The Jobbridge Scandal

Bongalongherb

Deleted User wrote: »

This is the link you quoted "Under-25s who fail to accept some JobBridge internships could face dole cut"

It clearly states "could" not "will"

Look, we all know quite well that if they fail to engage, they will be cut or cut off, it has already happened to many folk. You are nitpicking, and fail to understand this simple fact. I didn't write the news report, they failed also to say the word will because do you honestly think the dole is going to pay you if you do not comply ? it's a simple fact they will cut a person or cut the person off.

Cantona's Collars

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=90440919&postcount=15

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

shruikan2553

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/under25s-who-snub-jobbridge-offers-face-dole-cuts-29959194.html

In this they use the word "will" so we can stop being pedantic.

Hermy

Great - another car wash attendant wanted.

Based in MONKSLAND
Ref. INTE-847874
Description

The intern will gain practical experience in car valeting and cleaning vehicles. The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: cleaning of interior and exterior cars to a high standard, cleaning product knowledge, safe use of cleaning products, team work and customer service. On completion the intern will have attained skills in interior and exterior of cars to a high standard and customer service.
Duration 9 Months

sligoface

Hermy wrote: »

Great - another car wash attendant wanted.

Ridiculous bull spit. But you'll get those who try to defend the scheme saying 'people should just ignore those ads'.

CramCycle

sligoface wrote: »

Ridiculous bull spit. But you'll get those who try to defend the scheme saying 'people should just ignore those ads'.

No one answered earlier but is there a way to report these? Complaining on a forum is all well and good but I doubt the admins are on boards looking for issues with the scheme. Might be worth reporting them for fraudulent use of the scheme.

osarusan

What jobbridge should be:

Radio Producer

Description

The intern will gain practical experience in documentary production, editing, recording, scripting, news and OB work in a community radio station. The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: Adobe Audition, sound desk operating, recording interviews. In-house training as the need arises will be provided. On completion the intern will have attained skills in editing, scripting, news reading, scheduling, communication & team working skills.

What jobbridge shouldn't be:

Snooker and Pool Club Attendant

Description

The intern will gain experience in: The intern will gain formal/informal training in the following: Cleaning the pool and snooker tables and floor daily. Making and serving coffee, tea, sandwiches etc. You will learn how to take telephone and Internet bookings, manage the tables, help run tournaments and upcoming leagues.The candidate will be trained and mentored on a daily basis by the company director. On completion the intern will have skills in: Running tournaments, cleaning and managing pool/ snooker room.

I seem to remember a way to report potentially inappropriate internships somehow on the site, but can't find it now.

Mrs Garth Brooks

September cant come quick enough, when im getting out of here and moving to the UK.

I had an awful time a couple weeks ago with being made apply to any jobbridge and being signed up to a very basic computer course.

Yet, im still waiting 8 weeks with a few calls ignored about the TESG grant. A 500 euro grant for a private course.

They wont help you when it comes to it. But they have no problems forcing people onto unsuitable courses/jobbridge.

Roll on 8 weeks and I get a letter for the gateway scheme. Its work for the local authority. The work is there. Just hire people.

Tony EH

Why would they hire people when they can get gobshites to do the job for free?

It's basic economics.

sligoface

CramCycle wrote: »

No one answered earlier but is there a way to report these? Complaining on a forum is all well and good but I doubt the admins are on boards looking for issues with the scheme. Might be worth reporting them for fraudulent use of the scheme.

I agree. Unfortunately these type of ads have been reported, sometimes they are taken down but the same type of positions are put back up. It seems they are only looked at if someone complains, not checked for suitability before being advertised. And the only way I know of to complain is to go to the Contact Us page on the jobbridge site and you can send them a query. I'd be interested to hear of any feedback given on ads that were complained about, ie: do they try and justify the positions like car wash attendant as being worthwhile etc.

I complained to them before about an internship I was on, found them quite useless. Just gave lip service and did nothing. Never offered to speak to me or anyone in the host company. Just emailed me back to say I could leave as the scheme is voluntary, but this was like 2 years ago back when it first started before the 'youth guarantee', etc.

It's not policed actively because the truth is, the scheme is not run for the benefit of jobseekers, it is run for the benefit of the government to massage numbers and get votes from those people who would find it very satisfying to see the unemployed be made to work for the dole. It's just a scam to make it look like they're tackling unemployment when they are only making things worse by allowing employers to avail of free labor rather than create jobs.

I understand some people think that if no one takes up the crappy positions that they will just go away. That's not the case, if people are being made to take these up under threat of having their dole cut then those positions will keep appearing.

Besides, jobbridge affects both jobseekers and people in employment by driving wages down. Marketing, web and graphic design, administrative asst. positions for example are being replaced by internships all over the country. When that happens the people skilled in those areas are going to get lowballed on wage offers.

Unfortunately I think the only thing we can do to get rid of the scheme is get rid of the clowns that implemented it, by voting them out.

Xenji

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

September cant come quick enough, when im getting out of here and moving to the UK.

I had an awful time a couple weeks ago with being made apply to any jobbridge and being signed up to a very basic computer course.

Yet, im still waiting 8 weeks with a few calls ignored about the TESG grant. A 500 euro grant for a private course.

They wont help you when it comes to it. But they have no problems forcing people onto unsuitable courses/jobbridge.

Roll on 8 weeks and I get a letter for the gateway scheme. Its work for the local authority. The work is there. Just hire people.

I hope you have a job lined up over there, if you think the schemes here are bad, wait till you see what you could end up with over there and be forced to do.

darkpagandeath

CramCycle wrote: »

No one answered earlier but is there a way to report these? Complaining on a forum is all well and good but I doubt the admins are on boards looking for issues with the scheme. Might be worth reporting them for fraudulent use of the scheme.

Their used to be a way but I'm guessing the decent Intern they had running that FAS site has been replaced with a terrible one. It just looks like a black hole of job adds with no vetting at all now. And I think there is little point the company can just slightly change the role title and start all over again.

Buford T Justice

Its absolutely scandalous:

Description
The intern will gain practical experience in social media and marketing for this retail outlet in both instore and online retail. The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following Social media marketing, e-commerce sales., retail operations, merchandising. On completion the intern will have attained skills in marketing of store, updating of social media, retail operations and sales.

Skills Requirements
Outgoing, friendly personality and a willingness to work with the public

Description
The intern will gain practical experience in stock control, telephone skills, making appointments, treatment set up, greeting clients & confirming appointments etc. The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: customer service skills, retail training on all skin care and make up products; telephone techniques; diary management; stock control and all in house training as the need arises. On completion the intern will have attained skills in customer care and telephone skills; diary management, beauty products and make up; team working, retail sales skills and a broad overview of the hair & beauty sector.

Skills Requirements
Outgoing, friendly, hard working person to work as part of a team in a busy Beauty Salon.

Wow, nine months to learn diary management...

Dan_Solo

sligoface wrote: »

Ridiculous bull spit. But you'll get those who try to defend the scheme saying 'people should just ignore those ads'.

It seems to be the Irish way. If the system is crap then you find ways to play the system. Whatever you do for the love of god don't change the system though.

Tony EH

Most of the time it's the people abusing a system that are the problem.

However, in this case the system is wretched and abused.

The powers that be and those that reap the rewards don't care about system inefficiencies and abuses in this case, because all the benefits float upwards.

NZ_2014

Jobbridgecompliance@welfare.ie

and quote the internship reference number and maybe link to the ad.

Otherwise email through this form

http://www.jobbridge.ie/feedback.aspx

Don`t think they give two f*cks really to be honest anyway although they will probably get back to you if there is an obvious compliance issue but will fob you off most likely.

Hermy

CramCycle wrote: »

Complaining on a forum is all well and good but I doubt the admins are on boards looking for issues with the scheme. Might be worth reporting them for fraudulent use of the scheme.

I suppose I could complain to the source and the internship might be removed but might that be akin to sweeping it under the carpet.
By posting about it on Boards I'd like to think that I am at least bringing the abuse of the Job Bridge scheme to the attention of a wider audience.

Dan_Solo

NZ_2014 wrote: »

Don`t think they give two f*cks really to be honest anyway although they will probably get back to you if there is an obvious compliance issue but will fob you off most likely.

It'd be turkeys voting for Xmas wouldn't it. If news of one too many dodgy placements goes up the chain they'll probably end up in Jobridge themselves soon enough.

WinnyThePoo

Went for a jobbrige interview today. It was pleasant when they told me they are looking for someone to train to then employ, they reiterated that a number of times during the interview. I hope I get the internship.

Xenji

WinnyThePoo wrote: »

Went for a jobbrige interview today. It was pleasant when they told me they are looking for someone to train to then employ, they reiterated that a number of times during the interview. I hope I get the internship.

Nice that they say that, where I work you are not told during the interview that it is not possible to hire you after your internship has finished no matter how well you preform.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

sligoface

WinnyThePoo wrote: »

Went for a jobbrige interview today. It was pleasant when they told me they are looking for someone to train to then employ, they reiterated that a number of times during the interview. I hope I get the internship.

Hope it works out for you. Unfortunately most companies are only interested in free labor and delivering training is an afterthought. And the promise of a job is just the carrot at the end of the stick to keep you working hard for the nine months that they pay you nothing. But some companies will use the scheme the right way, and if they were all required to use it the right way it could be a good scheme.

Any of you know how to set up a poll on Boards? I think it would be interesting to do one, asking
who has taken part in one,
whether they got a job or not,
if they did, was it full or part time.

jme2010

Deleted User wrote: »

Any of you know how to set up a poll on Boards? I think it would be interesting to do one, asking
who has taken part in one,
whether they got a job or not,
if they did, was it full or part time.

Myself and every JB intern here (all graduates in IT/Engineering) have been hired on an 11 month ICT contract.Usually its in the 8th month of the JB scheme, but innovative"go getter" types, have been converted a lot faster.

I had a bit of a bollox for a manager so he left me the full 9 months on JB before getting interviews with different departments.

Then I met my (now) manager. He was impressed with the work I had done and saw that it took a lot of determination and comitment to take this route into the job market. He offered me the company's standard grad contract of 30K and even pushed for an extra 3K due to my experience on JB.

Just 4 months into the ICT contract I was made permanent and now earning 40K plus benfits/health/6% pension contribution. My salary is being raised year on year with bags of opportunity for upskilling and promotion.

So that's my success story from, what 11K-15K per year on social welfare to 33K then to 40K permanent in less than 15 months.

Thank you Job bridge. I'm sorry evil people take advantage of you and make you look bad. Stop letting applicants go to non-reputable companies or stop letting these **** traps take part in the scheme. No Mr.bubbles you can't have an intern!

DubVelo

jme2010 wrote: »

Myself and every JB intern here (all graduates in IT/Engineering) have been hired on an 11 month ICT contract.Usually its in the 8th month of the JB scheme, but innovative"go getter" types, have been converted a lot faster.

I had a bit of a bollox for a manager so he left me the full 9 months on JB before getting interviews with different departments.

Then I met my (now) manager. He was impressed with the work I had done and saw that it took a lot of determination and comitment to take this route into the job market. He offered me the company's standard grad contract of 30K and even pushed for an extra 3K due to my experience on JB.

Just 4 months into the ICT contract I was made permanent and now earning 40K plus benfits/health/6% pension contribution. My salary is being raised year on year with bags of opportunity for upskilling and promotion.

So that's my success story from, what 11K-15K per year on social welfare to 33K then to 40K permanent in less than 15 months.

Thank you Job bridge. I'm sorry evil people take advantage of you and make you look bad. Stop letting applicants go to non-reputable companies or stop letting these **** traps take part in the scheme. No Mr.bubbles you can't have an intern!

I'm glad you did well out of it, I still don't think it's reasonable for you to have gone on a 9 month long interview.

jme2010

jme2010 wrote: »

Myself and every JB intern here (all graduates in IT/Engineering) have been hired on an 11 month ICT contract.Usually its in the 8th month of the JB scheme, but innovative"go getter" types, have been converted a lot faster.

I had a bit of a bollox for a manager so he left me the full 9 months on JB before getting interviews with different departments.

Then I met my (now) manager. He was impressed with the work I had done and saw that it took a lot of determination and comitment to take this route into the job market. He offered me the company's standard grad contract of 30K and even pushed for an extra 3K due to my experience on JB.

Just 4 months into the ICT contract I was made permanent and now earning 40K plus benfits/health/6% pension contribution. My salary is being raised year on year with bags of opportunity for upskilling and promotion.

So that's my success story from, what 11K-15K per year on social welfare to 33K then to 40K permanent in less than 15 months.

Thank you Job bridge. I'm sorry evil people take advantage of you and make you look bad. Stop letting applicants go to non-reputable companies or stop letting these **** traps take part in the scheme. No Mr.bubbles you can't have an intern!

That is what internships are all about. On the job learning for new graduates with prospective employers, who then pick the cream of the crop. Glad it worked out for you.
My story is as follows - After finishing a CE scheme, I took a JobBridge internship in an office - work I was well able to do. After the 9 months I was offered a part time position, which suits my current needs perfectly. I'm happy and so are my employers.

sligoface

DubVelo wrote: »

I'm glad you did well out of it, I still don't think it's reasonable for you to have gone on a 9 month long interview.

And that's the big danger IMO, is that even if the scheme is being used right by some companies, it has paved the way for a nine months unpaid trial period to become the norm. Employers will feel entitled to get nine months free out of every employee, even the ones that prove themselves as capable and hardworking early on, workers that they know have filled a role that the company needed to fill and that they want to keep, workers who in any other country would be getting at least minimum wage.

You shouldn't have to work for free for 9 months to prove yourself. People are motivated by money. We cannot expect to fill the most challenging roles with free labor, and to get the best work possible out of people who are not rewarded for it. That's why Communism doesn't work. If everyone is going to work for free, why become a brain surgeon instead of a street sweeper? We need to get people earning and spending again and keep our skilled and talented young people here to enrich the country. The best and brightest are not likely to stick around Ireland to go on Jobbridge.

And why should they? All the generations before this one worked for a paycheck. If they couldn't find it here they left to get it somewhere else. When the hell are we going to break this cycle where every other generation has to emigrate? Considering the prosperity we had less than a decade ago it's criminal that young people now have to either leave or slave or live off of 100 quid a week because there's nothing else left for them. And we are not going to get the economy back on its feet with free labor.

Unless you have no experience at all, the idea of working full time for nine months where you're guaranteed essentially nothing more than a reference is a joke. The whole time you're thinking 'Well, if they could afford to pay someone they would have hired me on a wage. This company is probably broke and just using me because they can't afford staff. Either that or they are just really greedy and use this scheme to increase their profits even more.'

I mean why else would so many of these companies be using the scheme other than those two reasons? Because they have a sense of civic duty to provide training for people? Of course not. Most of them are in it for nothing but free labor, so at the end of nine months, even if you worked hard and were capable, they'll chance their arm at getting another intern under a slightly different title rather than pay you. Because surely they can dangle that possibility of employment in front of the next intern to get them to work hard, too.

Considering that you have to be on the dole 3 months to get on jobbridge and then do 9 months unpaid to have maybe chance at another job it really is a long dark tunnel for anyone like myself who loses their job and is an area outside Dublin where there are more internships on offer than jobs. Unless we have actual job creation, people in the harder hit areas who are made unemployed will have to be very lucky in jobseeking to be earning a paycheck within the next 12 months without packing their bags and buying a plane ticket.

Resonator75

sligoface wrote: »

You shouldn't have to work for free for 9 months to prove yourself.

Amen brothehr/ sister.

I'm looking at level 1 & 2 IT support work and thier seems to be a lot of JB positions.

Ive been out of the ICT sector a while but I feel a bit sick contemplating doing good work for 9 months that even at the worst of times Id get 18 - 20 grand a year for in previous years.

I'm qualified and experienced and know what Im at but the scourge of JB is replacing lower tier IT work.

Tarzana

The intern will gain practical experience, the intern will gain practical experience, THE INTERN WILL GAIN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE!!!