The Jobbridge Scandal

Heckler wrote: »

After working the last 15 years with a company I was made redundant last september. Never on the dole before. Since I left school I've been either working or doing CE, FAS or Plc courses. Since being unemployed I've been doing an online course in basic IT stuff as its something I'd like to get into and my last job was somewhat related.

So today I had one of those social welfare interviews where I was asked for proof of job seeking, whats your plans etc.

The jobsbridge scheme was pushed hard at me. Telling me how successful its been and so on. In fairness it was pointed out that I didn't have to take any old one but to try to find something I might be interested in. Also that it was voluntary and If I ended up in one that didn't suit I could walk away.

Told outright that they had to push it to reduce the unemployment figures and that it probably wouldn't be long before people would have to take one up or be cut off.

This was my third interview in the nine months I've been unemployed.

I'd love to know how many long terms loafers who know every trick in the book and have never worked a day get called in. I'm guessing not very often. I know a few who have be unemployed for years and have never heard a peep from the social welfare.

Why worry about them? Anyway there has/is some great IT jobsbridge internships out there,have you seen any that might suit you?

Ah look at this one for a rocket science internship for 9 months.

Skills requirement: experience working in a credit union or a financial institution.

For what ? On completion the intern will have attained skills in time management, cash handling and general office duties !!!! And taking **** skills!

http://jobseeker.fas.ie/Default.aspx?q=B+fomdowzS8kaDnSlUDk1zaMUPiFEeNrNWjviinu490thmC2C0u+DIhNphvMIFfFlcKcVGz6/xfGry2LxGVnraJqP87r14bF8kIK1MsXghufLSyD05c+84LT9fkBnMA0oql3dB+UKFnc1/e1w/mPHOStlfsbd/JuffkHnUd/ThYeY9OKY6zG+ZEEbnVdHpeAsABWUTAnmqYTmQaH5zhOn4rYpeDCWIqhfhSr4IxfmHcW4m9cUPjf/0H9zhF2uN7UqDB4UNChtgbajrXPKHjzetNT3QYMGdHTqy5A1pggr4ixWV5QA4MdaMAZ27AtCAzriTQSNpStSsRktv7wMZo21AyOZ6mGoMYf8uwKEmk8wiyqxVAgMuiygbfNHm42kJn6np+JU2/g/aifmV0XePRjYMYYavNeQrA/WoZstI+r0d6lGamRFXOfwMWscgRwo75IsTAQO611GR4HhTfaw/7THg==

The defense forces in Newbridge are seeking a bio lab technician/medical scientist/lab aide.

And the horses had to write up this advert for a stable hand in Riverside Equestrian Centre, Gorey.

The intern will gain practical experience in horse care The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: horse care and maintenance On completion the intern will have attained skills in horse care

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

RTE is looking for 2 interns, as a cataloguing assistant.

How they cant pay them, I dont know. 40 hours a weeks x 8.65 =€346 x 2 is €692 a week. Thats a drop in the ocean compared to the salaries of some other people at RTE.

Absolute scumbags, I immediately changed channel to ITV to watch the world cup after reading this,

Has anyone noticed the template-type generalized job description cropping up more where they don't actually describe what the job-post entails doing?! Was this actually intentional I wonder. It's put very well, generalized like that 'cos Interns won't be able to complain they're not gaining experience when they've not been told from the outset what the actual experience they get will be! So clever and shnakey! Sly feicers.

Have just been given another JobBridge position but don't know when am starting but still kinda had to go get it all officialized, I'm waitin' to hear back from this lot when I'm actually startin' or if they turn around and say they're not gonna go ahead with the Internship, and while waitin' for someone their side to get the finger out, I'm effectively out of the running for any other JobBridge roles now. And guess what, another nicer-sounding closer nearby to where I live role has asked me to go to Interview for their Internship but I can't now because of JobBridge's stupid set-up.

Firstly, each H.O. should have a timeframe that they are required to adhere to for the Selection process, for each of the stages, - maximum length of time to have their Ad. up, some Ads. I see still up 2 months later! A reasonable timeframe to get their act together so that an Intern can get their sh1t together too like, like you may be without funds for the first couple of weeks so it would be nice to know that like! And anyway, it would be nice to know where a feicin' person stands and when they're expected to be starting bloody work like! Exact same as a Full-time paid Employee.

I know ya can't turn yer nose up at an offer of Work regardless of how far away it is from you, but like any other Job-Offer, if I were hypothetically to get offered the other one that is nearer to me, I should be allowed to choose either of them based on logical reasons! for eg. that one is closer to me than the other. Another thing that might put a bitta smacht on a few of them! is, if ya can stay in the running for a few different Internships for a couple of weeks, and it's up to the H.O. then to get the skates on, get the show on the road like and not be so laid-back and devil-may-care and lackadaisical and couldn't care less about gettin' ya up-and-running in the place rather than poor Intern havin' to hang around waiting for someone to get back to them.

Xenji wrote: »

Just checked that again and it has been taken down, it was up when you posted it, but in all honestly potato picker is the worst internship I have seen so far.

It's still there.

http://intern.jobbridge.ie/Default.aspx?q=3PhRg2mkCXgyYKXj9yc48u8e0bbcsSkgeMx7oD/C4n1bu7FbsLOfzsb9Md3yFKEW50Ldbu9V9zlkvkortYbZQFH+nkzy4uZ9fEqbEvgkIGTvZtctUjbBMxbDN+RN3nyqbm0SH4Szdl4L7XcrYIYYYdqH7B40ULh3j6Q4IsoE0OqCuyXiRlsp6YyZyU2AYDse/becp7ve1KQw3mOu2ONjOb3Ry/PRmkDIqKbSLDWXAaSDgnGGLKcqOEPMYTm4XFmltqsMWfkgPHwZDrCsgCqyOSGmzEdhrAksL/+QOeXZcLwSVvLC4i89F4JGHZes+GuWdcXXteyLj+yS5avGrNYngowEldkKTYYJyZm3lSHeaxhHdR+JsXSv4G+d9MXRj9NVCnyM6+Q8/C6rfZqbmGYnrgcs3vpy3DF+xmDaxNwzc//7nm/NQVj5qvlSAvKHatcNFhOPrIhJ0YKQ5QfOC5DttHWz0m+OhHfn

Tarzana wrote: »

Well, this is just cheeky. They want someone with experience but don't want to pay them.

You need to have done an internship to get an internship. The point is to train the person. If the person already has experience then they are just working.

I think that since the internships and similar schemes are clearly replacing real jobs, and that it is the objective of dept of soc protection officers to put as many unemployed people on these schemes as possible, that the FAS website should be allowed to ONLY advertise internships. That way those of us who want and are qualified for real jobs can steer well clear. They should just remove themselves completely from pretending to link people to real work (without having to do 9 months free). Because they are just a joke at this point.

By having the positions side by side it supports the race to the bottom and forces paid work to compete with free labour. I know you can filter the lists with the dropdown menus but what happens is jobseekers go looking for jobs to apply for and instead are led down the garden path of internships dominating the ads. A lot of other recruitment sites have drawbacks too, and some sneak in the odd jobbridge ad as well, but right now having internships and jobs side by side is hurting jobseekers. I only check it in case a position may come up there that isnt on the other sites but it just disheartens me every time I see half the ads start with 'the intern will gain practical experience in... '


It undoubtedly affect workers wages and hours to have these ads there and have internships for every type of job going . Since this scheme has started I see a lot more ads for skilled work at minimum wage or TBA or TBC which means, 'to be low-balled', usually, and also lot more part time and temp work.

For example, where my friend works the business has 9 employees in 3 depts, in 2 depts there is one person on only on 3 or 4 day weeks while they have a jobbridge person on 5. If the owner gets really stuck he hires a temp until he gets someone from work experience or jobbridge to fill the position. He says they never have to hire someone for more than 3 months as that is the jobbridge cooling off period, there is a college nearby and no jobs around here, so he is never short of free labor longer than that.

My friend, who is one of the full timers, also has to mentor the free worker even though he knows the person won't be kept on, and when he is busy or out of the office the mentoring is left to the other lad who is in his dept who is only getting part time and makes less than 10 euro p/hr. So the part time worker has to sometimes train the intern so the intern can take hours that would be his and keep him from getting full time work or better pay, in the place he's been for 3 years. He says that beyond saying 'Good morning,' the owner never gets involved with the intern at all after the interview and in fact usually works less hours than the intern, taking either Mon or Fri off each week, and has had so many interns that he frequently calls them the wrong name.

These are the 'opportunities' we are being told we should be taking up. Feck that.