Pathways To Work Welcomed

Fine Gael Meath West TD and Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education, Damien English, has said that Pathways to Work will make it easier for the unemployed to find jobs and will prevent people getting stuck on the live register long term. P

athways to Work was launched by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton.

"We are going to create an integrated service that will give people who are out of work the supports they need to regain employment and make it easier for employers to fill vacancies. Under the new streamlined service, if someone loses their job, they will be able to go to one local office to access their welfare entitlements and the support they need to get back into the workplace.

"Ambitious targets are being set. We are aiming to get 75,000 people who are currently long-term unemployed back into the workforce by 2015. And we want to reduce the average time spent on the live register from 21 months to 12 months. The Department of Social Protection is spending an extra €95 million on employment supports this year, to help get to grips with our jobs crisis.

"Early intervention is vital. We want to make sure that your first day out of work is also your first step back to employment. We will engage with the unemployed in a tailored way to ensure they get the support they need to get back to work. A detailed needs assessment will be targeted, prioritising the long term unemployed, to identify what kind of support is needed. Specialised case workers will help people take the necessary steps to get a job, be that training, education, work placements or job search assistance.

"The economy is beginning to recover and jobs are being created; the new service will make it easier to match those looking for work with suitable employers. We want to rebuild trust in the system, so that employers come straight to their local office if they have a vacancy to fill. Furthermore, it’s important for the unemployed to be reassured that it won’t take months to get back on the live register if they take up short term work or a training course."

(CD)