The number of social welfare claimants referred by the Department of Family Affairs to Fás for interview or training increased by 20 per cent in the first five months of this year.
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said over 25,300 people were referred to FÁS under the employment action plan (EAP) between January and May - an increase of over 4,300 on the same period in 2007.
Ms Hanafin was speaking following a cross-departmental seminar in Dublin today, which was attended by representatives of State training agency Fás, as well as guidance counsellors and adult education experts.
The Minister welcomed 10 new facilitators who will work with people who have been signing on the Live Register for an extended period of time, with the aim of assisting them to obtain work or additional training.
Ms Hanafin said 50 such facilitators are now in place in local social welfare offices throughout the country.
She said the initiative was “part of the active ongoing engagement” by Government Departments and State agencies “in order to ensure that the workforce of the future will be highly skilled and responsive to the demands of an ever changing economy”.