Teachers and SNAs recruited via JobBridge, despite warnings

Almost 100 jobs in the education sector are being advertised under the JobBridge internship scheme ahead of start of the school year, including primary teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs).

This is despite criticism of such employment practices from Government Ministers and trade unions.

The Department of Social Protection told The Irish Times that by July 29th last there were 94 jobs advertised in the education sector under JobBridge, including 16 SNAs and five primary teachers.

The remainder covered a variety of areas including secretarial assistants, cleaners and preschool assistants.

Additional posts are being advertised on a daily basis, including, on July 30th last, two trainee teacher positions at a Co Kerry national school, which has also advertised for an intern SNA.

The school says “no experience” is required for the posts, although the SNA is expected to have at least Leaving Cert Applied standard.

Qualifications sought by others schools vary dramatically, with one Tipperary school requesting Junior Cert level only, and another school in Mallow seeking a Fetac qualification.

SNA interns “will gain practical experience in working in an environment where there are children with special need requirements, students with dyspraxia, dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder emotional behaviour and challenging behaviour”, one advertisement reads.

Last month, the Cabinet approved more than 600 additional SNA posts, bringing the number of such posts available from September to 11,820.

The Impact trade union, which represents the majority of SNAs, said it was "completely unacceptable" that JobBridge was being used again for such recruitment.

Spokesman Niall Shanahan said the issue had been raised last year with the Department of Education and Department of Social Protection, and the union understood the practice had been phased out.

“No school should be reverting to JobBridge to boost their capacity. There are experienced and qualified SNAs who are out there and they should be employed on the proper rate of pay. The SNA is a professional care role for which training is required.”

Some school principals have cited difficulties in getting SNAs as a reason for using JobBridge. However, Impact – which has called for JobBridge to be scrapped on a national basis – believes the scheme is being abused by boards of management to get SNAs to do "all sorts of odd jobs".

The primary teachers' unions INTO also objects to the use of the JobBridge for filling teaching posts, and has disciplined members who participate in the scheme.

According to the Department of Social Protection, which oversees the scheme, there were 388 JobBridge internships in schools from September 2014 to June 2015.

Included in this figure were 103 SNAs and 22 teachers. There were 427 JobBridge internships in other educational institutions.

Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan last year expressed concern about the use of JobBridge in schools, saying she wished to be ensure there was "no abuse" of the scheme.

However, she said her department could not tell schools that they should not attempt to hire in this way.

Minister for Social Protection Tánaiste Joan Burton also queried the use of the scheme by schools, saying it was designed to provide developmental opportunities rather than displace full-time jobs.