Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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667. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person must sign or agree a personal progression plan with a departmental official following their attendance at their first group information session for jobseekers; if case officers present at these group information sessions are departmental officials or Turas Nua and or Seetec staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43907/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the activation services provided by my Department is to support jobseekers to make the transition into employment.

All jobseekers referred to the Department's activation services, including those referred to the JobPath service, are asked to complete an assessment of their skills, qualifications, and work experience for the purpose of agreeing a personal progression plan (PPP). The PPP typically contains a schedule of activities, actions and job-focused targets, taking into account the person’s specific employment preferences. Jobseekers are asked to sign the PPP as an indication of their agreement to carry out the activation measures contained in the document.

All jobseekers are required under the legislation to fully engage with the activation service in this and all other respects. The PPP is a crucial element of each jobseeker’s engagement with any of the Department’s activation services and generally will be a document that will be reviewed throughout the person’s engagement period as they develop employment related skills and competencies or job related experience from short periods of employment.

Jobseekers that are selected for JobPath are invited to attend an initial information session at which the jobseekers’ rights and responsibilities are explained in full. These sessions are delivered jointly by an Officer of my Department and a representative from the JobPath Company.

I trust the above clarifies the matter for the Deputy.