Ireland's largest public service union says it's time to scrap JobBridge

IMPACT trade union has called for the Government's controversial JobBridge internship scheme to be scrapped and for the Low Pay Commission to examine the prevalence of open market unpaid internships.

Since its launch the JobBridge scheme has been widely criticised by many in the trade union movement and in the Dáil as being exploitative, providing cheap labour and displacing paid work.

Launching the JobBridge: Time to start again? report in Buswell's Hotel in Dublin on Monday, Deputy General Secretary of IMPACT Kevin Callinan said the union had decided to commission the study following growing concern from educators over the improper use of the programme, including the advertisement of Special Needs Assistant positions on the website:

"Even those who welcomed the introduction of JobBridge in 2011 have surely been troubled by the reports of abuse and exploitation which have dogged its reputation and greatly undermined its positive outcomes," he said.

Some of the findings in the report include that JobBridge internships – which see unemployed individuals in placements for periods of up to nine months for an extra €50 weekly top-up to their Jobseekers Allowance – are displacing a significant number of paid entry level jobs while there has been an almost total failure to monitor internships.

"An argument could be made that even a flawed instrument like JobBridge served some purpose in the context of stemming the tide of our skyrocketing levels of youth unemployment and emigration at the height of the economic collapse, but it is time to move on," Kevin Callinan said.

IMPACT says a more targeted approach aimed at developing skills and with a fair reimbursement is needed for under-25s and the long-term unemployed. The union said it is no longer acceptable to tolerate internship programmes which lack proper regulation and monitoring.

Kevin Callinan added:

"With strong economic growth now returning and increasing employment levels, we need our labour activation measures to adapt to reflect these changing realities. The purpose of this research is to set out a new vision for labour activation and internship schemes in Ireland which are more flexible, targeted and fit for purpose in a recovering economy."

• You can read the full report on the IMPACT website HERE