Jobsbridge

lynyg18

Hey I am wondering has anyone had any issue with leaving a jobsbridge early? As in payment cuts etc?


I am after doing a childcare intern for 6months have been completely used as a member of staff , covering breaks and staff absences , I only recently managed to stop this but am still being over worked as it is so stressful. I work a lot of hours for 50 euro also I was told they can't keep me on as no money and are going to hire another jobsbridge intern this has made me very angry and stressed out . The general atmosphere in the centre is also very bad people are bullying others and some are doing more work than others but management are oblivious to this. I just really feel this is wasting my time and stressing me out. I can't even find time to prepare for interviews I get as I'm so tired from the job

Also interested has anyone else had a terrible experience in this so called job creation scheme? And are pissed off!!

In particular anyone In childcare or teaching doing this love to know are you being left responsible for children? I am qualified and experienced so I just pity none who wouldn't be as experienced doing an intern and being left with children like

Thanks

Lynyg

Thinkingaboutit

Jobsbridge eliminates jobs that were hitherto filled by temps, school leavers and graduates, but works to reduce the unemployment stats as desperate people look for any sort of experience. It suits government as more Jobsbridge posts can created quickly than starter jobs generated by the workings of the market. A lot give up and emigrate, which suits government even better.

pharmaton

I'm doing job bridge at the moment and doing ok so far. The work load isn't so heavy that I'm stressed and I still find it interesting. I feel like I'm getting useful experience at the end of the day and don't focus too much on whether there is work in it following my time there. I figure I had a lot to work on going in there and glad of the opportunity to "have a go" at something I might not otherwise have been confident enough to try. I feel it's mutually beneficial at the moment and hopefully it stays that way.

I've an interview next week for some part time weekend work outside of my job bridge that will hopefully subsidise my income so I'm happy enough doing both if it works out that way.

There is some advice available on the job bridge website for interns, the faq section should cover some of your queries and maybe help you find some answers. Best of luck.

lisalights

pharmaton wrote: »

I'm doing job bridge at the moment and doing ok so far. The work load isn't so heavy that I'm stressed and I still find it interesting. I feel like I'm getting useful experience at the end of the day and don't focus too much on whether there is work in it following my time there. I figure I had a lot to work on going in there and glad of the opportunity to "have a go" at something I might not otherwise have been confident enough to try. I feel it's mutually beneficial at the moment and hopefully it stays that way.

I've an interview next week for some part time weekend work outside of my job bridge that will hopefully subsidise my income so I'm happy enough doing both if it works out that way.

There is some advice available on the job bridge website for interns, the faq section should cover some of your queries and maybe help you find some answers. Best of luck.

I've heard you cannot do any paid work on top of the internship or you would lose the placement? I could be wrong. I just finished an internship and another intern there said they had to leave for doing paid work also?

pharmaton

lisalights wrote: »

I've heard you cannot do any paid work on top of the internship or you would lose the placement? I could be wrong. I just finished an internship and another intern there said they had to leave for doing paid work also?

As far as I am aware it s perfectly ok. I checked it out with both the social yesterday and my host organisation. It's weekend work that won't interfere with my placement although I can only earn so much before I lose a percentage of my income. If it works out I could be able to top up by about €70

Edit: from citizens info

Can I do additional part-time work outside my JobBridge hours work part time?
While you are participating in JobBridge, you may do additional part-time work provided your work does not affect your internship and your employer is not your host organisation. If you get a part-time job you must continue to meet the conditions for your payment and you should inform your local social welfare office as your income from work may affect your social welfare payment.

lisalights

Yes, you could be right there. The lad I was talking to took a day off work in the internship to work and paid day elsewhere, in the hope of getting a job as the internship wasn't leading to one and he got disqualified from the internship. it worked out very well for me but it certainly seems to favour employers not employees

quote="pharmaton;92076749"]As far as I am aware it s perfectly ok. I checked it out with both the social yesterday and my host organisation. It's weekend work that won't interfere with my placement although I can only earn so much before I lose a percentage of my income. If it works out I could be able to top up by about €70

Edit: from citizens info[/quote]

daveohdave

JobBridge is badly implemented and abused, but to be fair, it's disingenuous to say you're overworked for €50. It's €50 plus the rest of your dole, it just happens to be paid by someone else. If you go in thinking you're only being paid €50 a week, your never going to be happy.

MouseTail

To the OP, It sounds like you are in a bad working environment re bullying. However regarding you having responsibility for children, covering for staff etc, that would be entirely normal for a jobbridge in a childcare setting. After 6 months of such experience, together with your level 5, I would imagine you are very employable, and the jobbridge will have served its purpose.

Have you looked for paid jobs? Saying no, you are too tired will not wash with the DSP, that is the nature of the job you have chosen. Childcare is incredibly vocational.

lisalights

daveohdave wrote: »

JobBridge is badly implemented and abused, but to be fair, it's disingenuous to say you're overworked for €50. It's €50 plus the rest of your dole, it just happens to be paid by someone else. If you go in thinking you're only being paid €50 a week, your never going to be happy.

It's not paid by someone else, it's all part of the government scheme,.employers put nothing towards it

daveohdave

lisalights wrote: »

It's not paid by someone else, it's all part of the government scheme,.employers put nothing towards it

I didn't say employers put anything towards it. "Someone else" is the government, rather than the company.

2Mad2BeMad

daveohdave wrote: »

JobBridge is badly implemented and abused, but to be fair, it's disingenuous to say you're overworked for €50. It's €50 plus the rest of your dole, it just happens to be paid by someone else. If you go in thinking you're only being paid €50 a week, your never going to be happy.

Ok
I get 150 a week for 40hours work
I pay my own travel = 30e
get my own lunch so 10e a week

thats 40e
basically I get an extra 10e a week on top of my social welfare

Should I be happy to work 40hours a week, for 9months on 150e? no
no matter what way you look at it, its still doing full time work for sweet f all money
Only reason I am still doing my internship is because I am guareenteed a job at the end (can't say why of course or how I know this as the company would be in trouble)

an extra 50e a week, you think that way you won't be happy
150e a week, you think that way you still won't be happy

daveohdave

Ok, I'll try again. The OP said "I work a lot of hours for 50 euro". They don't. They work those hours for 50 euro plus whatever they get in social welfare.

If you don't believe you're getting value out of it, don't do it.

Again, I'm not a supporter, I'm simply correcting an inaccuracy.

Gael23

Jobsbridge=Exploitation. Period.
That comes from a card carrying FG member

daveohdave

Exploitation by who though? The government? Employers? All employers or just the small ones, or big ones?

MouseTail

ryanf1 wrote: »

Jobsbridge=Exploitation. Period.
That comes from a card carrying FG member

It is open to exploitation, but equally it can work really well. Truth is its the most effective activation measure we have. The need for jobbridge will dissapate as the economy imoroves in any case.

Gael23

daveohdave wrote: »

Exploitation by who though? The government? Employers? All employers or just the small ones, or big ones?

Employers mainly IMO. Ive seen people lose their jobs to make way for an intern being paid €50. It doesn't represent gainful employment.

daveohdave

Is it "period" or "mostly"? It can't be both.

daveohdave

Let's try a real life case study.

I'm self-employed, running a business that's desperately trying to grow, but hampered by the number of hours in the day I can give to it. I have people waiting for me to do work for them, but I'm being delayed getting to them because of administrative and other work that has to be done. I pay myself less than minimum wage, and very nearly live hand to mouth. (I do live better than someone on the dole, to be fair.) I have no spare cash, and I already have (relatively small) borrowings.

I'm taking on someone on JobBridge to do some of the basic stuff, and train them in on some of the more complex stuff. I've no idea if I'll be able to take them on at the end of it, and I've made this clear to them. If I do, I'll need to borrow a significant amount of money to do so, again on top of existing borrowings.

So, am I exploitative?

MouseTail

daveohdave wrote: »

Let's try a real life case study.

I'm self-employed, running a business that's desperately trying to grow, but hampered by the number of hours in the day I can give to it. I have people waiting for me to do work for them, but I'm being delayed getting to them because of administrative and other work that has to be done. I pay myself less than minimum wage, and very nearly live hand to mouth. (I do live better than someone on the dole, to be fair.) I have no spare cash, and I already have (relatively small) borrowings.

I'm taking on someone on JobBridge to do some of the basic stuff, and train them in on some of the more complex stuff. I've no idea if I'll be able to take them on at the end of it, and I've made this clear to them. If I do, I'll need to borrow a significant amount of money to do so, again on top of existing borrowings.

So, am I exploitative?

No, because unhampered by administrative tasks, it is possible (probable) that you can focus your energies on growing your business, attracting new clients, growing your bottom line, and ultimately creating jobs.

dharma200

If you need staff, but cannot afford to actually pay your staff a wage, then you should totally re asses your business. Jobsbridge is nothing but a scam.

Gael23

daveohdave wrote: »

Let's try a real life case study.

I'm self-employed, running a business that's desperately trying to grow, but hampered by the number of hours in the day I can give to it. I have people waiting for me to do work for them, but I'm being delayed getting to them because of administrative and other work that has to be done. I pay myself less than minimum wage, and very nearly live hand to mouth. (I do live better than someone on the dole, to be fair.) I have no spare cash, and I already have (relatively small) borrowings.

I'm taking on someone on JobBridge to do some of the basic stuff, and train them in on some of the more complex stuff. I've no idea if I'll be able to take them on at the end of it, and I've made this clear to them. If I do, I'll need to borrow a significant amount of money to do so, again on top of existing borrowings.

So, am I exploitative?

What dharma said.
If you cant afford to pay your staff a fair wage then you need to assess the viability of your business? After all isn't the reason some Business go bust due to being unable to pay salaries that are due?
And also what is the purpose of minimum wage legislation with this scam?

hfallada

People need to understand if you are long-term unemployed, its a serious barrier to employment. Job bridge allows you show an employers that although you havent worked in 3 years in paid employment, for the last 6 months you were an intern and are still skilled enough to gain paid employment. Nytimes did a massive survey of handing out a few thousand identical CVs, one was a better skilled person but unemployed for over 6 months and someone currently employed but with lesser skills. The person with less skills, but employed was significantly more likely to get an interview, than the long term unemployed person

NZ_2014

daveohdave wrote: »

Let's try a real life case study.

I'm self-employed, running a business that's desperately trying to grow, but hampered by the number of hours in the day I can give to it. I have people waiting for me to do work for them, but I'm being delayed getting to them because of administrative and other work that has to be done. I pay myself less than minimum wage, and very nearly live hand to mouth. (I do live better than someone on the dole, to be fair.) I have no spare cash, and I already have (relatively small) borrowings.

I'm taking on someone on JobBridge to do some of the basic stuff, and train them in on some of the more complex stuff. I've no idea if I'll be able to take them on at the end of it, and I've made this clear to them. If I do, I'll need to borrow a significant amount of money to do so, again on top of existing borrowings.

So, am I exploitative?

Yes, you are, unless you`ve agreed for your JobBridge slave to have a share in the business (assuming it actually becomes viable!)

CatFromHue

dharma200 wrote: »

If you need staff, but cannot afford to actually pay your staff a wage, then you should totally re asses your business. Jobsbridge is nothing but a scam.

ryanf1 wrote: »

What dharma said.
If you cant afford to pay your staff a fair wage then you need to assess the viability of your business? After all isn't the reason some Business go bust due to being unable to pay salaries that are due?
And also what is the purpose of minimum wage legislation with this scam?

NZ_2014 wrote: »

Yes, you are, unless you`ve agreed for your JobBridge slave to have a share in the business (assuming it actually becomes viable!)

If DaveOhDave is actually providing a proper learning environment where the Intern would gain good experience and skills they don't have already then no I'd say it isn't exploitative.

If DaveOhDave is not providing this environment and the Intern isn't getting anything worthwhile skills/careerwise then it is exploitative.

If DaveOhDave ends up becoming a serial hoster of Interns over a number of years and is still not getting anywhere himself business wise then I'd say it's time to re evaluate the business.

There are some positives mixed in with the many negatives of the way Jobbridge is being run and if an Intern can get in with a good positive company it can be a good thing. Unfortunately there's many poor and negative companies abusing the scheme which is giving it a very bad name.

daveohdave

At the moment it is viable for me, just about, but if it doesn't grow I will probably go bust eventually. It's definitely not viable for employees unless I can bridge a gap and grow. JobBridge should be able to help me with that.

Should I not try to grow my company, and ultimately employ people and pay more taxes? You know banks aren't lending to businesses, despite their protestations?

So is your answer that I should go on the dole, and probably end up in JobBridge myself?

dharma200

so it is a case that your business is failing and you need free labour to stop the business form eventually failing? If your business needs to grow, however you cannot afford that growth, then i think you should seriously consider your business. Free labour, while it sounds great, is actually stunting the growth of the WHOLE COUNTRY. This is a scam of the highest order and no justification of it makes sense.. of course there are individual positives.. but look at th bigger picture.. no jobs being created, no decent wages or entry wages, no contracts no workers rights, nothing. Just the promise of building a CV, a CV for what?????? lol.. there is no justification for this fraudulent scheme, no matter how good experience some may have, it is and should be, morally wrong to expect someone to 'INTERN' in this way. IMHO

daveohdave

You can keep twisting my situation around to your way of thinking if you wish, but you'll continue to be wrong.

Again, my business isn't failing, it's tipping away. But again, it has the potential for growth. And again, if I can't grow it soon then it may fail down the line. May.

I'd like to grow it now using a scheme that has been made available to me, a scheme that no-one is forced into, a scheme that allows someone to learn a trade and possibly earn a job.

I don't deny people / companies abuse the system, that's patently obvious. But not everyone is. I'm trying to improve my business and myself, I'm trying to set someone up with a job, if not with me then with someone else, with new skills.

My answer to the JobBridge problem is to improve the programme with better rules and better policing. Yours seems to be to leave my intern on the dole, and put myself there too, but I presume I'm incorrect in that. So again, what's your solution?

CatFromHue

Dave if you can offer an Intern the chance to get skills and experience in stuff that is relevant and beneficial to them and then follow up by actually giving them that experience go for it. I don't know your business so can't think of anything actually relevant to it.

If you can only offer people the chance to spend the day answering phones or making tea or other low level operations then you'd be exploiting the scheme.

Lots of people abuse the system but if you don't it can be beneficial to the Intern as in theory the scheme is good. In practice it stinks due to the abusers using it.

daveohdave

The intern will certainly do tedious work, but no more than if they were employed. They'll also learn a lot, if they pay attention, as I've 15 years in the field and I'm a pretty good teacher when I put my mind to it.

The last sentence in your post suggests that the majority of companies are abusing the scheme, do you have any evidence for that? There are plenty of individual cases, I've read them, but I'm skeptical it's endemic.

NZ_2014

You have a fledging business and you want to hire an intern.By the sounds of it this intern would be the only other person working there (this is almost co founder or business partner territory) so you should be offering a share of the business.

daveohdave

I love the way ye all make massive assumptions with little to no data or justification. You know you can ask questions rather than just tear into it, right? This isn't flouride we're talking about.

It's an long-established business that has kept me pretty contented up until this point, however I have a growing family that I want to be contented too. The market I'm in is doing well in the recovery, and I have an opportunity to grow, but I need help to kick things off. I can't afford the risk of more borrowings. I'm not giving a shareholding to someone that I've just met, with no proven ability and a limited skillset that I'll need to invest my time in.

If they prove their worth, and I can afford to employ them at the end of the internship, I will, but they've stated that the training alone will be valuable to them. If they prove /very/ good, and they're interested - not everyone wants to, or can, work for themselves you know - I may discuss a partnership with them.

But no, again, I'm not going to simply going to give away a portion of my 20 year old business to someone on spec. Would you?

Mrs Garth Brooks

daveohdave wrote: »

The intern will certainly do tedious work, but no more than if they were employed. They'll also learn a lot, if they pay attention, as I've 15 years in the field and I'm a pretty good teacher when I put my mind to it.

The last sentence in your post suggests that the majority of companies are abusing the scheme, do you have any evidence for that? There are plenty of individual cases, I've read them, but I'm skeptical it's endemic.

Tedious, boring work...sounds like they can pick up the ropes in a week...not six or nine months.

daveohdave

Try reading beyond the first few words of the post you quoted. If you really put your mind to it, you could even read the rest of the thread for context. This isn't Twitter.

omerin

hfallada wrote: »

People need to understand if you are long-term unemployed, its a serious barrier to employment. Job bridge allows you show an employers that although you havent worked in 3 years in paid employment, for the last 6 months you were an intern and are still skilled enough to gain paid employment. Nytimes did a massive survey of handing out a few thousand identical CVs, one was a better skilled person but unemployed for over 6 months and someone currently employed but with lesser skills. The person with less skills, but employed was significantly more likely to get an interview, than the long term unemployed person

For the love of God, please do not give a positive opinion on Jobsbridge and talk sense on a Jobsbridge thread, you will be castigated

Phil_Lives

daveohdave wrote: »

JobBridge should be able to help me with that.

Jobbridge isn't for you. It is for the young inexperienced entrant to the job market.
If you are so busy I don't even see how you'll be able to mentor the jobbridge candidate.
Don't abuse the scheme.

Gael23

On another topic, say your on an internship and you get offered a paying job, can you leave or do you have to see out the duration of the internship?

bladebrew

I have seen a few very funny ads for jobsbridge, my favourite was in Galway where a company wanted a truck driver but they had to have a full artic licence! So basically they are already allowed drive trucks by themselves but this company wanted to train them for 9 months to deliver plant machinery!

MouseTail

ryanf1 wrote: »

On another topic, say your on an internship and you get offered a paying job, can you leave or do you have to see out the duration of the internship?

Of course you can leave for paid employment. There are the most bizarre myths surrounding this scheme!?

NZ_2014

daveohdave wrote: »

I love the way ye all make massive assumptions with little to no data or justification. You know you can ask questions rather than just tear into it, right? This isn't flouride we're talking about.

It's an long-established business that has kept me pretty contented up until this point, however I have a growing family that I want to be contented too. The market I'm in is doing well in the recovery, and I have an opportunity to grow, but I need help to kick things off. I can't afford the risk of more borrowings. I'm not giving a shareholding to someone that I've just met, with no proven ability and a limited skillset that I'll need to invest my time in.

If they prove their worth, and I can afford to employ them at the end of the internship, I will, but they've stated that the training alone will be valuable to them. If they prove /very/ good, and they're interested - not everyone wants to, or can, work for themselves you know - I may discuss a partnership with them.

But no, again, I'm not going to simply going to give away a portion of my 20 year old business to someone on spec. Would you?

So your the only person working in the business? Would I be right in this assumption!

daveohdave

Phil_Lives wrote: »

Jobbridge isn't for you. It is for the young inexperienced entrant to the job market.

"The aim of the National Internship Scheme is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills."

If you are so busy I don't even see how you'll be able to mentor the jobbridge candidate.

As I've already suggested, the intern will reduce my workload by taking on work they're already experienced with, which will enable me to both bring in new business, and teach the intern new skills.

Don't abuse the scheme.

Don't abuse people without doing research first?

daveohdave

NZ_2014 wrote: »

So your the only person working in the business? Would I be right in this assumption!

Yes.

Mrs Garth Brooks

daveohdave wrote: »

As I've already suggested, the intern will reduce my workload by taking on work they're already experienced with, which will enable me to both bring in new business, and teach the intern new skills.

They're not there to reduce your workload. If anything give you more work by training them. If you want to take on someone with work they're already experienced in...pay them a wage.

daveohdave

They're there to do both. But feel free to show me the rule that says employers may not give the intern ANY work they're already familiar with.

daveohdave

daveohdave wrote: »

Let's try a real life case study.

I'm self-employed, running a business that's desperately trying to grow, but hampered by the number of hours in the day I can give to it. I have people waiting for me to do work for them, but I'm being delayed getting to them because of administrative and other work that has to be done. I pay myself less than minimum wage, and very nearly live hand to mouth. (I do live better than someone on the dole, to be fair.) I have no spare cash, and I already have (relatively small) borrowings.

I'm taking on someone on JobBridge to do some of the basic stuff, and train them in on some of the more complex stuff. I've no idea if I'll be able to take them on at the end of it, and I've made this clear to them. If I do, I'll need to borrow a significant amount of money to do so, again on top of existing borrowings.

So, am I exploitative?

No, I don't think you are. You are using the system to help you grow your business. You are also able to use the 9 months to assess the intern and decide if they have what it takes to work with you going forward. You are taking a risk, as you'll have to spend time supervising and training them up to your standard. They may not be up to the job and you may have to do this a few times before you get the right future employee. It is actually a bit commitment on your part.
I personally know 2 people who gained employment as a result of a JobBridge internship. I also know a couple of employers who took on staff as Interns in the full knowledge that there was no job at the end of it and that there was an endless supply of others ready to take their place.

daveohdave

daveohdave wrote: »

Yes.

You have to have at least one PAYE employee to be eligible to take on an intern

daveohdave

I'm a PAYE employee of my company. I've read the rules thanks.

Phil_Lives

daveohdave wrote: »

"The aim of the National Internship Scheme is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills."



As I've already suggested, the intern will reduce my workload by taking on work they're already experienced with, which will enable me to both bring in new business, and teach the intern new skills.



Don't abuse people without doing research first?

I did my research. I've read all the bumpf. I've complained about exploitative jobbridge adverts and made representations to Politicians. I've avoided companies which abuse this scheme when possible.

Can you declare your registered trading name so that I can avoid doing business with you.

daveohdave

You may have done your research, but you made an explicit claim that was incorrect, and rather than retract that or, god forbid, apologise, now you're lumping me in with abusers of the scheme with no justification whatsoever.

How many have you complained about? How does that number tally with the total? And since you want to get specific about my business, how am I abusing it?

Phil_Lives

Yeah, Jabber, Jabber, Jabber. What's your company name so that I can avoid you.

daveohdave

daveohdave wrote: »

I'm a PAYE employee of my company. I've read the rules thanks.

I'm a bit confused. If you're Self Employed, I thought you didn't pay Income Tax and PRSI like an employee would? In other words you're the owner, not the employee?

"In order to qualify for an internship an organisation must have a minimum of 1 full time employee who is employed for 30 hours or more per week (i.e. on payroll and subject to PAYE and PRSI)."

NZ_2014

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm a bit confused. If you're Self Employed, I thought you didn't pay Income Tax and PRSI like an employee would? In other words you're the owner, not the employee?

"In order to qualify for an internship an organisation must have a minimum of 1 full time employee who is employed for 30 hours or more per week (i.e. on payroll and subject to PAYE and PRSI)."

You can be an owner, and employ yourself and pay yourself a salary too.