Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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53. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of JobBridge participants in County Kerry at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45635/14]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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54. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number and percentage of JobBridge participants in County Kerry that have gone on to full-time employment within six months of finishing their internship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45636/14]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together.

JobBridge has made very significant progress since it came into operation on 1 July 2011. As at 20 November 2014, a total of 35,381 internships have commenced with 6,700 participants currently on a JobBridge placement, and 1,933 internship posts currently advertised on the JobBridge website.

In County Kerry, there have been a total of 1047 internships since the scheme commenced. Of this, 232 are currently on a placement, with 815 internships completed at this point in time. A total of 232 of these interns progressed into employment, either with their host organisation or another organisation on completion of their JobBridge placement. This represents a 28% progression rate, immediately on completion of the scheme.

Progression into employment on completion of an internship understates the impact of the scheme as many people use their work experience to apply for and secure employment in the months immediately following the internship. In this regard, an independent evaluation of JobBridge found that 61% of individuals who have participated in the scheme have progressed into employment within five months of completing their internship placements. A total of 45.2% of these were in full-time permanent employment, 9.3% were in part-time permanent employment, 35.0% were in full-time temporary employment and 10.5% were in part-time temporary employment. The majority of these have progressed to employment with their host organisations, while the remainder took the skills and experiences gained during their internship to employment in the wider labour market. This high level of progression into employment exceeds that of similar schemes across Europe.

I am confident that JobBridge will continue as a positive activation programme, and that the scheme will display similar progression rates into employment, into the future.