Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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393. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide an update on the recently announced youth employability initiative by his Department; when he expects the scheme to be open for applications; the criteria for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25972/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country by the voluntary youth sector. The work of the voluntary youth work sector, in the provision of these services, has a significant contribution to make to the Government’s jobs agenda including the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. Many youth organisations are working closely with relevant Government Departments and delivering measures to implement the Youth Guarantee for young unemployed people.

My Department, in consultation with the youth sector, has developed a 'Youth Employability Initiative’. This builds on existing youth work initiatives that increase the employability of marginalised young people in the 15 to 24 age group. My Department has compiled a mapping report which has gathered information about the innovative youth work activities and programmes underway in the sector that contribute to youth employability objectives. This new initiative will target the hardest to reach young people who are at risk of becoming NEET (i.e. not in employment, education or training) for intensive support. My Department has secured €600,000 via Dormant Accounts funding for the new initiative. It will shortly commence discussions with the Education and Training Boards, youth officers and other youth sector stakeholders with a view to rolling out the initiative in 2015. The overall objective is to increase young people’s employability, enhance their acquisition of key competencies and transferable skills and aid their progression to employment, education or training. Dedicated youth workers will be central to the coordination and management of the individual projects at local level.

My Department is developing a National Youth Strategy for 10 to 24 year olds. It will be a universal strategy for all young people and will aim to be responsive to issues which impact on young people’s lives, such as youth unemployment. The Strategy will, inter alia, set out objectives that young people are equipped to participate in the labour market through opportunities to enhance employability skills and acquire attributes that complement formal learning and training qualifications. It is anticipated that the Strategy will be available shortly.

My Department continues to work closely with the Departments of Education and Skills, Social Protection and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to identify in what ways, the youth sector can contribute to shared policy objectives to address youth unemployment and the Youth Guarantee and in the context of the Action Plan for Jobs.