Internship Scheme Reaches Out To Unemployed

Speaking at the launch of the new National Internship Scheme today, Joan Burton TD, the Minister for Social Protection, said she was very encouraged by the positive feedback from many employers to the new National Internship Scheme.

JobBridge will launch 5,000 places with the support of Dawn Foods, KPMG, HP, Glen Dimplex, IBEC, Quinn Group Ltd, Coilte, Accenture, TV3, Smurfit Kappa, Arthur Cox, Mercury Engineering, Hertz, Hertz Shared Services Centre, ESB, Bord na Móna, Tesco, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, A&L Goodbody, Failte Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Glanbia and Aer Lingus.

Commenting on the scheme, Minister Burton said: "The launch of 5,000 places in JobBridge by my Department will offer a real chance to many people to get six or nine months of critical work experience – a foot on the ladder after training, apprenticeship or graduation. The commitment of the private sector, led by Mr. Martin Murphy, Managing Director of HP Ireland who has chaired the Steering Group on the National Internship Scheme will, I hope, result in a wide range of internship opportunities opening up.

"There is strong interest in participating in an initiative such as JobBridge. We have already received 500 expressions of interests from organisations offering approximately 1,000 internship opportunities. Over 320 of the members of ISME are committed to JobBridge and will have their vacancies available within 3 months."

Speaking at the launch, the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD added: "The Government is committed to getting Ireland back to work and JobBridge is an important part of that effort. Establishing a National Internship Scheme was a flagship commitment in last month's Job Initiative. I believe that we need a collective effort by all sectors of society to tackle the challenges facing the country. JobBridge is just such a collective effort – with the goal of ensuring that we offer people the opportunity to gain work experience through a quality internship."

(BMcN/KMcA)