The Jobbridge Scandal

darkpagandeath

stateofflux wrote: »

this email is currently being sent to employers nationwide from the revenue commissioners...

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Supporting you to access new talent and skills
Get practical advice and assistance at our forthcoming employer briefings by talking directly to our experienced teams. Find out more about how our integrated service - Intreo - can help support your company's employment needs.

Information will be provided on the full range of employment and financial supports available to assist you to grow your workforce, including:

JobsIreland
JobsPlus
JobBridge
EURES
And employer supports available in your locality

These events, hosted by Joan Burton T.D., Minister for Social Protection, will be of interest to:

Managing Directors, CEOs, Company Directors, HR Directors, HR Managers, SME Owner/Managers and Finance Directors/Managers.====

So they are informing these companies how to get free labour/subsidised. Yeah that will do loads to help job creation....

bodhrandude

I've been on the dole since I graduated in 2010 as a journalist, have tried loads of times to get any work with any type of publication going, hard copy places and online. I attended two interviews this week, one for CE and one for Jobbridge. I applied for the Jobbridge one two weeks ago and got a phone call to attend an interview. The thing is, this position interested me, Enterprise Journalist and its actually in Galway city as opposed to always being in Dublin for journalist positions.

The info garb reads as: 'The intern will gain practical experience web production, developing video lists/ storyboards, writing and rewriting scripts and then editing and producing... The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: Online production, including writing, editing, graphic design, basic HTML, photo editing, audio and video production.'

Now thats a whole bunch of skills I can pick up plus it helps me in a new field of journalism, free lance journalism for the promotion of IT companies. Some might argue that I'm taking a full time journalist position but I train under a full time journalist, software engineer and a company official.

A lot of the vacancies advertised in Jobbridge wouldn't be worth my while but I thought this one is pretty good. There was another five being interviewed that day so I won't know anything till about a week to ten days time, will keep you posted.

Xenji

darkpagandeath wrote: »

So they are informing these companies how to get free labour/subsidised. Yeah that will do loads to help job creation....

ISME and IBEC have been sending out the same sort of circulars since the start of the scheme, basically giving members hints and tips to members on how to exploit the scheme and how much money they will save.

Millicent

Hennesm wrote: »

Well my job bridge fiasco is nearing it's end...the girl whose maternity cover I am covering has decided to take unpaid leave ...so you might think that after 9 months I might be offered few months work? Nope I was asked if I wanted to come in Saturdays and do the work as my employer ' doesn't like giving money to the tax man' ! I swear I give up. Feeling thoroughly fed up��

Report that employer. That's a scam. Internships are not supposed to replace paid roles. They're supposed to be a training scheme for individuals without experience, not an actual job.

imurdaddy

Good news story from me, im a mechanical Eng and found myself on the dole, which starts stealing your soul slowly but surely I found it depressing signing on and collecting in the local post office. So I said whilst looking for paid work id apply for jobbridge I was hopefully looking for a Aerospace company where I would love to learn more.

I hand picked companies I wanted to get into and sent them my CV and cover letter. About 2wks later I got a call from one of the companies #2 on my list if im honest,to come in monday for a interview, so I was delighted to get a chance at jobbridge in a company and setting I wanted!

Come monday went for the interview and did well, but there was a surprise in store for me! I was offerd a full time permanent contract at salary im delighted with, but I said I thought it was for jobbridge? And the interview explained that they dont believe in doin sham schemes and after the head of engineering had seen my cv said get him in for interview!! And that if I was willing to work for €50 extra to dole I must be keen to get back to work,

So sitting here at the end of my first week in a new job I like plus in my field of study and work experience, I guess get your cvs out and chance it, it worked out well for me and not all postions are advertised but filled from people getting in contact and makin a effort

Xenji

Millicent wrote: »

Report that employer. That's a scam. Internships are not supposed to replace paid roles. They're supposed to be a training scheme for individuals without experience, not an actual job.

Actually this is a common misconception about the scheme, it was originally meant to be for qualified 3rd level graduates to get workplace experience in their chosen field of study and nobody else, it was never intended to be used the way it is being used now, what we have now is all due to greedy businesses exploiting the scheme and the government doing nothing about it.

Junglewoman

imurdaddy wrote: »

Good news story from me, im a mechanical Eng and found myself on the dole, which starts stealing your soul slowly but surely I found it depressing signing on and collecting in the local post office. So I said whilst looking for paid work id apply for jobbridge I was hopefully looking for a Aerospace company where I would love to learn more.

I hand picked companies I wanted to get into and sent them my CV and cover letter. About 2wks later I got a call from one of the companies #2 on my list if im honest,to come in monday for a interview, so I was delighted to get a chance at jobbridge in a company and setting I wanted!

Come monday went for the interview and did well, but there was a surprise in store for me! I was offerd a full time permanent contract at salary im delighted with, but I said I thought it was for jobbridge? And the interview explained that they dont believe in doin sham schemes and after the head of engineering had seen my cv said get him in for interview!! And that if I was willing to work for €50 extra to dole I must be keen to get back to work,

So sitting here at the end of my first week in a new job I like plus in my field of study and work experience, I guess get your cvs out and chance it, it worked out well for me and not all postions are advertised but filled from people getting in contact and makin a effort

I am delighted for you! I got a full time job via Jobbridge but it took 9 months though all has worked out well. Well done!

Millicent

Xenji wrote: »

Actually this is a common misconception about the scheme, it was originally meant to be for qualified 3rd level graduates to get workplace experience in their chosen field of study and nobody else, it was never intended to be used the way it is being used now, what we have now is all due to greedy businesses exploiting the scheme and the government doing nothing about it.

I worded that wrong--I knew that. Just meant that it was supposed to give graduates some real-world training, not an unpaid job.

CatFromHue

bodhrandude wrote: »

I've been on the dole since I graduated in 2010 as a journalist, have tried loads of time to get any work with any type of publication going, hard copy places and online. I attended two interviews this week, one for CE and one for Jobbridge. I applied for the Jobbridge one two weeks ago and got a phone call to attend an interview. The thing is, this position interested me, Enterprise Journalist and its actually in Galway city as opposed to always being in Dublin for journalist positions.

The info garb reads as: 'The intern will gain practical experience web production, developing video lists/ storyboards, writing and rewriting scripts and then editing and producing... The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: Online production, including writing, editing, graphic design, basic HTML, photo editing, audio and video production.'

Now thats a whole bunch of skills I can pick up plus it helps me in a new field of journalism, free lance journalism for the promotion of IT companies. Some might argue that I'm taking a full time journalist position but I train under a full time journalist, software engineer and a company official.

A lot of the vacancies advertised in Jobbridge wouldn't be worth my while but I thought this one is pretty good. There was another five being interviewed that day so I won't know anything till about a week to ten days time, will keep you posted.

If you think it will benefit you, then when you're on the scheme you think it is benefiting you, and if you think you can make it work on the money offered go for it.

GLaDOS

Scambridge.ie are protesting outside a Super Valu in Dublin

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/supervalu-jobbridge-scambridge-protest-1317193-Feb2014/?utm_source=facebook_short

SCAMBRIDGE.IE HAVE TARGETED a Supervalu store in south Dublin for advertising JobBridge internships that they say are “exploitative”.

The group protested outside the independent store yesterday, and have warned of an “escalation” of their campaign against other employers who seek interns through JobBridge.

“We intend to make the scheme too hot for any employer to go near and turn this abuse of the unemployed into a major issue in society,” Socialist MEP Paul Murphy said in a statement.

The positions advertised at the store in Deansgrange are for a Butcher Assistant, a Off License Sales Assistant, and a Sales Assistant in the Fresh Food Department.

Thought this was interesting

Another position as a bakery assistant has been advertised by the same shop, but not cited by ScamBridge.ie in their protests.

I'm pretty ignorant as to what the role would involve, but would have thought the butcher's assistant role would actually pick up some decent experience? At least on paper.

Support the protest fully though for the two sales assistant roles being advertised, jokeshop.

dinnyirwin

bodhrandude wrote: »

I've been on the dole since I graduated in 2010 as a journalist, have tried loads of times to get any work with any type of publication going, hard copy places and online. I attended two interviews this week, one for CE and one for Jobbridge. I applied for the Jobbridge one two weeks ago and got a phone call to attend an interview. The thing is, this position interested me, Enterprise Journalist and its actually in Galway city as opposed to always being in Dublin for journalist positions.

The info garb reads as: 'The intern will gain practical experience web production, developing video lists/ storyboards, writing and rewriting scripts and then editing and producing... The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: Online production, including writing, editing, graphic design, basic HTML, photo editing, audio and video production.'

Now thats a whole bunch of skills I can pick up plus it helps me in a new field of journalism, free lance journalism for the promotion of IT companies. Some might argue that I'm taking a full time journalist position but I train under a full time journalist, software engineer and a company official.

A lot of the vacancies advertised in Jobbridge wouldn't be worth my while but I thought this one is pretty good. There was another five being interviewed that day so I won't know anything till about a week to ten days time, will keep you posted.

My son graduated as a journalist in 2009.
He was only getting offered jobbridge jobs.
So he went to the UK and got a real paying job.
That scheme is disgraceful. Its just free labour.

darkpagandeath

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Scambridge.ie are protesting outside a Super Valu in Dublin

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/supervalu-jobbridge-scambridge-protest-1317193-Feb2014/?utm_source=facebook_short



Thought this was interesting


I'm pretty ignorant as to what the role would involve, but would have thought the butcher's assistant role would actually pick up some decent experience? At least on paper.

Support the protest fully though for the two sales assistant roles being advertised, jokeshop.

Butchery/bakery are a Trade They have a long apprenticeship not suitable for 9 month training i.e 3/4 years training with a qualified butcher/baker. No trades should be on Jobbridge. And I would wager its not a butchers assistant it’s working on the Deli/hot counter. With the odd can I have some of that mince or chops serving the meat is not an apprenticeship anyone can do that with health and safety training.

Grab All Association

Breakfast supervisor? xD now that is a new one. CBS Thurles

http://jobseeker.fas.ie/Default.aspx?q=B+fomdowzS8kaDnSlUDk1zaMUPiFEeNrNWjviinu490thmC2C0u+DEnggpEL2q5vAsamp3opXX3J7+pMcEghtD73TIQwb+9G7NieOp452Rz1zc+ODpCJQMDXtf1snVwg6yHrEJHTIwLvtK8Fa6OdZgsrPUY0OmOso4si0uyAKZgZRcd/yFgKoFcGXybRxjldL/uJtABvftodZVfUMD3QtvZDGl0FdNqPceqS4hWuZWG9B29VXEP0Nw+CeHNDmYwO2XrplyQMYNMfV/cqwBlb3ZI1R1qes+N6nYn7ip74LtTyd5tc0UHGCN60aHaSsbABA/CzEnG7WZwdnqQ/bSmJ2MeDXSC6lsFHkIpnScchsZ8aEZ8ZtBzqjdfE3s0DD9L8jJoHXOa8uvSaSmn8gNZ41i0OUt5lowEvuvkyu49+mRqCKX7VpPDEw6iQ+3BMYRPbYVMNuED91z/TXSsp/oMjFAUpNC9zi39QoCqCalQqcP8=

Based in THURLES TOWN Ref. INTE-824595
Description
The intern will gain practical experience in ordering supplies required for operation of breakfast club including the maintenance of accounts. The intern will receive formal/informal training in the following: the preparation of food and in how to complete a stock take and maintain computerised accounts. On completion the intern will have attained skills in food preparation, stock taking and ordering supplies. The intern will have attained skills in the completion of monthly accounts and keeping within the monthly budget.

Skills Requirements
Experience in dealing with people would be an advantage. Some knowledge of Microsoft office would also be an advantage.

Please Note:
This is an Internship. An allowance of €50 per week will be paid in addition to your current Social Welfare payment.See eligibility criteria above.

Department
Canteen

Mentor
The Organisation will assign a mentor to support you during the Internship.

Duration
6 Months

Number of Positions
1

Contract Type
Other

Days, Hours & Start Date
Days per week: To be Advised
Hours per day: Not specified
Hours per week: 30
Start Date: TBC

Experience Required:
No Experience Required
Education Requirements:
Group Certificate - Group certificate or equivalent. A proficient level of English would also be required.

panda100

I am absolutely disgusted to hear that the respected organisation I work for have decided to hire Tus and CE scheme in another regional office. We do highly specialised work with vunerable people, it is not suitable for any type of scheme job.

I have no problem with volunteers coming in and supporting our work, but to replace the need for paid, experienced staff with unpaid and unqualified staff is absolutely insulting to permanent employees . The quality of services have dropped massively in the two years we have been using the Tus scheme. Its difficult to know who to complain to though? I don't want to lose my job but I am highly concerned for the client group I work with!One staff member spoke out about it, and she is long term stress related sick leave now!

Hownowcow

imurdaddy wrote: »

Good news story from me, im a mechanical Eng and found myself on the dole, which starts stealing your soul slowly but surely I found it depressing signing on and collecting in the local post office. So I said whilst looking for paid work id apply for jobbridge I was hopefully looking for a Aerospace company where I would love to learn more.

I hand picked companies I wanted to get into and sent them my CV and cover letter. About 2wks later I got a call from one of the companies #2 on my list if im honest,to come in monday for a interview, so I was delighted to get a chance at jobbridge in a company and setting I wanted!

Come monday went for the interview and did well, but there was a surprise in store for me! I was offerd a full time permanent contract at salary im delighted with, but I said I thought it was for jobbridge? And the interview explained that they dont believe in doin sham schemes and after the head of engineering had seen my cv said get him in for interview!! And that if I was willing to work for €50 extra to dole I must be keen to get back to work,

So sitting here at the end of my first week in a new job I like plus in my field of study and work experience, I guess get your cvs out and chance it, it worked out well for me and not all postions are advertised but filled from people getting in contact and makin a effort

I am absolutely delighted for you. What a wonderful attitude that company has. Fair play to you and fair play to them.

ABajaninCork

Brilliant news! Very happy for you! *shakes hand*

Pinch Flat

Apologies for the delay in replying - unsubscribed from this thread,so just reading back over it now

gw80 wrote: »

was her 15 years experience,degree and mba and chartered professionalism pertinent to the intern position she took up or was it a different field of work?

No, it was pertinent. I suppose they interviewed X amount of interns, and she was the most qualified.

doovdela wrote: »

That's mad, she been better off interning somewhere else or doing a work placement of some sort that it not jobbridge related. Its mad she even had to do a jobbridge surely even a minimum wage job or CE one would have suited her better?

She was very lucky to get a job full time and get a proper wage in the end was only fair with her skills, qualifications and experience. You think people that have 10 or 15+ years experience would have more of an advantage but like that now doesn't give those 6 months/1 year, 2 years to 5 years experience much hope then in this recession.

Shouldn't really matter probably does depending on field but to be honest any kind of transferable skills and good work experience examples should stand to someone like her.

The industry we work in (construction) has been hit really bad. At the time, there were no jobs in the industry, a a bit better now but in 2009 it was shedding several thousand jobs per week.

sligoface

Just seen one for 'property administrator' ie: estate agent here in Sligo, that's some racket. The agency already doesn't own the properties they rent, now they don't even have to pay a wage to the person showing the properties and answering phones, etc., just takes commission from the rent paid, it's all profit.

Yet another entry level job that takes little training and could actually take someone off of SW payments has been sucked into the black hole that is Slavebridge.

But what really makes me angry is that I interviewed at a sign production company here for a paid position (junior designer), worked an unpaid trial day and then didn't get any response at all, yet today they have a jobbridge ad up for the same position plus two more: marketing executive and sales assistant. They must have figured they were late to the party and wanted to make up for lost time with three slaves. Funny, when I was there I counted maybe five employees besides the owner, they hardly have enough staff to mentor three people and do their own work. And this is a busy enough place, well known, had their names printed on the Sligo Rovers jerseys last year.

This is the typical situation with these positions, the companies have no intention of training people, they actually have positions they need to fill and could afford to pay someone. But there is no need because the government has sanctioned slave labor, made the minimum wage irrelevant, and perpetuated the race to the bottom, all at the cost of the taxpayer.

A jobbridge person is pretty much guaranteed to be relying on SW payments long term because they will be spending all their time working in the internship instead of jobseeking, and they will have a goal of sticking out the nine months (or 18 now I hear, jesus!) because they hope to be kept on in their host organization at the end.

But most fall into one of two categories, either they get fed up with the exploitation and lack of learning and quit, or get to the end and are not taken on by the host, which means they go back on the dole. And when they look for work, all that's there is internships, which they've already done and it didn't help. So they will probably give up, and stay on the dole long term.

It's so apparant that the scheme is replacing jobs and is nothing but a scam which enables the government to fiddle the live register figures. For Joan Burton to continue lying about the success of Jobbridge in the media just beggars belief and is an insult to any one with any intelligence. Seeing or hearing her at all just fills me with rage and disgust.

I've got a better scheme. Give me 18 months of the dole plus the fifty euro weekly top up in one up front lump sum. I'll sign a contract to say I have collected my full entitlements for that 18 month period and am not eligible for any further payments until after that 18 months are up. You can take me off the live register then and I'll be on the first plane outta here. I can guarantee you I'll be gone longer than 18 months and ideally would never come back except for the odd visit.

Give the unemployed this option and you'll save a fortune long term, and the live register figures will be down as well. I mean, it's only fair to offer exile as an alternative to slavery. There certainly aren't many other choices for the majority of young people in this country, our chance at a good future was stolen before we even got a look in.

Backstreet Moyes

Surely the goverment should make it compulsory for the company to pay a set weekly fee for the participant. Of course companies are going to exploit it to the last if they get employees for free. If they have to contribute say €100 a week this will weed out some of these exploited jobs. I can;t believe the goverment thought it would work just giving everybody free interns. If the host paid €100 a week it would bring it up to around minimum wage. This means an employee is getting a fair pay and genuinely struggling businesses get an intern for €100 a week instead of paying €300 a week.

Xenji

Nuts102 wrote: »

Surely the goverment should make it compulsory for the company to pay a set weekly fee for the participant. Of course companies are going to exploit it to the last if they get employees for free. If they have to contribute say €100 a week this will weed out some of these exploited jobs. I can;t believe the goverment thought it would work just giving everybody free interns. If the host paid €100 a week it would bring it up to around minimum wage. This means an employee is getting a fair pay and genuinely struggling businesses get an intern for €100 a week instead of paying €300 a week.

That would be great, but if the government did that, then less companies and businesses would use the scheme, meaning they would have trouble massaging their live register figures and Joan would not be able to say how good of a job she is doing.

bodhrandude

dinnyirwin wrote: »

My son graduated as a journalist in 2009.
He was only getting offered jobbridge jobs.
So he went to the UK and got a real paying job.
That scheme is disgraceful. Its just free labour.

The thing is, I don't want to move to the UK I lived there long enough for the first 23 years of my life, I love Galway and I don't want to leave, I saw this opportunity which offers new skills to enhance my qualifications, so no harm in trying this anyway as vacancies in the newspaper and magazine industries are non-existent here or only occasionally in Dublin, but renting for me there is prohibitive price wise and would be a lengthy look to find some where appropriate to live.

Uncle_moe

I'm currently on a jobbridge internship and just found out that my company is going to advertise for another intern to work in my department. I've read the rules that you can't have two interns working in the same area, however, they have been approved and the job will probably be posted later today or tomorrow. I know for a fact that they will not employ two of us once the time is up and seeing as I'll be finished soon it looks as though they're just going to transition this person into my job and do the same to them.
My question is, should I just ask the manger outright now if there will be a job at the end of this or go straight to jobbridge and complain?
Pretty disgraceful too that jobbridge didn't even ask any questions as to what department the second intern would work in.

ABajaninCork

I would ask the question. I doubt you'll get a straight answer though, but worth a try. I'd put it in writing though.

Once you have your answer, I'd gather up a copy of the job advert, and your question and go straight to Jobsbridge to complain. Not that anything will be done about it, but at least it's on record...

darkpagandeath

Uncle_moe wrote: »

I'm currently on a jobbridge internship and just found out that my company is going to advertise for another intern to work in my department. I've read the rules that you can't have two interns working in the same area, however, they have been approved and the job will probably be posted later today or tomorrow. I know for a fact that they will not employ two of us once the time is up and seeing as I'll be finished soon it looks as though they're just going to transition this person into my job and do the same to them.
My question is, should I just ask the manger outright now if there will be a job at the end of this or go straight to jobbridge and complain?
Pretty disgraceful too that jobbridge didn't even ask any questions as to what department the second intern would work in.

Problem is they can just turn around and say your not suitable for whatever reason, SW tend to listen to the Employer more than the Employee in this regards. The Employers have it in the Bag because of the recession and the amount of people out of work. Funny how a lot of companies have been slowly downsizing because of the Recession excuse (Nothing to do with profit i swear). And they can basically hold you to ransom saying work this that the other and if you wont i will hire someone else there are plenty of people who want a job. Cutting wages race to the bottom and all that.

Uncle_moe

I agree that nothing will be done about it if I complain. As long as they can keep people off the live register (while still paying them) and massage the figures, they don't give a **** about what individuals say about the scheme. Pretty sure my company is enjoying using free labour so much they are going to continue it and also up the amount of free interns they can get in.
They'll just alter the job titles and job spec so it gets passed by jobbridge each time they advertise. not that they'd even need to do that.

Xenji

Uncle_moe wrote: »

I'm currently on a jobbridge internship and just found out that my company is going to advertise for another intern to work in my department. I've read the rules that you can't have two interns working in the same area, however, they have been approved and the job will probably be posted later today or tomorrow. I know for a fact that they will not employ two of us once the time is up and seeing as I'll be finished soon it looks as though they're just going to transition this person into my job and do the same to them.
My question is, should I just ask the manger outright now if there will be a job at the end of this or go straight to jobbridge and complain?
Pretty disgraceful too that jobbridge didn't even ask any questions as to what department the second intern would work in.

Sorry to hear your upset and as people will point out I am totally against the scheme, but nothing will happen if you complain as they are not breaking any rules as depending on the size of the company they can hire a minimum of 1 intern at any one time and up to 200 interns and put them to work wherever they want, we have often had 5 interns working in the same department, but then again we cannot hire any of them on at the end of internship anyway. You should be more worried about the fact that once your 9 months are up, they can hire a new intern straight away to replace you if they do not keep you on, even advertise your position while you are still on the internship.

Grab All Association

Eight hundred long-term unemployed are to start work in Dublin's local authorities by the end of the year.

The Gateway initiative is similar to the JobBridge scheme and will see jobseekers receiving an additional €20 a week for 19.5 hours of work.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment confirmed the positions will be across a range of areas including parks, landscaping and information technology.

Other jobseekers will be placed as "street ambassadors" to assist tourists.

Dublin City Council is taking on 295 workers, South Dublin and Fingal will get 215, while 110 jobseekers are starting work in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

It is understood the Department of Social Protection will select candidates who will undertake the scheme for 22 months.

Those who refuse to participate face having their social welfare payments reduced or terminated.

60 people have already begun work on the initiative, which was originally announced in 2011.

3,000 positions are expected to be filled nationwide by the end of the year.

It is understood the positions are complimentary to existing local authority staff and the roles have been agreed with trade unions.

All jobseekers will be garda vetted before assuming a Gateway position.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0221/505740-800-jobseekers-to-work-in-dublins-councils/

Quazzie

Chris___ wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0221/505740-800-jobseekers-to-work-in-dublins-councils/

That is brilliant. All long term unemployed should be made do this, and not just in Dublin.

Xios

Quazzie wrote: »

That is brilliant. All long term unemployed should be made do this, and not just in Dublin.

No, no they shouldn't. This is creating incentive's for having people on the welfare, meaning, if you have people on welfare you can get cheap labour, so why bother helping to generate jobs when you can have people on welfare and just keep them working for nothing.

It's similar to privatized prisons, in the sense that there's an incentive to have the prison full to turn a profit, which in way would increase incarceration rates disproportional to the crimes being committed, so people would be sentenced to server time for minor criminal charges.

kylith

Quazzie wrote: »

That is brilliant. All long term unemployed should be made do this, and not just in Dublin.

No it isn't it's forcing people into below minimum wage jobs. They should lift their hiring freeze and actually employ people, that's the only way to get people off the live register.