Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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576. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of the new youth employment support scheme announced in budget 2018; the funding provided to this scheme; the date this scheme is expected to commence; the targets set; the numbers expected to participate in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43727/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is a new work experience programme targeted at young jobseekers who are long-term unemployed or who face significant barriers to gaining employment – people who even during the Celtic Tiger years would have found it difficult to get a foothold on the career ladder. The programme aims to provide them with the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment while on a work placement.

YESS will be open to jobseekers and other eligible cohorts who are aged between 18 and 24 and have been out of work and in receipt of a qualifying payment for at least 12 months or, if unemployed for less than 12 months, are considered by a case worker to face a significant barrier to work.

Candidates must be in receipt of one of the following qualifying payments: Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit, One Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker Transition Payment, Disability Allowance, Blind Person’s Pension, Supplementary Welfare Allowance; or signing for Credits.

Although people will be encouraged and supported to avail of suitable placements, participation on YESS will be entirely voluntary – there will be no financial penalties for jobseekers who do not wish to participate or who do not complete a placement.

There will be clear eligibility requirements for host organisations wishing to participate in the programme. They will be required to sign up to Terms and Conditions when they advertise a placement.

The standard duration of the work experience programme will be 3 months, with an option to extend the placement further to 6 or 9 months following a review of progress by a Departmental case worker. The attendance requirement will be 30 hours per week. Participants will receive a weekly payment equivalent to the net minimum wage which represents a very significant increase on their underlying payment.

A designated case worker will liaise with the participant and the host organisation throughout the period of the placement, to monitor how well it is progressing for both parties and to provide appropriate advice and support.

Clearly defined learning and development outcomes for each placement will be identified, with a focus on ‘soft’ (employability) skills as well as any specific ‘hard’ skills that will be acquired and/or demonstrated during the placement. The host organisation will complete an assessment for the participant at the end of the placement.

Host organisations will be encouraged to hire participants who have performed well (i.e. offer them paid employment) and will qualify for a financial subsidy under JobsPlus Youth.

It is proposed to introduce the YESS in Quarter 2, 2018 as it will take some time to promote the new scheme to employers and participants. A dedicated budget of €1 million has been allocated for 2018. The full-year cost of the scheme is expected to be €7.5 million, catering for up to 1,600 participants.