Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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46. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when the proposed evaluation of the JobBridge scheme, which is currently out to tender, will be completed and published; if the evaluation will include consultation with participants on the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34805/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The JobBridge Scheme was introduced in July 2011 as a response to the unprecedented collapse in employment and the sharp increase in unemployment (a Live Register of 460,000). As a consequence of this economic shock, jobseekers were finding it increasingly difficult to secure work experience which was specified as a requirement for many jobs. JobBridge was designed to address this issue.

It has attracted the voluntary participation of almost 18,000 host organisations that have provided work experience opportunities to over 43,000 interns and helped many to secure full-time employment afterwards.

The economic environment today is very different than four years ago, when JobBridge commenced. Unemployment has falling to 9.4%, and the recovery is very much jobs-led. The Department is keen, therefore, to review the scheme to take account of the changed economic circumstances and feedback from host organisations and citizens.

A commitment was given in Pathways to Work 2015 to develop and implement a robust evaluation programme to assess the impact of Pathways to Work initiatives and identify potential areas for future attention. This includes an evaluation of the JobBridge scheme.

The purpose of the review is to assess the effectiveness of the scheme to date. The results will also be considered in relation to any future changes to the scheme.

The review will be an independent external evaluation. It will comprise an econometric review and both quantitative and qualitative analysis, including surveys of host organisations and interns.

A formal request for tender issued on 7 September 2015 and the closing date for receipt of submissions is 19October 2015. It is expected that the evaluation will be completed and a final report published in early 2016.