Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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16. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the measures her Department is taking to ensure that internships carried out under the JobBridge scheme are of a high standard as regards the quality of mentoring and overall work experience; the process whereby employers are selected for the scheme, and in particular the specific criteria they must meet in order to be included; the criteria for the selection and monitoring of employers for the new First Steps scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9335/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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JobBridge has made significant progress since its introduction in July 2011. To date, over 37,700 internship placements having commenced, there are currently 6,140 interns on the programme and a further 1,129 positions are advertised on the JobBridge website.

Participation both as a host organisation and as an intern on the scheme is voluntary.

The Department has a range of monitoring and compliance measures in place to ensure that all internships are of high quality. In particular, host organisations are monitored through mandatory monthly online compliance checks and randomised on-site visits to ensure that they are meeting the criteria of the scheme.

Limits also apply to the number of internships that can be offered by any one organisation and there are restrictions on the repeat or sequential use of internships. The Department is satisfied based on its monitoring visits and the report of the independent evaluation that these controls are working effectively.

The objective of First Stepsis to encourage employers to ‘open their doors’ to disadvantaged young jobseekers who might not otherwise have an opportunity to learn and develop basic work and social skills while on a placement in a real work situation in organisations. The Department is currently canvassing employers asking them to sponsor one or more young people on a first Steps work placement. Placements offered by employers will be assessed based on the nature of the work experience offered and the quality of mentoring and training to be provided.