Screwed over by JobBridge (big surprise)

TheJinMu

Hi guys, this is long but I just wanted people's opinions here/ to put this out there. This is in hairdressing. I just finished a 9month jobbridge internship, i had done 1 months work experience there as part of my FAS course and I was taken on with jobbridge as receptionist because the previous intern quit with 2 months to go and in order for me to start I had to be taken on under a different title. So I worked my ass off as a Junior for 7.5 months and suddenly there's a new girl taken on as a part time Junior. That's grand, the place is always really busy at weekends, we needed her help. (there was already 2 other part time juniors too- one of which is the previous intern who quit and who was then taken on, even after messing them about and quitting and coming back a few times.. That makes me even angrier, you'll see why...)

My internship ended and I had been asking regularly if I was being kept on, as that was what I'd been told all along, that I'd have a part time position at the end of it. I was always told that the boss would let me know next week, that they haven't got back to them yet, that they haven't decided yet because such and such is happening. My last day I was told I would most likely get a few days a week and the boss would ring me next week. I haven't heard a peep from them and I know the place has been really busy and they could have done with me being there. I tried asking what's going on, I just got the same, that they haven't been told yet and now I get no response whatsoever. I haven't even been given the forms for when you finish your internship! It's been a month now.

Honestly, at this point I feel like going back somewhere like that who didn't appreciate me one bit and completely used me for 9 months wouldn't be very nice and I'm just so angry!! We all know how hard it is to get a job, and to be back on the dole again after working so hard is soul destroying. I made it my business to always be busy, always have the place spotless, to be a model employee and I got nothing in return. (As have many people in worse positions and for longer periods of time... 🙁 )

I'm just wondering has the company broken the jobbridge agreements by hiring someone else instead of taking me on?? Or because I was a "receptionist" and she's a "junior" is it ok for them to do it?! I clearly wasn't a receptionist like. Would reporting this prevent them from screwing somebody else over?

Also, I just need to vent. 😄 And to get this out there. Maybe others have gone through similar or maybe it'll help others, I don't know 🙂

Ben_Nevis

Sounds like they have used you and they will do the same to the new one. Although you may deserve to be taken on permanently, it is at the employers discretion and if they're as sly as what they may be, they would rather pay zip and take on another jobbridge rather than the expense of hiring someone.
An employer with 1-10 full time employees can only take one 1 jobbridge person.

As far as I know they haven't broken any rules even if it is wrong to treat people in this way.

You may be able to claim Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to assist you further while you look for new employment.

nelly17

I thought the purpose of Jobsbridge was to gain experience not employment.

TheJinMu

I'll try to find it, but there is something that says an employer cannot hire somebody else for the same position unless they have offered the position to the jobbridge intern.

The purpose of jobbridge is to give experience but it's also supposed to help get the intern employment in the place.

nelly17

Actually that is true they cant offer the same position but I think employers have been re-naming the position and changing the job description slightly to get round this

drunkmonkey

You now have 9mts experience, your chances of getting a job just went way up if you can secure some kind of reference from them if no job available, ask for a written reference if you can.
Time to start putting the cv's out and get something quick, if you rest to long it might be all gone to waste?
Are you qualified hairdresser or even training as one?

TheJinMu

Well there's no full time staff at that salon but that's another matter...

"17. What if one placement finishes and I want to take on a person in the same area of activity, can I do this?

If a HO wishes to advertise in the same area of activity a cooling off period for 6 months will apply. However, the cooling-off period will be waived where the Intern gets a job with the Host Organisation or another organisation at the end of their internship.

18. What if one placement finishes and I want to take on a person in a different area, can I do this?

Yes, you may take on an individual in a different area providing that you do not exceed your quota of placements at any one time."

https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/JobBridge-Organisations-FAQS.aspx#q17

But perhaps that's only when taking on another intern.
Again, I'm not saying I definitely should have been kept on, I'm just complaining about the injustice and the fact someone was hired for my position when I was almost finished the internship.

I'm still training and my cvs are already circulating.

Mrs OBumble

TheJinMu wrote: »

but it's also supposed to help get the intern employment in the place.

Can you show us any links where it says this?

It certainly wasn't true a few years ago, I'm not sure if it's changed since.

TheJinMu

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Can you show us any links where it says this?

It certainly wasn't true a few years ago, I'm not sure if it's changed since.

Let me rephrase that, the idea is to gain employment there because ultimately, that's the whole idea, to gain employment. Ideally, the company would choose to keep the intern because they have seen their work and know they're suited to the place. Again, it's not an obligation, it's the preferred scenario.

livedadream

They have done nothing legally wrong, you can hire someone else in the same role as someone on Jobbridge, simple argument is they want that person to work there they dont want you to work there.

The Jobbridge scheme is there to assist young persons or persons at risk of long term unemployment attain experience.
While ethically they messed you around unfortunately legally they have done nothing wrong.

Approach them for a written reference and start looking for another job, receptionist skills are get to have.

Mrs OBumble

TheJinMu wrote: »

Let me rephrase that, the idea is to gain employment there because ultimately, that's the whole idea, to gain employment. Ideally, the company would choose to keep the intern because they have seen their work and know they're suited to the place. Again, it's not an obligation, it's the preferred scenario.

Ideally for who?

The company out of the goodness of their heart let you get receptionist experience in their workplace, even though you weren't an ideal fit for them. The point of you getting this experience is that you'll be better equipt to get work anywhere - not to "ease you in" to this particular workplace.

Were you actually applying for real jobs the whole time you were on JobBridge? You should have been.

TheJinMu

Can I reiterate; [ I just need to vent. �� And to get this out there. Maybe others have gone through similar or maybe it'll help others, I don't know ]

I'm not really wondering if it's legal or not, it's more so that when I went looking for a similar situation I couldn't find any and I was looking for opinions on it

TheJinMu

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The company out of the goodness of their heart let you get receptionist experience in their workplace

The goodness of their heart? Or for free labour?!
And as I said, my role wasn't actually receptionist there.
I was looking elsewhere but I was told all along that they would be keeping me on so I wasn't very urgent with the search.

livedadream

TheJinMu wrote: »

Can I reiterate; [ I just need to vent. �� And to get this out there. Maybe others have gone through similar or maybe it'll help others, I don't know ]

I'm not really wondering if it's legal or not, it's more so that when I went looking for a similar situation I couldn't find any and I was looking for opinions on it

it happens unfortunately, I think the last report i read on Jobbridge was something like 7% of intern ships ended with a complaint from the intern or the employer.

It works both ways, smaller businesses use it as a 'goodness of my heart give someone experience' with no view of hiring them long term and to get work done that they otherwise couldnt afford. or use it to test out a new employee first. Bigger companies VMWare etc, use it as a tool to get rid of expensive training, their VStart programme is a way they use Job Bridge to build a talent pipeline into their business your time on Jobbridge with them is basically your training with the company.

It does sound like they didnt have an intention to keep you on which could be for any number of reasons and of course you are entitled to have a little rant about it, like ive said ive seen people be taken advantage on the initiative but in general its doing okay (you just never really hear those stories)

Try to get a good reference from them and start the hunt fresh :-)

nelly17

TheJinMu wrote: »

The goodness of their heart? Or for free labour?!
And as I said, my role wasn't actually receptionist there.
I was looking elsewhere but I was told all along that they would be keeping me on so I wasn't very urgent with the search.

That's true - they get free labour you get experience, there is no obligation to take on interns. Some employers abuse the programme but to be fair a lot of employers have had temporary or permanent bans from the programme. You live and learn you can't take it on here-say when it comes to employment if its not written on paper its not worth the paper its written on.

Pete Moss

As others have said, the company and JobBridge have done nothing wrong, but I can understand your frustration.

My advice would be not to let it knock your confidence. You've gained some good experience, in more ways than one from this company. You obviously done a good enough job to retain the position for the duration of your JobBridge scheme, so build on that and all the best for the future

TheJinMu

Thanks guys!
it's irrelevant now but I forgot to mention the new person got the position because of who they know, not what they know and only plans on staying there for 6 months. Which really adds to my annoyance.

Ben_Nevis

Doesn't surprise me, nepotism is rife in Ireland.

nelly17

TheJinMu wrote: »

Thanks guys!
it's irrelevant now but I forgot to mention the new person got the position because of who they know, not what they know and only plans on staying there for 6 months. Which really adds to my annoyance.

Believe me its not the last time you'll ever see this

Tipsy McSwagger

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ideally for who?

The company out of the goodness of their heart let you get receptionist experience in their workplace, even though you weren't an ideal fit for them. The point of you getting this experience is that you'll be better equipt to get work anywhere - not to "ease you in" to this particular workplace.

Were you actually applying for real jobs the whole time you were on JobBridge? You should have been.

What if she liked working there and wanted to be kept on? Why didn't they bother their holes telling her she would have no work during the nine months she was there ? At least then she could have started looking elsewhere instead of having false hopes that she would be kept on.

bur

This business is clearly abusing the program. Report them.

livedadream

bur wrote: »

This business is clearly abusing the program. Report them.

how are they abusing the initiative?

i'm genuinely not being argumentative i'm just wondering how you came to that opinion?

Keane2baMused

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ideally for who?

The company out of the goodness of their heart let you get receptionist experience in their workplace, even though you weren't an ideal fit for them. The point of you getting this experience is that you'll be better equipt to get work anywhere - not to "ease you in" to this particular workplace.

Were you actually applying for real jobs the whole time you were on JobBridge? You should have been.

The goodness of their heart?

You really don't understand why many companies hire interns do you????

tayto lover

Jobbridge is one of the greatest scams ever. It legalizes the abuse of of our youth and those genuinely looking for work.

Mrs OBumble

Keane2baMused wrote: »

The goodness of their heart?

You really don't understand why many companies hire interns do you????

Is your sarcasm detector broken? Of course it's not the goodness of their heart. At best, it's because they want to see people get a start in the industry. At worst, it's because they want some free labour. In most cases, it's a mix.

But from the OP's perspective, it doesn't matter. They're doing a work-experience programme. Sure they might like the place and want to stay - but that doesn't give them any rights, and neither does the way that the JB programme is set up.

The OP has not been exploited, based on the expectations set at the beginning of the programme.

Now, I'm not saying that I agree JB is set up the right way - I believe that it is a stupid, exploitative approach which should never, ever have been done this way. But again, this is totally irrelevant, because what I believe doesn't count for diddly-squat.

Keane2baMused

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Is your sarcasm detector broken? Of course it's not the goodness of their heart. At best, it's because they want to see people get a start in the industry. At worst, it's because they want some free labour. In most cases, it's a mix.

But from the OP's perspective, it doesn't matter. They're doing a work-experience programme. Sure they might like the place and want to stay - but that doesn't give them any rights, and neither does the way that the JB programme is set up.

The OP has not been exploited, based on the expectations set at the beginning of the programme.

Now, I'm not saying that I agree JB is set up the right way - I believe that it is a stupid, exploitative approach which should never, ever have been done this way. But again, this is totally irrelevant, because what I believe doesn't count for diddly-squat.

Have you done a jobsbbridge internship yourself?

livedadream

Keane2baMused wrote: »

Have you done a jobsbbridge internship yourself?

No- sorry for answering your question Mrs O But im gunna take this one.

5-6 years ago I came back from austraila due to a family emergency, i was unemployed after having a great job in OZ in bulk recruitment, had some savings but not enough to rent etc, signed on for the first time in my life, felt like ****e. but I had a degree and solid work experience, I spent a few weeks trying to get a job before i signed on but couldnt get my foot in the door.

all in all I spent 7.5 weeks on the dole, and it was the toughest, most demeaning 7 and a half weeks of my life, queuing up in the post office with girls in the pjs, queuing up to sign on (thankfully only had to do it twice) with pure scum who are of the 'we're entitled to it' opinion. listening to people in the social welfare office saying what they hadnt applied for jobs or why they couldnt work, when i was crawling for something.

i was told i was over qualified for bar work, shop work even working in a mobile phone shop, which was true, was told id find a proper job and leave, which was true, but still made me feel like ****.

A friend told me about a company locally (Cork) that was hiring someone on Jobbridge in a HR role to be mentored via their head office in Dublin, medium sized company doing okay for itself but they wernt able to afford someone, had been taken over by a bigger company so things were lean but that id get great experience.

I took it, showed up for the interview suited and booted references and all, took one look at the competition (two lads, one in tracksuit the other in jeans and a hoodie) and smashed it, got the call on a Thursday started on the Monday. I worked my ****ing ass off, Id been told there was no way they had the budget to keep someone on, but that they could offer real experience and would fund any training they thought i needed.

I came in early, stayed late, did stuff they didnt expect or ask me to do, did a manual handling course, train the trainer, lean 6 sigma, came up with new processes, procedures, again worked my ass off, proved myself, made friends with everyone, from the shop stewards to the ops manager and everyone in-between, drove them all crazy asking them about their jobs and learning.

After 5 months my boss approached me and said a friend is looking for a HR officer, okay money, local to me and she had recommended me for it, nailed the interview using examples of the stuff I had done on the jobbridge and started with them a month later.

Went on to do a HDip, Masters and specialise in employment law and training, and im pretty **** hot at my job.

They company I worked for as an intern hired me not out of the goodness of their heart, they needed the work done and were willing to match the effort of their intern. The HR manager I reported to I still speak to she is a great mentor, I owe her my career.

People say things like oh you got lucky, no i didn't I worked my ass off and proved that if you take what you are given and make the best out of it it will work out, yes I would have loved to have stayed in the organisation i did my internship in, but they couldnt afford to keep someone on and were willing to trade experience for hard graft.

So thats my answer to your bitchy 'Have you done a jobsbbridge internship yourself' question to Mrs O Bumble. Yes I have and im ****ing delighted I did.

next...

Pete Moss

livedadream wrote: »

No- sorry for answering your question Mrs O But im gunna take this one.

5-6 years ago I came back from austraila due to a family emergency, i was unemployed after having a great job in OZ in bulk recruitment, had some savings but not enough to rent etc, signed on for the first time in my life, felt like ****e. but I had a degree and solid work experience, I spent a few weeks trying to get a job before i signed on but couldnt get my foot in the door.

all in all I spent 7.5 weeks on the dole, and it was the toughest, most demeaning 7 and a half weeks of my life, queuing up in the post office with girls in the pjs, queuing up to sign on (thankfully only had to do it twice) with pure scum who are of the 'we're entitled to it' opinion. listening to people in the social welfare office saying what they hadnt applied for jobs or why they couldnt work, when i was crawling for something.

i was told i was over qualified for bar work, shop work even working in a mobile phone shop, which was true, was told id find a proper job and leave, which was true, but still made me feel like ****.

A friend told me about a company locally (Cork) that was hiring someone on Jobbridge in a HR role to be mentored via their head office in Dublin, medium sized company doing okay for itself but they wernt able to afford someone, had been taken over by a bigger company so things were lean but that id get great experience.

I took it, showed up for the interview suited and booted references and all, took one look at the competition (two lads, one in tracksuit the other in jeans and a hoodie) and smashed it, got the call on a Thursday started on the Monday. I worked my ****ing ass off, Id been told there was no way they had the budget to keep someone on, but that they could offer real experience and would fund any training they thought i needed.

I came in early, stayed late, did stuff they didnt expect or ask me to do, did a manual handling course, train the trainer, lean 6 sigma, came up with new processes, procedures, again worked my ass off, proved myself, made friends with everyone, from the shop stewards to the ops manager and everyone in-between, drove them all crazy asking them about their jobs and learning.

After 5 months my boss approached me and said a friend is looking for a HR officer, okay money, local to me and she had recommended me for it, nailed the interview using examples of the stuff I had done on the jobbridge and started with them a month later.

Went on to do a HDip, Masters and specialise in employment law and training, and im pretty **** hot at my job.

They company I worked for as an intern hired me not out of the goodness of their heart, they needed the work done and were willing to match the effort of their intern. The HR manager I reported to I still speak to she is a great mentor, I owe her my career.

People say things like oh you got lucky, no i didn't I worked my ass off and proved that if you take what you are given and make the best out of it it will work out, yes I would have loved to have stayed in the organisation i did my internship in, but they couldnt afford to keep someone on and were willing to trade experience for hard graft.

So thats my answer to your bitchy 'Have you done a jobsbbridge internship yourself' question to Mrs O Bumble. Yes I have and im ****ing delighted I did.

next...

That's a great example of the scheme being used correctly by not only the employer you worked for, but by yourself as well. I've heard of many dismiss it as a "load of b******s", but when the right employer finds the right intern, then the scheme can really work.

I'm glad to hear that it panned out for yourself, and fair play. I've heard of a few other people who took an opportunity such as yours and ran with it, never looking back or sounding disgruntled about the scheme.

In saying that, for every success story, such as your own, I've heard of the scheme being abused by many companies who are simply looking to fill a role and pay sweet f.a. Now, while the intern who fills said role gets some decent experience, the scheme is still being abused by many employers, so I can understand the frustration and distaste some have for the scheme.

trixychic

It happens everywhere. Happened to me too.

Jobbridge is being used for cheap Labour. One intern ends the next begins.

TheJinMu

Up until the time when it came to deciding if they're keeping me or not I thought jobbridge was a brilliant thing too, I always defended it, if it's for a decent role, it's exactly what people need. I still think it can be really good but I reckon there should be some sort of incentive to keep people on, or at least sort some of help finding work after the internship.

Speaking of which, before I did my fas course I was given an appointment in the post out of the blue one day to go in to an officer in the fas office who was going to help out with cvs and finding employment but I got my course so I didn't need it at that time- does anyone know how do I get that aid now? Is it a certain scheme or what?

Keane2baMused

livedadream wrote: »

No- sorry for answering your question Mrs O But im gunna take this one.

5-6 years ago I came back from austraila due to a family emergency, i was unemployed after having a great job in OZ in bulk recruitment, had some savings but not enough to rent etc, signed on for the first time in my life, felt like ****e. but I had a degree and solid work experience, I spent a few weeks trying to get a job before i signed on but couldnt get my foot in the door.

all in all I spent 7.5 weeks on the dole, and it was the toughest, most demeaning 7 and a half weeks of my life, queuing up in the post office with girls in the pjs, queuing up to sign on (thankfully only had to do it twice) with pure scum who are of the 'we're entitled to it' opinion. listening to people in the social welfare office saying what they hadnt applied for jobs or why they couldnt work, when i was crawling for something.

i was told i was over qualified for bar work, shop work even working in a mobile phone shop, which was true, was told id find a proper job and leave, which was true, but still made me feel like ****.

A friend told me about a company locally (Cork) that was hiring someone on Jobbridge in a HR role to be mentored via their head office in Dublin, medium sized company doing okay for itself but they wernt able to afford someone, had been taken over by a bigger company so things were lean but that id get great experience.

I took it, showed up for the interview suited and booted references and all, took one look at the competition (two lads, one in tracksuit the other in jeans and a hoodie) and smashed it, got the call on a Thursday started on the Monday. I worked my ****ing ass off, Id been told there was no way they had the budget to keep someone on, but that they could offer real experience and would fund any training they thought i needed.

I came in early, stayed late, did stuff they didnt expect or ask me to do, did a manual handling course, train the trainer, lean 6 sigma, came up with new processes, procedures, again worked my ass off, proved myself, made friends with everyone, from the shop stewards to the ops manager and everyone in-between, drove them all crazy asking them about their jobs and learning.

After 5 months my boss approached me and said a friend is looking for a HR officer, okay money, local to me and she had recommended me for it, nailed the interview using examples of the stuff I had done on the jobbridge and started with them a month later.

Went on to do a HDip, Masters and specialise in employment law and training, and im pretty **** hot at my job.

They company I worked for as an intern hired me not out of the goodness of their heart, they needed the work done and were willing to match the effort of their intern. The HR manager I reported to I still speak to she is a great mentor, I owe her my career.

People say things like oh you got lucky, no i didn't I worked my ass off and proved that if you take what you are given and make the best out of it it will work out, yes I would have loved to have stayed in the organisation i did my internship in, but they couldnt afford to keep someone on and were willing to trade experience for hard graft.

So thats my answer to your bitchy 'Have you done a jobsbbridge internship yourself' question to Mrs O Bumble. Yes I have and im ****ing delighted I did.

next...

That's great, well done. But I wasn't asking you.

Not everyone has a wonderful jobsbbridge experience. I haven't done one but someone very close to me has a very similar story (to yours) except they were screwed left right and centre.

Off your pedestal kiddo, not everyone is so lucky.

And no it wasn't a "bitchy comment", but well done on jumping to such a strong conclusion.

stoplooklisten

I think you have to fill in a review. Be honest in this. This hired you under the title receptionist, even though you were doing the duties of a junior. Now they have someone else under a different title carrying out the same duties.

TheJinMu

stoplooklisten wrote: »

I think you have to fill in a review. Be honest in this. This hired you under the title receptionist, even though you were doing the duties of a junior. Now they have someone else under a different title carrying out the same duties.

Yeah there a form I'm supposed to fill in but they're meant to give it to me and I've asked for it numerous times.

B.A._Baracus

For what it's worth op. I started a 9 month internship last year and was promised a full time job by the end. Near the end that promise became a part-time job. Here we are 3 months after finishing and I am still waiting for that part-time role :pac:

It sucks but thats just the way it goes. The scheme is bollocks and abused. It's all about getting free labor as you know yourself. But me, you and everyone else who does one, does it to get a job down the line. But what really annoys me tho are the people who talk through their asses.

Those people who never did an internship in their life and currently in a good poisition with a job (fair play) But yet hey, can't understand why people bad mouth the scheme. Going as far as to say "you got 9 months experience didnt ya? you can't expect everything on a plate" ... but let's call a spade a spade, the scheme is abused and it's bollocks. It's all just about free labor.

groovyg

Op it's not called scambridge for nothing, there was an article in the Business Post two weeks ago which showed how awful it is. Check out Jack Horgan-Jones Twitter and look at all the companies that use it , maybe your salon is on the list https://mobile.twitter.com/JackHoJo/status/724184954503061504
I have seen friends go from internship to internship on it and no jobs at the end..it's very demoralising. Hopefully you can use the experience to get a paid job..best of luck

TheJinMu

groovyg wrote: »

Op it's not called scambridge for nothing, there was an article in the Business Post two weeks ago which showed how awful it is. Check out Jack Horgan-Jones Twitter and look at all the companies that use it , maybe your salon is on the list https://mobile.twitter.com/JackHoJo/status/724184954503061504

Place isn't on it.... How odd, when I know they've had at least 3 from jobbridge...

WinnyThePoo

Hey I was on a jobbridge. Was told around 2 months to go I had a position. They where gonna wait till it ended. I had meetings with the boss asking to discuss the job, pay. He promised me it would be sorted. The end of the jobbridge came and I worked two more weeks. The boss was never in and eventually I called him saying I could not come in its ended. Are you going to offer me a job ?. He wouldn't answer his phone. So I emailed him. Next thing my work email password was changed. I didn't go back in and didn't actually get offered a position. I had no problem about not being offered a position. He should have just told me. I did get a job through the experience . It just wasn't right to say one thing and lead me on.

B.A._Baracus

WinnyThePoo wrote: »

Hey I was on a jobbridge. Was told around 2 months to go I had a position. They where gonna wait till it ended. I had meetings with the boss asking to discuss the job, pay. He promised me it would be sorted. The end of the jobbridge came and I worked two more weeks. The boss was never in and eventually I called him saying I could not come in its ended. Are you going to offer me a job ?. He wouldn't answer his phone. So I emailed him. Next thing my work email password was changed. I didn't go back in and didn't actually get offered a position. I had no problem about not being offered a position. He should have just told me. I did get a job through the experience . It just wasn't right to say one thing and lead me on.

Totally agree.
Apart from my own experience I have known quite a few people over the last 2 years who did internships. All of them were told a job was there at the end. Feck, I only know of one who actually got a job in the end.

I reckon EVERY intern is told there is/should/most likely/etc be a job at the end. But you know yourself, employers will play the game. As if someone was to be told up front there aint no job, the intern would quit rightfully so too.

So there is always that added Bs to these internships :pac:

groovyg

TheJinMu wrote: »

Place isn't on it.... How odd, when I know they've had at least 3 from jobbridge...

That's strange it's not listed, did it all download for you? It's a massive list I had to download to my laptop as it was only downloading as far as those businesses beginning with letter A on my phone

SwimFin

The Department of Social Protection is currently in the process of carrying out an evaluation of the JobBridge National Internship Scheme.
You can go to the survey by clicking the ‘begin survey’ button .

Any answers you provide are totally private and confidential, and your answers cannot affect any claim you might have with the Department in any way. The Department has set up a Surveys page at

www . welfare. ie / en / Pages / Surveys-in-the-Department-of-Social-Protection. aspx.

The Department has endeavoured to provide answers to some questions you may have about the survey in their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that can be accessed from this page. However, if you have any other queries regarding this survey please feel free to contact the Department’s team at the Information Unit at (071) 9193313 / Lo Call: 1890 66 22 44* or by contacting JobBridgeSurvey2016 @ welfare. ie and they will be happy to help.

Littletoe

SwimFin wrote: »

The Department of Social Protection is currently in the process of carrying out an evaluation of the JobBridge National Internship Scheme.
You can go to the survey by clicking the ‘begin survey’ button .

Any answers you provide are totally private and confidential, and your answers cannot affect any claim you might have with the Department in any way. The Department has set up a Surveys page at

www . welfare. ie / en / Pages / Surveys-in-the-Department-of-Social-Protection. aspx.

The Department has endeavoured to provide answers to some questions you may have about the survey in their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that can be accessed from this page. However, if you have any other queries regarding this survey please feel free to contact the Department’s team at the Information Unit at (071) 9193313 / Lo Call: 1890 66 22 44* or by contacting JobBridgeSurvey2016 @ welfare. ie and they will be happy to help.

I just signed up to say the same thing, I received a letter from DSP inviting me to participate and was wondering if anybody else had received the same.

Littletoe

SwimFin wrote: »

The Department of Social Protection is currently in the process of carrying out an evaluation of the JobBridge National Internship Scheme.
You can go to the survey by clicking the ‘begin survey’ button .

Any answers you provide are totally private and confidential, and your answers cannot affect any claim you might have with the Department in any way. The Department has set up a Surveys page at

www . welfare. ie / en / Pages / Surveys-in-the-Department-of-Social-Protection. aspx.

The Department has endeavoured to provide answers to some questions you may have about the survey in their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that can be accessed from this page. However, if you have any other queries regarding this survey please feel free to contact the Department’s team at the Information Unit at (071) 9193313 / Lo Call: 1890 66 22 44* or by contacting JobBridgeSurvey2016 @ welfare. ie and they will be happy to help.

I just signed up to say the same thing, I received a letter from DSP inviting me to participate and was wondering if anybody else had received the same. (I received a link to the survey in an email today, not sure you can get to link provided via the dsp website because I tried that myself too.)

SwimFin

JobBridge Positions 2010-16 | Visual Analysis of Companies, Roles, & Timescales

https : //public.tableau.com /profile /rmchapple#! /vizhome /JobBridgePositionsFilled /JobBridgePositions

Mrs OBumble

TheJinMu wrote: »

I still think it can be really good but I reckon there should be some sort of incentive to keep people on, or at least sort some of help finding work after the internship.

I agree with you that it should be like that.

But it's not. And given that it's not, then you were not screwed over at the end.

Possibly your mind was fcuked with along the way: this happens in jobs all the time: employers imply that something might happen to motivate you to do whatever, but when it comes to it, the "something" doesn't happen. But people with any degree of smarts are aware of the trend and don't fall for it.

If you are on any kinds of work-expereince scheme (JobBridge, CE, TUS, whatever) - then your first priority should still be to find yourself a real job. You need to make a call every day about whether the opportunities provided in the scheme-job are moving you towards this or not, and react accordingly.



And no, I've never done one. I have 20+ years experience in the workforce, so it would be pointless for me to do one, unless I wanted to get into a very different industry to where my experience is.

butterfly28

Has anyone here received a letter from Department of Social Protection asking to take part in a survey - giving your opinion on how to improve Jobbridge??!! Just saw the above posts lol! If they're looking for an opinion they'll certainly get one and hopefully the scheme will disappear FOREVER!

Littletoe

butterfly28 wrote: »

Has anyone here received a letter from Department of Social Protection asking to take part in a survey - giving your opinion on how to improve Jobbridge??!! Just saw the above posts lol! If they're looking for an opinion they'll certainly get one and hopefully the scheme will disappear FOREVER!

The survey is conducted as part of the indecon report that was promised following calls for review last year, from what I understand indecon performed surveys in the past by I doubt anything will come of this one either. Participants do have the opportunity, some no doubt for the first time, to give feedback or air grievances about their experiences on JobBridge. Unfortunately none of this information will be passed back to anyone that matters, or used to help remove or ban employers that have exploited the system as all reports are anonymous. It did feel good to get it out of the system though.

SwimFin

livedadream wrote: »

No- sorry for answering your question Mrs O But im gunna take this one.

.......all in all I spent 7.5 weeks on the dole....A friend told me about a company locally (Cork) that was hiring someone on Jobbridge in a HR role .....I took it, showed up for the interview suited and booted references and all, took one look at the competition (two lads, one in tracksuit the other in jeans and a hoodie) and smashed it, got the call on a Thursday started on the Monday. I worked my ****ing ass off, Id been told there was no way they had the budget to keep someone on, but that they could offer real experience and would fund any training they thought i needed.

I came in early, stayed late, did stuff they didnt expect or ask me to do, did a manual handling course, train the trainer, lean 6 sigma, came up with new processes, procedures, again worked my ass off, proved myself, made friends with everyone, from the shop stewards to the ops manager and everyone in-between, drove them all crazy asking them about their jobs and learning.keep someone on and were willing to trade experience for hard graft.

So thats my answer to your bitchy 'Have you done a jobsbbridge internship yourself' question to Mrs O Bumble. Yes I have and im ****ing delighted I did.

next...

Noted is your overwhelming support of JobBridge for allowing you to 'ace' at all that you do so well...and given your achievements, to date...perhaps you might enlighten how you circumvented the '3 month (12 weeks) unemployment sign-on' eligibility rule for JobBridge given you were only signing on for 7.5 weeks.

I am also curious given the timescale of some of the training involved in manual handling course, train the trainer, lean 6 sigma how all this was done whilst on JobBridge, as normally training courses do not overlap onto each other?

Love to be able to pack in so much myself TBH.

scamalert

SwimFin have you ever did any such sort of training ? manual handling its like 20min course,on how to lift a box,training someone could easily be done while doing your work

SwimFin

Manual handling, is as you describe, the lowest of the low with regards to the timescale and the level of training involved. In answer to your query, Aye, I've done a smidgin of training courses incl. manual handling (prerequisite for most people on the job).

However I did mention 2 other training courses; train the trainer and lean six sigma (certification? Green Belt?), are you familiar with these courses? I am. That is my query all three courses were embarked on during JobBridge; curious as to the overlap given the timeline of such courses and were they funded by JobBridge also? Genuine questions TBH including the eligibility for joining a JobBridge scheme.


“Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.” ― Albert Einstein

scamalert

didnt post to have a go at you SwimFin,dunno about the teach the trainer or karate,seems just bottom level stuff that can be done on ones own time-if were not speaking black belts here

anyway this post drifted a lot ,just chipped in to see how people on JB scheme were expecting something else and got replaced minute it was over,since its long debate that this scheme is more of free labor,i myself knew person who landed in nice job and once over it was good bye,so from me it seems pointless,if someone wants to do 40h week alongside paid person its really their choice,no point in expecting more

That said im myself doing one of courses to change work fields and supposed to do work experience for few months,but with that , if its not in the field i studied i wont bother doing low end jobs for someone when so many positions should be fully paid for low qualification jobs that are around,yet somehow made to look that you need to sit at them for 6-9 months.

Littletoe

As someone who willingly signed up to JobBridge all I can say is I'm not sure I can ever forgive myself for doing it to myself. It's less about the availability of work at the end of the day and more about the affects that working under such conditions can have on a person. I won't go into the details other than to say like many others I saw it as an opportunity to gain experience in an area I had recently qualified in and hoped it would bridge the gap between learning and finding employment. I had no problem with the concept of internships prior to entering one myself but having gone through the process it became obvious very quickly that whatever benefit was in it for the employer was more highly regarded than the welfare or benefit of the intern and there's something very wrong about that.
When you've been told repeatedly that you have no rights it doesn't take long before you start believing it and any kind of state supported venture which condones the removal of rights of its own citizens really needs to be thoroughly re examined. I hope a better employer comes the ops way in the near future.