Gateway Scheme

HelenV

A friend's son was contacted and invited to attend at interview for a Gateway Scheme at his local Council offices. He was rather upbeat about it at the time as he understood he may have a foot in the door for future employment. Now it seems he was actually targeted by a neighbour who had a word with the Council as his skills would benefit a men's shed type of scheme. He is supposed to be doing the 'teaching'. When he went for the interview he said he wanted clerical / administration but he's being put into environment initially and then to the 'shed'.

He was on a PTJI scheme for about 18 months and the place closed down in January '15. In April he queried the possibility of a Jobsbridge placement but was informed he had to be 6 months unemployed so didn't qualify.

Citizens information website says he should be on full JA for 24 months before qualifying for a Gateway Scheme.

If he was told in April he wasn't on JA for the required 6 months how then can he qualify for a Gateway Scheme which states a participant should be on full JA for 24 months?

Can he turn down this placement? He has applied for numerous FAS courses but has been told the lists are over subscribed within days.

He needs to upskill and has been desperately seeking employment. He has called to the local FAS offices on numerous occasions but this position or the alternative litter picking he has been offered is not going to be of any benefit for future employment prospects.

The Dogs Bollix

Jobbridge is 3 months unemployed so he was given the wrong information there. If he still wants to do a jobbridge he should apply directly to an add or contact companies to see if they would be interested in taking him on under the jobbridge scheme.

And I am not a hundred per cent sure but the PTJI is another scheme from the department of social protection. As far as I know they add all his time up on jobseekers allowance and schemes. Even though he worked part time for 18 months, the time before that spent on JA and the time after that. It could all add up to 24 months so he could be eligible for the gateway scheme.

As I say, I'm not sure but I was claiming the back to education allowance before. I spent two years in college and I thought that my claim would start afresh after my second year. I was told it doesn't work like that and my time is all counted.

Different schemes but I reckon it doesn't matter what type of scheme you're on.

eastbono

Helen V... just to clarify he wasnt target by a neighbour. Selection for Gateway and TUS schemes are just randomly picked through computer programming . The council do not pick people. His time on PTJI would go toward the 24 months and six months is incorrect about jobbridge.

HelenV

eastbono wrote: »

Helen V... just to clarify he wasnt target by a neighbour. Selection for Gateway and TUS schemes are just randomly picked through computer programming . The council do not pick people. His time on PTJI would go toward the 24 months and six months is incorrect about jobbridge.

My understanding is that the neighbour who lives a couple of doors from him has had him plagued since last year to join the group. The man runs the group on a voluntary basis (he's retired) and the group is his baby. He's very involved in the community and is on every board of management throughout the county. The lad is really good at carpentry, computers and organic gardening and apparently his skills would be very useful to the shed members. The neighbour actually rang his mother mid- May to see if she could persuade him to join and told the lad himself about the Gateway course early June long long before he got the call.

The man had been approached regarding any local knowledge he may have had concerning employment for the young man but he wants a full time job and this scheme is neither use nor ornament so far as upskilling for meaningful employment following the 22 months.

He wants to emigrate to Australia and has an email from a previous employer there assuring him of employment if he has one more course under his belt.

A recent FAS course would have been right up his street for this qualification but it was seriously oversubscribed. If he takes up this Gateway scheme his hopes for Australia are dead in the water.

Do you happen to know whether he can apply for a FAS / other course during the 22 month term of Gateway if a suitable one is advertised.? He really does want to make something of himself and is dreading the thoughts of wasting the next 22 months.

eastbono

HelenV wrote: »

My understanding is that the neighbour who lives a couple of doors from him has had him plagued since last year to join the group. The man runs the group on a voluntary basis (he's retired) and the group is his baby. He's very involved in the community and is on every board of management throughout the county. The lad is really good at carpentry, computers and organic gardening and apparently his skills would be very useful to the shed members. The neighbour actually rang his mother mid- May to see if she could persuade him to join and told the lad himself about the Gateway course early June long long before he got the call.

The man had been approached regarding any local knowledge he may have had concerning employment for the young man but he wants a full time job and this scheme is neither use nor ornament so far as gaining meaningful employment after the 22 months.

He wants to emigrate to Australia and has an email from a previous employer there assuring him of employment if he has one more course under his belt.

A recent FAS course would have been right up his street for this qualification but it was seriously oversubscribed. If he takes up this Gateway scheme his hopes for Australia are dead in the water.

I do think the there is some level of misinformation here. Gateway is administered by the Local Authorities. A person who is volunteering with a group wouldnt have any input into who is randomly picked for Gateway. This person being a member of several boards of management is totally irrevelant. It is literally a random computer programme that does the picking unless the person wants to be considered for Gateway themselves and in such cases they have to meet with a case officer. Mens sheds certainly wouldnt be recepients of the Gateway programme...they have nothing to do with local authorities. Perhaps it was a CE scheme that this friends son applied for as Mens Shed may be considered for participation in a CE scheme.

HelenV

eastbono wrote: »

I do think the there is some level of misinformation here. Gateway is administered by the Local Authorities. A person who is volunteering with a group wouldnt have any input into who is randomly picked for Gateway. This person being a member of several boards of management is totally irrevelant. It is literally a random computer programme that does the picking unless the person wants to be considered for Gateway themselves and in such cases they have to meet with a case officer. Mens sheds certainly wouldnt be recepients of the Gateway programme...they have nothing to do with local authorities. Perhaps it was a CE scheme that this friends son applied for as Mens Shed may be considered for participation in a CE scheme.

There is a regeneration program in place in the particular area where the mens shed is and the local Council are (as I'm sure you already know) very much involved there. Apparently the lad is initially being placed on some sort of grass cutting venture for a couple of weeks and then being transferred to the shed. You're right it is all a bit peculiar but apparently the neighbour told the mother in a wink wink nod nod fashion that it was all more or less sorted even before the interview took place.

What is the difference between Gateway and CE schemes and how does one qualify for each?

eastbono

You can apply for a CE scheme but usually with Gateway you are randomly picked or if you want to partake in Gateway you can but you have to see a case officer to be referred. What may have happened was the he was picked for Gateway and sent the form back saying that he would take part and then when it came for interview that this neighbour was some somehow involved in the interview process but he certainly wouldnt have been able to have him handpicked for inclusion day one.