[gonedrinking]

Originally Posted by Gulliver

I fully agree with syklops in that this is a further burden on the taxpayer:
Real job - person off live register saving the state money
Sham job - person receives dole from state, company gets cheap work, government looks like it's doing something.

Not really. A company is only going to take an intern on if they add value to the company and therefore increase profits, which means increased tax take for this country.

Also, I and lots of others have always wanted people on the dole to pay their way and be made to work for their money. So even if I have to give them an extra 50 quid a week it still makes me feel better to think they're not just at home scratching their hole while I fund their lifestyle.

Make no mistake, Ireland is about to get a whole lot more competitive when this scheme is introduced.

[chunkylover4]

Originally Posted by Gulliver

This is all fine and well if you get the full dole amount, but people are on different levels of benefit and that's going to create a disparity between people doing similar jobs.

I fully agree with syklops in that this is a further burden on the taxpayer:
Real job - person off live register saving the state money
Sham job - person receives dole from state, company gets cheap work, government looks like it's doing something.

Look at the sham that was WPP. One of the signs of craziness is doing the exact same thing twice and expecting a different outcome!

It's not a sham job, the company will benefit from an extra employee which will in turn benefit the state as more tax is collected and the worker benfits from the experience and also from the fact they don't have to sit on their ass all day

[TwoShedsJackson]

Originally Posted by gonedrinking

Not really. A company is only going to take an intern on if they add value to the company and therefore increase profits, which means increased tax take for this country.

Also, I and lots of others have always wanted people on the dole to pay their way and be made to work for their money. So even if I have to give them an extra 50 quid a week it still makes me feel better to think they're not just at home scratching their hole while I fund their lifestyle.

Make no mistake, Ireland is about to get a whole lot more competitive when this scheme is introduced.

I know there are gob$hites out there abusing the system, but for the vast majority of people on the dole, it isn't a 'lifestyle'.

[Gulliver]

Originally Posted by gonedrinking

Not really. A company is only going to take an intern on if they add value to the company and therefore increase profits, which means increased tax take for this country.

Also, I and lots of others have always wanted people on the dole to pay their way and be made to work for their money. So even if I have to give them an extra 50 quid a week it still makes me feel better to think they're not just at home scratching their hole while I fund their lifestyle.

Make no mistake, Ireland is about to get a whole lot more competitive when this scheme is introduced.

Don't get me wrong, I hope some good comes from it, but companies are going to abuse it. Extra worker for €50 a week and no PRSI to pay? Where do I sign?

Jobs requiring training will be out as the placements only last 6/9 months, so training time would eat into that, especially if you have to divert an existing worker to do the training. This means that the experience or skills gathered in that time will be negligible.

[MagicMarker]

Stupid idea tbh.

It will be abused by smaller business who let staff go, change the T&C's of the position ever so slightly and then hire new people on this scheme.

Now when people go on to FAS.ie half of the jobs will be those ridiculous ''WPP'' and the other half will be this crap.

Eventually there'll be no normal jobs left!

[Oranage2]

I like this idea - sure these people will be paid 250ish - if you're on minimum wage you wouldnt be getting much more than this (35 * €8.65 = 302.75)

Though crazy irish mentallity is thinking if you have a degree you should be making 30k.

[Gulliver]

Originally Posted by chunkylover4

It's not a sham job, the company will benefit from an extra employee which will in turn benefit the state as more tax is collected and the worker benfits from the experience and also from the fact they don't have to sit on their ass all day

I can't see how there would be a tax take as they still receive dole whilst on Work Experience, the person will only be there for 6 to 9 months, so will not have hit full productivity by that time, the company will probably have to expend time (which is money) to do the training.

The cost of the dole to the state and the extra €50 probably outweigh any benefit the participant would bring to society.

[Solair]

This will absolutely be abused, there is no 'if' about it.

I know having worked in the media sector in the UK, that the norm was to employ fully qualified people who had years of experience as interns and get them to work for free for as long as possible.

Abuse of internships is rife across those kinds of industries and it would be a terrible shame to see it creeping in across other sectors through Government schemes.

If this is going to work it will have to be policed VERY heavily with fines in the region of €25,000 per intern for any company abusing it e.g. laying off staff and replacing them with interns.

[Gulliver]

Originally Posted by Oranage2

I like this idea - sure these people will be paid 250ish - if you're on minimum wage you wouldnt be getting much more than this (35 * €8.65 = 302.75)

Though crazy irish mentallity is thinking if you have a degree you should be making 30k.

They're very close, with the benefits (medical card) tipping it to the placement scheme:

Max dole is €188 (I think) + €50 is €238 into your hand, plus whatever benefits

Working on minimum wage (35 * €8.65 = 302.75) you have to pay tax, prsi etc, so your take home is less. (I'm not even going to attempt to calculate it since they changed the tax system) Don't forget private health insurance.

[MadameGascar]

Originally Posted by gonedrinking

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0629/internship.html

A National Internship Scheme has been launched by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Dublin.
The two-year JobBridge programme will offer work placements to 5,000 people who are on the Live Register.
The jobs will be offered in a range of companies in the private, public, community and voluntary sector.
So far 500 companies have expressed an interest in taking part and have offered 1,000 places.

They include the Quinn Group, Smurfit Kappa, Mercury Engineering and Aer Lingus.
The placements will last between six and nine months and participants will be paid €50 extra a week on top of their existing social welfare payments.
They will retain all of their additional benefits and it is open to anyone who has been signing-on for at least three months.
Companies offering places must have at least one full-time employee and the intern cannot displace an existing worker.
Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has said those availing of the initiative would not be exploited.

The scheme begins on 1 July.
The initiative has been welcomed by business groups Chambers Ireland and IBEC.
Ian Talbot Chambers Ireland Chief Executive said: 'This will enable participants to gain invaluable work-place experience while also contributing to the operation of the business.
'It is hoped that many of these companies will in turn be able to offer employment opportunities as result.'
IBEC Director General Danny McCoy said it will be promoting the scheme among its members.
Mr McCoy said: 'The scheme provides those seeking employment with the chance to gain valuable work experience, maintain close links with the labour market and enhance their skills. We strongly support it.'



I'm no fan of FG but this seems like a very good idea. People on the dole get valuable experience while companies get cheap labour. Although from the article it sounds like the taxpayer is going to be paying the intern the extra 50 euro a week, but surely this should be paid by the company, and even better, the company should also be making a small contribution to the employee's normal dole amount so the taxpayer is slightly better off. Also, I hope struggling companies and companies only making small profits get preference over companies making large profits.

Im very intrested in this as I am doing part time college and on the dole while in need of work experience.
Does anyone have any idea what kind of internships will be available?

[Oranage2]

Honest to God how lazy are some people -

I work in a job that has no connection to my degree and get paid little under €400 a week before prsi and tax.

I'd be tempted to leave my job and do one of these internships relitive to my degree, i may take a little pay drop but i'd be entitled to rent allownce and medical card.

The goverment is too good to the un-employed, when the goverment does something people still want to sit dont want to do it, though im sure sitting on you ass on the dole for a year will make you more employable!!!!

[Biggins]

Originally Posted by MadameGascar

...Does anyone have any idea what kind of internships will be available?

That will depend on the companies themselves which will apply for the scheme.
The best route is to contact the necessary government body office nearest to you and ask if any have applied for recruits - thus you put your name forward, in return.

[gonedrinking]

Originally Posted by MadameGascar

Im very intrested in this as I am doing part time college and on the dole while in need of work experience.
Does anyone have any idea what kind of internships will be available?

http://www.jobbridge.ie/

They'll appear on that site from 1st July

[jonnny68]

Originally Posted by Richard Hillman

As a person currently unemployed, i welcome this. Having a gap in your unemployment history looks bad. I hate going to interviews and having to explain gaps. You do wonder if HR actually realise that a lot of people are struggling to get jobs at the moment. I hope to get an internship and possibly even a new career route.

i can see your point, however everyone employers included are only too aware how bad this recession is and how little jobs there are so anyone with gaps on their CV is advised to put "any gaps on CV is due to unemployment because of recession" better to be honest.

As regards these Internships, employers are going to abuse this big style, they will save a fortune employing someone with skills and 9 months later just let them go and get someone else, and €50 a week extra isn't worth a f**k, you'll spend half that on travel and some on lunches so your efectively working full time for your dole money so for me it's a total waste of time.

[Geese_Howard]

it's still massaging the unemployment figures,but still not enough places for mass unemployment.

It might work well or might not,but i think some hurdles will be hit with the pyjamas wearing babymakers who want more allowance to pay for the creche?..