Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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1893. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the technical employment support grant is paid by SOLAS or by the service provider to persons on JobPath (details supplied). [38449/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Training Support Grant (TSG) previously known as the Technical Employment Support Grant (TESG) is funded by my department

TSG is designed to facilitate quick access to short-term training where this cannot be provided by a state provider within a reasonable time or where an intervention is identified that can support individual jobseekers to access work opportunities. The scheme is activation focused and the jobseeker is required to provide reasonable evidence of need, in the form of a potential job offer or a requirement to maintain or achieve accreditation.

Although JobPath participants do not have access to the Training Support Grant (TSG) provided by the Department while participating on the JobPath service, JobPath providers will, on a case by case basis, provide similar funding and arrange and pay for specific skills training if required for particular types of work and a participant has an offer of employment on completion of that training.

JobPath providers arrange for the delivery of a broad range of education and training courses with a particular and strong focus on upskilling the long term unemployed. JobPath providers have their own discretionary funds available to pay for these training courses. Some of these courses are provided in-house while others are provided by specialist training providers including the Education and Training Boards (ETBs).

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.