Study finds half of employers do not know about Government’s jobs plan

A new study shows that 85% of employers increased their staff levels in the past 12 months, but nearly half of them know very little about the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs initiative.

Research carried out by recruitment specialist Hays Ireland shows that 44% of Irish employers do not know much detail about the Government’s job stimulus plan, with one-in-ten claiming not to have even heard of its JobBridge scheme for internships.

However, the lack of awareness is much more pronounced amongst jobseekers and employees than employers — 64% of employees claiming to be unaware of the Action Plan for Jobs against 44% of employers knowing very little about the programme.

Well over three quarters of people do know about the JobBridge scheme, however.

“It’s interesting to note that, although there was a lot of media coverage when the Government launched its Action Plan for Jobs, a lot of people don’t know anything about it.

“What’s more encouraging is the profile JobBridge has gained and the current attitude to skills conversion,” Richard Eardley, managing director at Hays, said.

The wider points of the latest Hays monitor are positive — with 85% of employers hiring new staff in the past 12 months and 95% of those employers looking to hire from within Ireland.

Also, just over three quarters of employers are now saying that they feel more capable of being able to offer their workers increased benefits, with over 60% being as positive over the potential for pay rises and just over half saying they could offer promotions.

According to Mr Eardley: “This is really positive news coming back from the workplace. Even though we still have uncertainty around the banks and the eurozone, the message is that people are gaining more confidence. Also, 64% of people in work said they are looking for a new job, which is really encouraging news for the economy.”