TD praises jobs scheme as 60% secure work from HP placement

JobBridge, the controversial employment activation scheme, has played its part in getting Galway back to work, according to the Labour Party.

Galway West TD, Derek Nolan hailed JobBridge as “the most successful employment activation programme in Europe”, as he pointed to figures from local multi-national Hewlett Packard as evidence of its positive impact on people’s lives.

“Over 60% of people in JobBridge went on to full-time employment. Around 90% of participants in JobBridge were satisfied with JobBridge. But it’s the 10% we hear about.

There is no doubt that it was abused in the beginning by some employers – one supermarket used it to advertise jobs stacking shelves, which is not what it was for. But the vast majority of people in JobBridge had a positive experience, and more than 60% of them went on to full-time employment,” explained Deputy Nolan.

The city-based TD said over 130 people took part in the JobBridge scheme at HP in Ballybrit, and of these 75 have secured full-time employment, including 57 who were kept on by HP.

“Everyone on JobBridge was unemployed for three months or more. So these figures are very heartening – there are 57 people who are still in Hewlett Packard and they have secured good quality, well paid, decent jobs . . . we never hear about the good news stories from JobBridge like Hewlett Packard . . . a further 60 participants in the programme got valuable work experience with this major international company and were given the opportunity to develop their teamwork, communications, IT and interpersonal skills.

“JobBridge has been very effective in this country, providing thousands of people with valuable work experience and more often than not, a full-time job at the end of it. The programme has benefitted many people who found themselves out of work and utterly helpless after the collapse of the economy,” he said.

Deputy Nolan said that despite its success, the scheme may have served its purpose and it could be time to change it or get rid of it altogether. “The economy is picking up, unemployment continues to fall. The department has ordered a review of JobBridge and it may be that we no longer need it,” he said.

Deputy Nolan said the latest Quarterly Household Survey from the Central Statistics Office, showing unemployment had dipped to the single figures, was a ‘milestone moment’ for the country.

“Unemployment now stands at 9.9%, the first time it has dropped into single figures since 2008. These figures today show that the economic recovery is not just in progress, but it has firmly taken hold. This is direct result of Labour’s policies in Government. We have been focused on creating jobs and getting the unemployment rate down,” said Deputy Nolan.