Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

137. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the roll out of the youth guarantee; if she will provide in tabular form a list of programmes and the corresponding numbers of places to date that have been filled on each programme; and if the targeted 28,000 places for 2014 will be filled by year end. [36552/14]

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

The Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan was published in January. It provides for over 28,000 programme opportunities for unemployed young people in 2014, as set out in the table attached as an appendix to this statement. This figure excludes some 24,000 places provided for young people through PLC courses and apprenticeships. These PLC and apprenticeship places, together with the wide range of vocational third-level courses provided for the young, although not reserved for unemployed jobseekers, nevertheless contribute to the spirit of the guarantee.

In relation to the 28,500 places for unemployed young people, approximately 9,115 of these have been taken up year-to-date. This is actually an extremely conservative estimate given that up-to-date figures are not currently available for a number of schemes (as outlined in the table provided). Some programmes such as the student intake on programmes such as the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme (VTOS) are concentrated in September/October in line with the academic calendar. A new intake of young people to the second iteration of the Momentum programme for long-term unemployed jobseekers is also scheduled for later in the year. The table supplied displays the total number of under 25s who have started across the various programmes outlined in the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan up to the first seven months of 2014.

In addition, it is important to note that some of the initiatives planned under the guarantee required primary legislation to allow positive discrimination on age grounds in the provision of employment services and supports. This legislation was enacted as part of the Social Welfare Bill over the summer. Two employment schemes in particular, the Youth Guarantee developmental internship programme and the JobsPlus variant for young people, were dependent on this legislation being passed. These schemes will be in place no later than October. The legislation also permits the introduction of earlier and more intensive engagement by INTREO with the young unemployed which should also translate increased placement on schemes covered by the Youth Guarantee.