AN INDEPENDENT STUDY  has shown that three in five participants in JobBridge secure employment following their time with the national internship scheme.

That is a slight boost on the figure of 52 per cent of participants being in paid employment in October 2012.

The news was published today by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton and the evaluation was conducted by Indecon Economic Consultants.

The findings show that 61 per cent of interns progress to paid employment after completing their internship. In Europe, progression rates for similar internship schemes average 34 per cent.

Over two-thirds of interns who have participated in JobBridge were over six months on the Live Register prior to their internship.

The department conducts monitoring visits of host organisations. To date, over 1,700 monitoring visits have been completed, and 97 per cent of these visits were satisfactory.

A total of 15 companies have been prohibited from future involvement with JobBridge for failing to comply with the requirements.

Report

The evaluation report suggests that there is a higher rate of employment among participants who completed their internships in private sector organisations, at 54.8 per cent, compared to 41.2 per cent among participants who undertook their internship in a public sector organisation and 43 per cent within the community and voluntary sector.

When it came to satisfaction levels:

• 26.7 per cent of participants indicated they were very satisfied
• 39.1 per cent indicated they were satisfied
• 10.3 per cent stated they were very dissatisfied with the scheme

Fifty per cent of hosts said they were very satisfied, while a further 40 per cent were satisfied with the scheme. Only 0.9 per cent of hosts said were very dissatisfied with the scheme.

The research also found that:

• The majority of placements are nine months long.
• 42 per cent of internships completed by the end of November 2012 were completed in full, while 68 per cent were completed early.
• The majority of participants were in the 20 – 24 and 25 – 34 age groups.
• 96 per cent of host organisations would recommend JobBridge to another employer
• 89 per cent of interns stated that JobBridge had given them new skills
• Interns found that they also benefitted from: an increase in their self-confidence; the opportunity to gain quality work experience; the opportunity to establish a network of contacts.

The report says there is a need to encourage greater participation in JobBridge among non-graduates. It also says that enhanced support mechanisms should be provided to participants to reduce non-completion of internships and to assist those who are dissatisfied with their placements.

Participation

The Taoiseach said:

The fact that three in five interns gain employment following the scheme is a testament to the potential that exists in providing new work activation services to jobseekers and employers.

Minister Burton said that since  she launched the scheme in 2011, more than 16,700 people have participated in it.

The scheme is making a real difference to the lives of jobseekers, including those who are experiencing long-term unemployment.

Chair of the JobBridge National Steering Committee and Managing Director of HP Ireland, Martin Murphy, urged participation from across the business community in the scheme.

In Budget 2013, the Government increasing the number of JobBridge places by 42 per cent from 6,000 to 8,500.

Read: Over half of JobBridge finishers are in paid employment>

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More