Employment scheme survey - JobBridge actually worked

THE Indecon survey of JobBridge is something of a swan-song, as Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar had indicated last May that the controversial internship scheme would be scrapped and replaced by one ‘more fit for purpose’.

Since its inception in 2011 by the Fine Gael-Labour government, JobBridge has been dogged by accusations that it contributed to the displacement of real jobs and that it was being abused by some employers who saw it as a source of cheap labour and an excuse to sack and replace more highly paid staff with cheap-as-chips interns.

Like many similar schemes, the intention was sound: help unemployed people get work experience to make them more employable. It was, of course, a product of its time when both general and youth unemployment were double what they are now. As the survey has shown, it was largely a success, improving employment outcomes. Most of those who took part are now in work.