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Job Bridge scheme for IT Startup

  • 09-05-2014 3:16pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,158 ✭✭✭


    This is probably not going to be a very popular question here but here goes anyway!

    I have almost 20 years IT experience and am now looking at the feasibility of starting my own IT business developing sites and apps etc.

    It would only be me to begin with but I was thinking would it be possible to get a person on a Job Bridge scheme to work with me?
    I would provide the mentoring and would be working very closely with this person and the way I would see it is after 6-9 months I was actually making enough money to pay someone I would take the person on full time.

    This would probably be ideal for someone just out of a IT Degree in College and looking to get some actual experience in developing and building new IT solutions.

    So do people think this is a valid use of the Job Bridge scheme and would a Business with a single person working for it which is also the owner of the Business be allowed to take on a Job Bridge person?

    Please go easy as I am just looking for ways to start a business without needing thousands to pay people initially and also give some newly qualified people the opportunity to stay in Ireland and get some real experience in IT.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,423 ✭✭✭Avns1s


    Firstly, well done on having the initiative to go and try to get your own business off the ground and I wish you all the best with it.

    I am not sure why you're apologising for thinking of the Jobbridge scheme as you are, as to me, this is the kind of situation that the scheme would have been intended for.

    AFAIK, your business will have to have a registered employee i.e. yourself in this case, to be eligible for Jobbridge, then you may apply for someone to assist and learn as you describe. As you have the view and intention of taking them on (assuming things work out), I think this is a laudable application of the Scheme. Best of luck with it OP.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,295 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Ahh, I doubt you will be considered as an employee yourself. And your business won't be eligible until you have at least one employee.


    Is there any way you could offer a very low wage, with the promise that their wage will increase as their contribution to billable hours increases? IMHO that's a far fairer way than J/Bridge.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,158 ✭✭✭reni10


    No way of offering a wage as I am just starting out and will have no income to even pay myself!

    So a Business with a single employee cannot also be the owner and is therefore not a valid case for Job Bridge?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 306 ✭✭NZ_2014


    reni10 wrote: »
    No way of offering a wage as I am just starting out and will have no income to even pay myself!

    So a Business with a single employee cannot also be the owner and is therefore not a valid case for Job Bridge?

    If your business ideas are good, then formulate a business plan, get to the bank, and get a loan.

    Have you not seen the AIB ad... "We`re open, we`re lending"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,295 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    If you have no money, then how are you affording public liability insurance?

    If you're going to have employees, then you need employer's liability insurance as well.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,158 ✭✭✭reni10


    I have a couple of thousand for setup costs saved and I would be also looking to either get a grant or a small loan to help with anything else but I don't think a bank will give me a loan to pay another employee but they would potentially lend for setup costs...

    So that is why I am looking at the Job Bridge Scheme as I have a few ideas I want to get off the ground and would like someone else I could work with and also pass on some of my knowledge and give them some experience in the IT field which is pretty hard to come by these days when you have no experience.

    But if I actually have to pay an employee from the get go then there is no way I could take someone on initially and will have to go with a one man show and try to make some money myself!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 sbattman


    Hi,

    There is a micro loan available for 2 - 25,000 or something to that tune from enterprise Ireland or the local city partnerships, business plan is necessary.

    I would suggest applying for one of the new frontiers programmes as they can offer you practical training and you are payed if you make it the whole way through.

    Setting up a business is not just about your own skills but also managing a company, selling, finance, marketing etc. and these guys are used to dealing with people in your situation and can offer you expert advise and mentoring for nothing.

    I work for a company who has gone through these processes and found them to be extremely helpful. There is a lot of support out there for start up companies and small to medium enterprises in Ireland but nobody really knows about half of it.
    The new frontiers are normally linked to 3rd level education establishments and there are other grants and things in place to work with students in these circumstances (Enterprise Ireland Innovation Vouchers).

    There can also be problems with taking on untrained people as they use up your most valuable resource.. time!
    I would recommend you put in place a thorough search to make sure whoever you have is an asset and not a liability.

    Best of luck and well done for going out on a limb, it'll be tough but its worth it :) small to medium businesses employ most of the country


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 824 ✭✭✭Kinet1c


    When you say "developing and building new IT solutions", do you mean

    (a) sys admin type development of network/servers

    or

    (b) actual software development


    If it's the first, drop me a PM as I can speak 1st hand of my experience. If it's the later I don't think you'll have much chance of getting an IT graduate signing up as they shouldn't have much problem getting a job due to the demand.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,689 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    Personally I feel this wouldn't be suitable for the Job Bridge scheme.

    IMHO Job Bridge is about taking someone who doesn't have skills or qualifications in a particular area and giving them some skills in that area. And while a Job Bridge intern should of course provide some value to the host organisation, I don't believe they should be a large part of the core business.

    In your case specifically, you are talking about a graduate whose primary degree is in the field you are talking about hiring them for, therefore they have relevant qualifications. While the IT industry is largely unregulated, traditionally IT graduate roles have been considered to be fully paid employment roles. Therefore, what you are suggesting is effectively taking what should be a paid role and turning it into it into an unpaid internship. This may be different if you were talking about taking someone who hasn't completed their degree yet, or possibly who has done a FAS type course or is changing from a different career/qualification path.

    It also seems that you expect this person to be contributing to your core business, i.e. "developing and building new IT solutions", and IMHO if someone is doing that, then they deserve to be paid a full wage commensurate with their value to the business in return.

    For e.g. if you consider an accounting firm, then I believe taking on a Job Bridge intern (without relevant IT degree) to help in their IT department is fine, but taking on a graduate accountant and billing them out to customers as a normal resource is definitely not fine.
    and the way I would see it is after 6-9 months I was actually making enough money to pay someone I would take the person on full time.

    I think you do understand that someone should be paid for the role that you have in mind, and mainly your argument is around the affordability of actually hiring someone. I do understand that you likely won't be able to afford to hire someone initially without Job Bridge, but please do keep in mind that Job Bridge wasn't created to provide free labor to businesses, it's primary function is to upskill or cross-train people who don't have the required skills and qualifications.

    There are other schemes designed to assist employers, I'd recommend you talk to Enterprise Ireland and your local enterprise boards to see what assistance they can provide.


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