10,000 paid quality work placements to be introduced under new post-pandemic back-to-work scheme

Clara Kelly

The government plan will also see recruitment subsidies of up to €10,000 for employers who take people off the live register.

10,000 paid quality work placements are set to be introduced under a new post-pandemic back-to-work scheme.

The government launched the Pathways to Work 2021-2025 scheme, which it describes as “an ambitious new strategy designed to drive employment as Ireland recovers from Covid-19” on Monday.

The national employment strategy, which contains 83 commitments across all government departments, aims to help 75,000 long-term unemployed return to work.

The government plan will also see recruitment subsidies of between €7,500 to €10,000 for employers who take people off the live register.

A special package of supports for young people aiming to reduce youth unemployment from 44% to 12.5% by 2023 is also expected to be part of the plan, alongside 50,000 further and higher education training places, a €1,000 Training Support Grant for jobseekers and a new pay-related jobseekers payment.

The scheme builds on the government’s Economy Recovery Plan, which it hopes will ensure there are 2.5 million people in work by 2024.

As part of the plan, the government is set to introduce a “Leaving Nobody Behind” scheme to extend targeted employment supports to groups facing challenges entering the workforce, such as people with disabilities, lone parents and minority groups.

The scheme, which was launched on Monday at the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Training Centre of Excellence in Dundalk, is also hoping to provide remote working options to participants of work placement, education and training schemes.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the plan is to “exceed pre-crisis employment levels by reaching 2.5 million people in work by 2024.”

“Crucially, though, these jobs will be more productive, more resilient and more secure,” he said.

“Therefore, Government is committed to delivering on the ambitions and commitments set out in the strategy in order to drive a jobs-led economic recovery, to build back better, and to build back fairer.”

Alongside the Pathways to Work strategy, the government also launched a new Work Placement Experience Programme to benefit 10,000 jobseekers of all ages, who have been unemployed for more than six months (including time in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment).

This initiative will keep jobseekers close to the labour market and provide them with quality work experience to increase their prospects of returning to employment. Participation will be entirely voluntary and the payment rate for participants on this programme is set at €306 per week.

The total cost of this programme over two years is €95 million with a contribution of €27 million from the National Training Fund and is also included as a priority for funding under the National Resilience and Recovery Plan submitted to the EU Commission.

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