Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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186. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress of the review of JobBridge; and when it is anticipated that the review will be published and considered by her. [40645/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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JobBridge, The National Internship Scheme, was introduced in July 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse in the economy - particularly the sharp increase in unemployment.

The primary aim of the scheme is to give unemployed people the opportunity to secure work experience and prove their competence to prospective employers. To date, JobBridge has attracted the voluntary participation of over 44,000 interns and encouraged over 18,000 Host Organisations to offer them a wide range of work experience opportunities. There are currently over 4,800 people on internships.

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 aim of the review to assess the suitability, relevance and effectiveness of the JobBridge internship programme to date.

The tender evaluation process has just been completed. The Department has notified the preferred tenderer and, in accordance with procurement guidelines, is now observing the mandatory 14-day standstill period before a contract can be formally awarded.

It is anticipated that the project will formally commence on or about 24 November 2015. It will comprise:

- A comprehensive Qualitative Assessment of Host Organisation and participant perspectives on the quality and future of JobBridge, including one-to-one Case Studies

- A robust Assessment of deadweight and displacement, and

- a detailed Counterfactual Impact Evaluation

It is expected that the evaluation will be completed and a final report published in the first half of 2016. The results will provide an evidential basis upon which to consider how the scheme might best be improved.