Government unveils ambitious plan to get people back to work post-pandemic
The Government has today launched Pathways to Work 2021-2025 – an ambitious new strategy designed to drive employment as Ireland recovers from COVID-19.
The national employment strategy, which contains 83 commitments across all Government Departments, was launched today by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris, and Minister of State with responsibility for Business and Employment Damien English.
Pathways to Work builds on the Government’s Economy Recovery Plan in kick-starting a jobs rich recovery, ensuring there are 2.5 million people in work by 2024.
The strategy will remove barriers to employment, provide tens of thousands of training and education places, significantly enhance the Public Employment Service, provide incentives to employers to take people off the Live Register, and deliver a special package of supports for young people.
Among the key commitments include:
•Reduce long-term unemployment: Get 75,000 long-term unemployed people into employment by July 2023.
•Young people: Reduce youth employment to 12.5%, provide 50,000 further education and training places, deliver 10,000 apprenticeships, recruitment subsidies for employers who take young people off the Live Register; ring-fence 1,000 place on Community Employment and Tús programmes.
•Work Placement Experience Programme: In line with international best practice, provide 10,000 paid quality work placements, 4,000 of which will be reserved for young people. Participants on the scheme will be paid €306 per week with additional amounts payable in respect of dependent adults / children.
•Employers: Recruitment subsidies of between €7,500 and €10,000 for employers who take people off the live register.
•Employment Services: Host 150 job promotion events per annum, significantly enhance the capacity of the Public Employment Service, Intreo, and assign a dedicated case officer to all unemployed people to help them back to work.
•€1,000 Training Support Grant: Provided to jobseekers to avail of short term, accredited training programmes.
•Welfare Reform: Drawing on the experience of the pandemic, develop proposals for a basic income guarantee and a new pay-related short-duration jobseeker payment.
•Leaving Nobody Behind: Extend targeted employment supports to groups facing challenges entering the workforce such as people with disabilities, lone parents and minority groups, including travellers.
•Remote Working: Provide remote working options to participants of work placement, education and training schemes.
Today’s Pathways to Work launch took place at the Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Training Centre of Excellence in Dundalk.
Speaking at the launch, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “Last month, government launched our Economic Recovery Plan. This Plan charts Ireland’s long-term, jobs-led recovery with a focus on building back better.
“The overall ambition of the plan is to exceed pre-crisis employment levels by reaching 2.5 million people in work by 2024. Crucially, though, these jobs will be more productive, more resilient and more secure.
“A critical step in delivering upon this ambition and overcoming the shock to our labour market is the implementation of our new national employment services strategy: Pathways to Work, 2021-2025.
“Therefore, government is committed to delivering on the ambitions and commitments set out in the strategy in order to drive a jobs-led economic recovery, to build back better, and to build back fairer.”
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, said: “As we recover from this pandemic, Pathways to Work is about ensuring we support and assist tens of thousands of our citizens in entering or re-entering the workforce.
“It’s about leaving nobody behind, providing new opportunities to retrain and re-skill and, above all, giving people the support they need to secure quality, sustainable employment.
“This is important for our society, our economy and for every unemployed person, whether they lost their jobs due to Covid or who were already unemployed pre-Covid.
“This will be a jobs-led recovery that puts the needs of our citizens first. We know from past experience the damaging impact long-term unemployment can have.
“Through this ambitious new strategy, we will support people in every way possible, helping them to start, or restart their careers and improve their quality of life.”