Sinn Féin proposes ‘participant-centered’ alternative to JobBridge

Sinn Féin in government would scrap the employment initiative JobBridge and replace it with “a new participant-centred model for internships”.

Announcing his party’s strategy for training for employment, Aengus Ó Snodaigh said there was widespread exploitation and abuse of the current scheme.

He singled out the film industry where he said many young people could only gain experience in an industry in which they wanted to work if their parents were wealthy enough to subsidise them.

He said JobBridge as currently constructed was too narrowly focused on the unemployed and he proposed a more broadly based system, including apprenticeships and on-the-job training.

“If you look at the JobBridge website you will see a lot of offers for shop sales assistants, employers using JobBridge for subsidised labour for nine months.”

Applicants

Mr Ó Snodaigh said Sinn Féin in government would replace JobBridge with a scheme that would offer more career-based training for applicants.

He said the Sinn Féin plan envisaged a substantial increase in the range of apprenticeships available.

The model would not displace paid in-work training or jobs but would afford those genuinely in need of some work experience with meaningful learning opportunities.

He said it was intended to be tailored internships by sector, in full co-operation with trade unions and education and training boards, to ensure the best outcomes for employers and employees. “Employers would be supported to be the best mentors that they can be.”

Mr Ó Snodaigh said if the current scheme proved anything it was that there were jobs available. What Sinn Féin would do would be to work with the unions, which he said had contributed to his party’s proposals, to ensure there was more involved for the participant than providing free labour.