30 young jobseekers benefit from JobsPlus in Offaly – but up to 768 eligible for €7,500 scheme to reduce youth unemployment
Many not aware of incentives for employers who take on young people
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) has welcomed news that 30 young jobseekers in County Offaly* have benefited from the JobsPlus scheme since its introduction in July 2013. However, based on the latest figures from the Department of Social Protection, up to 768 young jobseekers in the County** could be taking advantage of the scheme, which supports jobseekers into employment.
James Doorley, deputy director at the NYCI, which represents youth organisations working with over 380,000 young people nationwide, explained: “Under the Jobsplus scheme an employer is paid €7,500 over a two year period if they recruit and keep in employment a young person under 25 years of age, who is unemployed for at least 4 of the previous 6 months and in receipt of a jobseekers payment from the Department of Social Protection. The employer must offer full-time employment of at least 30 hours per week over at least four days per week.”
Many not aware of incentives for employers who take on young people
“As the economy recovers and more jobs become available, it is important that we support young people back into work. While the take up of this scheme has been steady to date, we believe that many young jobseekers and employers are not aware of the generous financial incentives available to employers who take on young people,” continued Mr Doorley.
“We encourage young jobseekers who are signing on the live register for 4 months or more to check with the Department of Social Protection if they are eligible for the JobsPlus scheme. If they are, then we advise them to make potential employers aware of the benefits available to them. Likewise, we would encourage employers to investigate the opportunities and supports available to them if they recruit young people. Full details on the scheme are available at www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Jobs-
“While it is welcome that the rate of youth unemployment is declining year on year, we still have too many young people on the live register. As we emerge from the economic downturn it is important that we do not leave young jobseekers behind. The JobsPlus scheme is a welcome and generous incentive for employers. We would like to see more young people benefiting from the scheme and getting back to work. While there has been slow but continuous uptake to date, the scheme has much greater potential as job growth increases. Therefore, it is vital that as many young jobseekers and employers as possible are made aware of the scheme,” concluded Mr Doorley.
National Youth Council of Ireland
The National Youth Council of Ireland is a membership-led umbrella organisation that represents and supports the interests of voluntary youth organisations and uses its collective experience to act on issues that impact on young people.
* Dáil debates: JobsPlus Scheme (Written answers, Tuesday, 30 June 2015, Department of Social Protection):
https://www.kildarestreet.com/
** Dáil debates: Jobseeker’s Allowance Data (Written answers, Tuesday, 24 March 2015, Department of Social Protection): https://www.kildarestreet.com/
Jobsplus scheme Under the Jobsplus scheme an employer is paid €7,500 over a two year period if they recruit and retain in employment a young person under 25 years of age, who is unemployed for at least 4 months (78 days) in the previous 6 months and in receipt of a jobseekers payment from the Department of Social Protection. In order to qualify, an employer must offer full-time employment of at least 30 hours per week, spanning at least four days per week to eligible recruits.
Jobseekers over 25 years are eligible for the scheme if they have been in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment from the Department of Social Protection for 12 months or more.
