The Jobbridge Scandal

The Niece wrote: »

Boyfriend finished up his contract in a well known supermarket because 'there was no more work'

The next week, a load of people started on jobbridge

I hate Jobbridge

Deleted User wrote: »

Name them, they deserve the bad publicity.

I can't speak for The Niece but it's been posted many times on boards that Tesco and Supervalue use jobbridge if you want examples

There is also the problem that some businesses can now undercut competition that is paying real wages e.g. one cafe could drop prices if they have a Jobridge intern instead of a normal employee... how can the cafe down the street compete? The only way would be to decrease wages or hire get a jobridge intern of their own and get rid of a real employee.

snubbleste wrote: »

I think you'll find that people are coerced by the Dept of Social Protection or face reduced or no payment.

I've never heard of that. I took one up, after a week I realised it was not what I was told. I contacted the welfare office and the lady I spoke to said it was completely voluntary and I can leave at any time with a weeks notice. She then went on to tell me that you are entitled to 14 sick days and to just take them for the remaining week.

No pressure to stay in it at all.

This time last year I worked in a small place, with one other full time girl and a part time boss. My working hours were completely erratic, some days I would be called into work but sent home after 3 hours, or sometimes I would get no hours one week and hardly any the next week. I left because basically the job was no use to me.

This year, she has the full time girl, her part time self and two other new full time girls who are both there as interns. One of them was hired after me, so basically my paid job turned into a jobs bridge job right after.

washman3 wrote: »

The sole purpose of this scheme is to manipulate unemployment figures so the likes of Burton, Brian Hayes,Howlin,Varadker and Noonan can spout ****e on tv about how they are 'kickstarting the economy'
The idea was originally proposed by another shyster, the very smug Bill 'penny apples' Cullen, who is now also in serious financial difficulties as a result of his forays into property speculation.
What can you do.? never vote for FG or Labour again and urge others to do the same. I assume you are up to speed on the other option,Fianna Fail.? well they don't even deserve to be mentioned.

we really do need a new party in Ireland, we have a load of rubbish going on from all sides.

The great thing about employment figures and most other figures, depending on how you read them you can make the figures say anything you want.

Like several others on here, I have first-hand experience of Jobbridge.

I was made redundant at the end of December 2010 from the publishing field. There was nothing else going in my area in that field and as my work history is all in that area, I was finding it hard gaining any sort of employment.

I applied for a Jobbridge internship in 'marketing and PR' and was 100% exploited. I worked my backside off, even though I quickly realised marketing is NOT an area I am interested in. It was apparent I was simply there to do the ****tiest jobs you can imagine.

It was so soul-destroying. I am 40 now and it had been 20 years since I was last out of work for a significant period.

When my internship ended, I was a wreck of my former self. I ended up on antidepressants and felt totally useless.

Several months later I saw the internship I did being advertised again (yes, the gall of them to get another slave in under a different name). Incensed, I contacted Jobbridge several times and on the third occasion when I threatened going to the media, the internship was finally removed.

To add insult to injury, when I applied for fuel allowance last winter I was told that I was ineligible because my 9 months on Jobbridge is not counted as me being unemployed, so I missed out on being eligible for an extra €80 a month. I know that will sound like pittance to those of you working, but as someone putting themselves now through a counselling degree with a private college, that money could have been a Godsend.

I would have always considered myself an intelligent, confident person, but working for essentially nothing 9-5 (well, an extra €10 a day) slowly took its toll. There was a good few times when I wanted to quit, but I convinced myself to stay and get a decent reference. Looking back, I should have quit. What it did to my self-esteem is beyond something I can express here.

I recently completed an 8-month FAS course as a Healthcare Assistant so I am looking for work in that field to pay for my degree, which I am doing part-time. I felt great doing that course, met some amazing new friends and it built me up again

The scheme is, as said, a national joke. I ask everyone that has limited knowledge of the scheme to go to the fas website, type in their county and see how many 'jobs' are internships or CE schemes. It is at least 70%.

Until this scheme is scrapped, jobs will remain hard top find.

The Government is using the scheme to massage unemployment figures and is therefore unwilling to wind it down. It is a disgrace.:mad:

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Just did a search for part time sales assistant jobs in Dublin and out of 17 search results, 9 were CE Schemes. FML!

Yup, not surprised at all. 53% of positions in Dublin is staggering! It is worse in smaller cities. Was almost 80% where I am last year.