The Jobbridge Scandal

corcaigh1

18MonthsaSlave wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/government-hires-three-out-of-284-interns-30993081.html

Greatest abuser of the scheme is the government itself.

Read that sunday. Boiled my blood. Disgraceful & just goes to show..

darkpagandeath

Shock horror, Government uses free labour. Wonder how many made it into positions like Nurse or that. Could be a load of Teachers to. You could think this was one of the ways around staffing LA while the hire freeze was on. You know like TUS and all that.

Tony EH

18MonthsaSlave wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/government-hires-three-out-of-284-interns-30993081.html

Greatest abuser of the scheme is the government itself.

Disgusting.

NeonSquares

I'm going to try keep this one short(I'm not going to divulge any company or personal information).

I'm posting this now because I'm due to start full time employment in a couple of weeks and I'm coming to the end of my internship soon, I was delighted to get the internship when I did as I was just out of my course(still eligible to apply for jobbridge) and looked forward to the challenge. Day 1 I went in head held high and eyes wide open for what was ahead, alarm bells rang when I wasn't given any sort of induction, second was when I wasn't assigned any mentor, I was literately plonked down at a desk and told to pretty much "have at it". I was then given menial jobs with no actual purpose(which I found out at the end). I wasn't learning anything just lightening the workload for others, other stuff happened which I won't get into because it may end up revealing the company and or myself.

I ended up accepting the fact that the internship wasn't what I thought it was going to be and decided to keep my head down, do my assigned duties but actively look for meaningful employment in the meantime, luckily faith was on my side and cards fell into place in terms of applying for and getting an interview with my now future employer.

The part that actually annoyed me was that during my time was that they were looking for full time applicants whilst I was there, not even asking me was I interested in applying myself, this was after me expressing my interest in a full time role periodically to my supervisor(I wasn't actually useless in the role and could do it). There is nothing more demoralizing and those who were/are in my position can agree than being on an internship and have the company openly look/interview applicants in your face.

I'll end with advice to those looking into an internship;

1: Do your homework on the company.
2: DON'T just accept it for the sake of accepting it because of pressure from the DSP.
3: ASK for a tour or even and couple of hours of on the job shadowing just so you know exactly what you're in for.
4: Actively look for full time employment as you may not get it from your internship company after your 6/9 months.
5: If you are interested in staying on actively mention/ask what those prospects are with your internship company.

Everything else that happens whilst on your internship I'm afraid will be in the hands of the gods but if you do the things I suggest above this will hopefully not happen or at least have a minimal impact.

Hermy

NeonSquares wrote: »

The part that actually annoyed me was that during my time was that they were looking for full time applicants whilst I was there, not even asking me was I interested in applying myself, this was after me expressing my interest in a full time role periodically to my supervisor(I wasn't actually useless in the role and could do it). There is nothing more demoralizing and those who were/are in my position can agree than being on an internship and have the company openly look/interview applicants in your face.

Why would you expect them to consider taking you on full time when you were happy willing to work for free?

jobbridge4life

18MonthsaSlave wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/government-hires-three-out-of-284-interns-30993081.html

Greatest abuser of the scheme is the government itself.

I did a JobBridge with AGS. I was not abused. I loved it. I was supported and assisted in finding full time work and despite my pessimistic moniker I did.

18MonthsaSlave

Good for you. Next time you are laid off with no jobs avaiable because of jobbridge you'll be able to try out the fire brigade and when DSP are forcing you to get off unemployment figures.

jobbridge4life

18MonthsaSlave wrote: »

Good for you. Next time you are laid off with no jobs avaiable because of jobbridge you'll be able to try out the fire brigade and when DSP are forcing you to get off unemployment figures.

I really don't get the bitterness here. What was I supposed to do? Sit around on my ass? No paying job would take me. I was in danger of becoming unemployable. If you think JobBridge had a major impact on the job market you are deluding yourself.

Xenji

jobbridge4life wrote: »

I really don't get the bitterness here. What was I supposed to do? Sit around on my ass? No paying job would take me. I was in danger of becoming unemployable. If you think JobBridge had a major impact on the job market you are deluding yourself.

Try towns like Castlebar where nearly every job on offer is either a JobBridge or management positions that require around 3 years experience, entry jobs are nearly non existent due to this ridiculous and overly abused scheme, it works for some, but the negatives really outweigh the positives when you hear peoples experiences on it and I have been mentoring interns for the last 3 years, interns that we are never able to keep on once they finish.

What the scheme was originally meant to be and do is completely different to what it is now.

jobbridge4life

Xenji wrote: »

Try towns like Castlebar where nearly every job on offer is either a JobBridge or management positions that require around 3 years experience, entry jobs are nearly non existent due to this ridiculous and overly abused scheme, it works for some, but the negatives really outweigh the positives when you hear peoples experiences on it and I have been mentoring interns for the last 3 years, interns that we are never able to keep on once they finish.

What the scheme was originally meant to be and do is completely different to what it is now.

I have heard peoples experiences on it, I have been an JB intern, I have many friends both currently on a JB internship and who have completed them and I believe wholeheartedly that the positives by far out weight the negatives. Moreover I believe the research (quite aside from our anecdotes) supports my position. I took an internship when I knew I could not be kept on. I knew it before I applied and it was reconfirmed to me in the interview. I did it for the experience. Experience that stood with me in helping me find proper employment.

I am not remotely saying it is perfect, I am not saying it doesn't have any displacement effect in relation to full time jobs but on the whole it is without doubt a positive.

Tearin It Up

Its quite sad that you see the same position advertised six months later in the same place.

Whatever intern they had, let them go and take on another.

I'm not even talking about a highly skilled job where you might gain valuable skills and move on and actually get work. But a position in a pet shop. It doesn't take 6 months to learn to stock shelves and serve customers.

Patty O Furniture

Taoiseach Enda Kenny's Department hired eight interns - none of who were offered jobs following their nine-month placements.

Didn't he not hire a friend's daughter's boyfriend once afaik, i wonder how did he get on?

One summer 64 were hired in the jobbridge in Donegal county council, none were hired, Cllr Sean McEniff brazenly said on local radio that 'none of the jobs were guaranteed'

Xenji

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

Didn't he not hire a friend's daughter's boyfriend once afaik, i wonder how did he get on?

One summer 64 were hired in the jobbridge in Donegal county council, none were hired, Cllr Sean McEniff brazenly said on local radio that 'none of the jobs were guaranteed'

It is the same in Mayo Co Co, we have had over 40 in my department alone now, none can be kept on due to the hiring moratorium, everytime an intern leaves the job description is tweaked and a new intern will start the day the previous intern leaves, you can have anywhere form 5-7 in at any given time, we hardly even get any TCOs now either due to the scheme and the Gateway scheme.

Daenarys

Xenji wrote: »

It is the same in Mayo Co Co, we have had over 40 in my department alone now, none can be kept on due to the hiring moratorium, we hardly even get any TCOs now either due to the scheme and the Gateway scheme.

What's the Gateway scheme??? :eek:

Tombi!

This would be it; it seems it's an outdoor CE scheme with different requirements but it's only 19.5 hours a week for 208 euro so it's a lot more decent than slavesbridge

carzony

I know a girl on that gateway and she loves it. Apparently she only does 12 hours in the place she was assigned.

Xenji

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

This would be it; it seems it's an outdoor CE scheme with different requirements but it's only 19.5 hours a week for 208 euro so it's a lot more decent than slavesbridge

They are also bringing people in to do basic clerical work if its busy and they have finished moping and cleaning the department building, they tried to get Gateway people in as well to clean the grounds and do maintenance, but the groundskeeper kicked up an almighty fuss in fairness to him, they were basically trying to make him obsolete.

Tombi!

Seriously? Sounds more like they're trying to replace jobs like with how people are taking jobbridge.
Are the companies checked up on like how (I heard many times) CE Scheme companies are or is it pretty much done like JB?

Patty O Furniture

Xenji wrote: »

They are also bringing people in to do basic clerical work if its busy and they have finished moping and cleaning the department building, they tried to get Gateway people in as well to clean the grounds and do maintenance, but the groundskeeper kicked up an almighty fuss in fairness to him, they were basically trying to make him obsolete.

That Groundskeeper, his name wouldn't be Willie by any chance

Xenji

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Seriously? Sounds more like they're trying to replace jobs like with how people are taking jobbridge.
Are the companies checked up on like how (I heard many times) CE Scheme companies are or is it pretty much done like JB?

For JobBridge interns we have had they are not checked up on, a Solas worker will come about a week or two before the intern is due to finish, give them a information pack and talk to them briefly about how they found there time, all in all takes about 5 minutes.

Not sure about Gateway, they are forced to take it up, so I think they are more supervised by Solas than their host organization.

jank

People still unhappy with Jobbridge I see but I remember when I was a student, getting work experience was usually unpaid (i.e. no money at all) and very difficult to get. If this helps people get experience then it can be a valuable tool towards full time employment.

Hermy

If I want to work for nothing there are any number of voluntary organisations I can help out.
But what I want is paid employment.

bjork

Some school principals have been suspended from their union for employing job bridge

The_Captain

jank wrote: »

People still unhappy with Jobbridge I see but I remember when I was a student, getting work experience was usually unpaid (i.e. no money at all) and very difficult to get. If this helps people get experience then it can be a valuable tool towards full time employment.

You realise that students aren't eligible for jobbridge yeah? You need to be unemployed and out of full time education for more than three months before you can apply.

In college placements are usually organised so that you'll shadow a worker, see the day-to-day running of the place and learn something. It's everything that jobbridge should be.

The reality of jobbridge is that desperate people clean bins and stock shelves for 9 months hoping to be allowed to do the same thing for money afterwards.

jank

bjork wrote: »

Some school principals have been suspended from their union for employing job bridge

To be honest, this is a disgraceful move by the unions but sure what can we expect.

shruikan2553

jank wrote: »

People still unhappy with Jobbridge I see but I remember when I was a student, getting work experience was usually unpaid (i.e. no money at all) and very difficult to get. If this helps people get experience then it can be a valuable tool towards full time employment.

Odd, I got paid more than what jobbridge offers before I even graduated, and I actually was being taught stuff rather than stocking shelves.

snubbleste

jank wrote: »

People still unhappy with Jobbridge I see but I remember when I was a student, getting work experience was usually unpaid (i.e. no money at all) and very difficult to get. If this helps people get experience then it can be a valuable tool towards full time employment.

You are Joan Burton and I claim my five pounds.

Iwasfrozen

Hermy wrote: »

If I want to work for nothing there are any number of voluntary organisations I can help out.
But what I want is paid employment.

If I was running a business who do you imagine I would want to hire all other things being equal? The guy who will work 6-9 months for 150 euro a week or the guy who won't work 6-9 months or 150 euro a week? Who has the better attitude?

Jobbridge is great for those starting off their career because it gives the company the opportunity to train people at a much lower cost and at end the applicant will either have a job or 6-9 months experience working in the sector. It's really that simple.

diddley

jank wrote: »

To be honest, this is a disgraceful move by the unions but sure what can we expect.

Why do you think it's a disgraceful move?

PopePalpatine

diddley wrote: »

Why do you think it's a disgraceful move?

Because PRAISE RAND. :rolleyes: