A Sinn Féin report into the JobPath job activation scheme has found that Laois participants have had their confidence destroyed, with TD Brian Stanley calling for the scrapping of the initiative.
“The JobPath Scheme participants are meant to receive intensive individual support for up to 12 months to assist them to overcome barriers to employment and to help them to find jobs. “However the scheme has been a disaster for thousands of our unemployed people since its inception,” he said.
“Our report is based entirely on the evidence of those who are or have been engaged with JobPath and it makes for disturbing reading.
Shocking
“Many Laois participants tell of shocking experiences while attending JobPath and how their self-esteem and confidence has been destroyed,” he said.
He said this is what happens when you privatise part of our social welfare system to private Companies to make a profit on the long term unemployed.
“The two chosen JobPath providers, Turas Nua and Seetec, have questionable reputations and records in the UK. Both receive payments for each participant yet they are hounding many people who are already working part time.
“Already many Community Employment Schemes and TUS Schemes claim that JobPath, which we were told would complement their activities, poses a major threat to their existence as they struggle to fill places in Laois and other counties.
“JobPath is given priority for referrals and can block applicants for CE Schemes or TUS Schemes,” Deputy Stanley said.
Job clubs
“Local Job Clubs with an excellent record of assisting the unemployed get real jobs are also badly affected.
“They are required to get up to 15 people on each formal course every 4 weeks and their target for one to ones is 200-300 people. Both figures have been halved since JobPath started and this threatens the very survival of the Job Clubs, whose required outcomes are constantly being increased yet their referrals are decreasing,” he said.
Many who were called to engage with JobPath were only recently unemployed and could not be defined as long term unemployed.
“Some were even forced to leave part time jobs to attend the scheme.
“JobPath threatened many with cuts to their Social Welfare payments if they do not engage and many are intimidated and feel like a commodity for a private company to make a profit,” Deputy Stanley.
Deputy Stanley said many were left sitting alone in front of a computer screen to look online for jobs or doing pointless online courses with little or no training or mentoring provided.
“Some of the participants experiences outlined in the report are very worrying and of great concern considering the huge amounts of taxpayers money being spent with little benefits accruing to the State,” Deputy Stanley said.
“The cost of the scheme over 6 years is €350 million yet the fees paid to these 2 private companies per participant are not revealed “due to commercial sensitivity”.
“I would urge the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, to read this report and to take steps to abolish this sham Scheme immediately,” Deputy Stanley said.
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