Written answers

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Department of Social Protection

Labour Market

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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341. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the work of the Labour Market Council; if she will outline its key successes since its inception; the Council's key objectives and targets in terms of the remainder of 2014 on the implementation of pathways to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25673/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Labour Market Council’s role is to provide a constructive but challenging mechanism to support the effective and efficient implementation and delivery of Pathways to Work

Work and Success of the Labour Market Council to Date

The Council has set up an Employer Engagement Sub-Group. which has supported the Department in a number of activities to build relationships with employers including briefings and consultations with employer stakeholder groups, job fairs, the production and distribution of employer-focused promotional materials, direct engagement with employers at national and regional level, the development and launch of new employer recruitment incentives and the design and implementation of bespoke training and recruitment solutions. This has, inter alia, served to raise employer awareness about initiatives, such as JobsPlus and JobBridge, designed to encourage recruitment from the Live Register. These activities have provided both employers and jobseekers with information on the range of services and supports available and more importantly have resulted in the direct placement of unemployed jobseekers into employment.

In addition, significant work is currently being undertaken by the Sub-Group to develop a Charter, which commits employers to prioritising recruitment of candidates from the Live Register and to working with unemployed jobseekers and jobseeker support organisations to assist in developing the skills and competencies required to find employment. It is intended that the Charter will initially be signed by the 50 largest companies in the State who will then be able to use the skills of the unemployed/long- term unemployed. The Charter is an important flagship initiative which will be supported by the Intreo service.

More generally, the Council has also worked closely with the Department in developing an Employer Engagement Strategy which will be a cornerstone of the Pathways 2014.

The Council has also set up an Evaluation/Metrics Sub-Group tasked with devising a systematic evaluation strategy for Pathways and ensuring that Pathways outcomes are monitored in a meaningful way. The Sub-Group is comprised of leading labour market economists from Ireland and abroad.

Additionally, in April the Council published its Interim Report which outlined the extent to which the targets set on key action points in Pathways have been met.

Key Objectives for the Remainder of 2014

The Council has several objectives for the remainder of 2014. These are to:

- monitor and advise on the development and implementation of Pathways to Work 2014;

- focus on rigorous evaluation of programmes in order to ensure that the limited resources available are being put to best use and delivering the best outcomes for all;

- build on the very positive engagement with employers in recent months and harness the undoubted goodwill of many employers towards hiring from the Live Register. This will include the launch of the Employer Charter in July;

- take an active role in the monitoring and implementation of the Youth Guarantee;

- play an important role in monitoring the implementation and performance of JobPath. Specifically, the Council will be seeking clarity in terms of how JobPath, Intreo and other related services are “joined up” and integrated.

Targets for the Implementation of Pathways to Work for the Remainder of 2014

The targets for remainder of Pathways to Work for 2014 are contained in the table provided below. The Council will play a key role in the monitoring of the performance of the Pathways to Work strategy against these targets.

Measure/Target2014
Move 75,000 long-term unemployed at start of 2012  into employment by end 2015. 22,500
Increase the exit rate of people on the  live register  for two years or more by 50%  (to 40%)  by the end of 2015 Exit rate target  = 35%
Reduce the persistence rate (the rate at which short term unemployed people become long term unemployed)  to 25%28%
Increase % of vacancies filled with involvement of Department of Social Protection Employment Services  to 15% by end 201510%
Provide Group Information/ Engagement sessions to jobseekersAll new JobSeekers plus 20,000 LTU
Conduct initial one-to-one guidance interviews with jobseekersAll new eligible jobseekers plus 20,000 LTU
Fill all additional places on Community Employment, TÚS, Jobbridge and the Local Government Social Employment Scheme33,000 active places


17,500 starters


Of which 16,000 LTU
Roll-out ‘One-Stop-Shop’  intreo offices 17 new Intreo offices


(60 offices in total)
Make a range of FÁS, Further Education and Higher Education Programmes available to meet the needs of the long term unemployed62,747 places available to long term unemployed

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