Eligibility for work placement scheme relaxed

THE Government last night announced it was relaxing the eligibility criteria for the work placement programme after it emerged that just 5% of the 2,000 places had been taken up.

Under the programme which was announced by the Government in May, 1,000 places were designated for graduates and the remaining posts were to be for other people who are unemployed.

However, to date employers have made just 523 available and only 104 people have been placed.