the number of internship opportunities that individual companies (including those in the Education sector) intend offering throughout 2013/14.

However, I would point out that the recent Indecon evaluation found that 41.2% of interns who undertook their internship in a public sector organisation (including the education sector) progressed into paid employment. The progressions outcomes into employment from these placements are very encouraging.

The high rate of progression into employment among public sector interns shows that the experience that interns gain in public sector host organizations facilitate them in gaining employment with other employers.