The Jobbridge Scandal

Femme_Fatale

IK09 wrote: »

Have you any experience with the scheme? As a matter of fact, how many people here giving out about it have actually ever used it? And im not talking about, a friend of a friend said situations.

Good friend of mine did one with a graphic design company - it was actual training, he had no experience beforehand other than a module on a course he did several years previously. He was delighted with it. And then they kept him on as an employee. So I know there are times when it has its merits (although he was still being exploited in some ways) but e.g. a supermarket or grocer's availing of the scheme to take on a deli counter assistant, instead of... hiring a deli counter assistant... is obscene.

chughes

There seems to be a reluctance to name the 23 banned companies. Anyone got a link to this list?

El Gato

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Good friend of mine did one with a graphic design company - it was actual training, he had no experience beforehand other than a module on a course he did several years previously. He was delighted with it. And then they kept him on as an employee. So I know there are times when it has its merits (although he was still being exploited in some ways) but e.g. a supermarket or grocer's availing of the scheme to take on a deli counter assistant, instead of... hiring a deli counter assistant... is obscene.

Not being smart, but again this is the exception to the rule.

The figures can be massaged either way but whatever way you look at it, the figure of successful internships completed slave labour stands at 24% of all started.

With 56% of that figure finding full time work within 5 months (no figures as to how many got a permanent role with the actual company they did the internship slave labour for)......this is only a guess but I would think in the single percentile

Editing to say, your last point would reflect my own views

El Gato

so 56% of 24% within 5 months

66dunaras

Thought Id share my experience of Jobbridge.

Am recently graduated but haven't a hope of getting a job in my field with no experience. There are practically no graduate level and few jobs at a higher level in it at the moment , and if a job is advertised the number of applicants is huge.

This is why I decided to give jobbridge a shot. I am on a jobbridge for the last six months, which is relevant to my field and not something to get free labour. Obviously, I realise that his department also gets a lot out of it because any tasks I do, free up another staff member to do something else.It also means there is someone to do the menial tasks that no one else really wants will do:D. There are numerous benefits for an organisation to take on an intern.

However, there are also benefits from me . I have learnt so much that you cant learn sitting in a lecture hall. I have gained practical experience, made connections and increased my knowledge. I have applied for a couple of jobs in the last few weeks just to see what my prospects are and got called for 2 interviews. I wouldn't have heard a thing if it wasn't for the experience I have gained during my internship, and I am feeling more confident about the future.

This is not to state that I know the Jobbridge system is flawed and that the system is abused by employers and the government (in terms of live register figures). However, I just wanted to point out that there are one or two good outcomes from it too

April O Neill

El Gato wrote: »

so 56% of 24% within 5 months

Would 24% be people who completed the full 9 months? So is the 56% seperate from that?

Just need some clarification!

sunflower27

Of course there are going to be some good stories. That is without question.

The problem is that in an attempt to get as many people as possible of the 'live register', any company can get an intern. My internship that was readvertised after I finished it is a perfect case in point. It took three times of me contacting them before they did anything about it and took the internship down. The point is you get one intern, not free labour that you can just keep topping up!!!

I remember Texaco (sp?) was looking for shop attendants/managers all over the country.

Tesco is one company not allowed to partake in the programme after the retail union took them on over 'shelfstacker-gate'. I think they have to go through the union if they ever want to apply again.

ETA: On completion ofmy internship I was sent a form to fill out on how I found the internship and was very critical. I was told I may be asked to explain further what happened, but of course no-one contacted me - they couldn't give a hoot.

Femme_Fatale

Yeh I know it's getting the absolute piss taken out of it. I just mentioned an example of it working out for someone in response to a poster who seemed to be pre-empting an overwhelming bias against it. Was just saying that even though it can occasionally have merits, it's still appallingly abused.

El Gato

April O Neill wrote: »

Would 24% be people who completed the full 9 months? So is the 56% seperate from that?

Just need some clarification!

It is 56% OF the 24%.....

The ability of the gov't to manipulate and skew the numbers is part of the problem...

So....in effect for each 100 people who enter the scheme, 76 drop out, 24 remain and out of the remaining 24, 13.4 (13) people gain full time positions within 5 months (no statistice to show how many actually get a job with the 'host' of the slave intern)

Whatever way you look at it the % is 13 of every 100 successful slavesinterns gain work in 5 months but no gov't figures as to how many actually continue beyond the 1st month in teh new role but 'unofficial' figures suggest it is less than 10% - that is less than 10% of 13 13 people

road_high

bluewolf wrote: »

People want the govt to "create jobs" and this is the sh!te we get.
They should stop infering in the job market completely. If they insist on helping, let them help retrain or reskill with fas courses some more.

I have no problem with internships, but the govt sticking their noses in and paying employers to do it disrupts everything.

Or just some financial incentive to take people on and just effing pay them. Ya know, the old fashioned notion of work for a wage. Dole plus €50 paid from my taxes to subsidise private enterprises is a shambles of the highest order. I'd urge anyone to run a mile from this abuse and look at other options, even emigrate for a bit to get experience and get paid. Whole thing is obscene if you ask me. Wonder how many TDs sons/daughters are "working" under this boll1x? Now that would be an interesting stat...

jackal

road_high wrote: »

Or just some financial incentive to take people on and just effing pay them. Ya know, the old fashioned notion of work for a wage. Dole plus €50 paid from my taxes to subsidise private enterprises is a shambles of the highest order. I'd urge anyone to run a mile from this abuse and look at other options, even emigrate for a bit to get experience and get paid. Whole thing is obscene if you ask me. Wonder how many TDs sons/daughters are "working" under this boll1x? Now that would be an interesting stat...

Negative negative negative.

You suggest someone should emigrate, rather than try and gain experience under this scheme... is that not a teeny-tiny bit extreme?

The scheme suffers from the usual problems that afflict anything done under the "Honour System" in Ireland. Ireland is full of chancers, who have no problem what so ever abusing any opportunity for their own gain. Given that this has always been the case, the government are really quite silly to not have policed this more strictly.

They simply could have made the scheme subject to approval before advertising the job, and if the moderator thought they were taking the piss advertising menial jobs, they are barred from the scheme and their adverts never see the light of day.

As mentioned in a previous post the one person I know who did the scheme got a job in the place she did the internship and has been working full time for years since, so I can see the good in the idea. Pity its reputation has been ruined by the kind of rubbish jobs they allowed to be advertised.

El Gato

jackal wrote: »

Negative negative negative.

You suggest someone should emigrate, rather than try and gain experience under this scheme... is that not a teeny-tiny bit extreme?

The scheme suffers from the usual problems that afflict anything done under the "Honour System" in Ireland. Ireland is full of chancers, who have no problem what so ever abusing any opportunity for their own gain. Given that this has always been the case, the government are really quite silly to not have policed this more strictly.

They simply could have made the scheme subject to approval before advertising the job, and if the moderator thought they were taking the piss advertising menial jobs, they are barred from the scheme and their adverts never see the light of day.

As mentioned in a previous post the one person I know who did the scheme got a job in the place she did the internship and has been working full time for years since, so I can see the good in the idea. Pity its reputation has been ruined by the kind of rubbish jobs they allowed to be advertised.

This is the point people are irate about. The gov't have not been monitoring it properly. In fact, the original proposal was that the 'host' company would pay €150/week in conjunction with the €188 (as stated earlier in the thread) but either IBEC or ISME rejected the idea.

IMO the gov't don't really care if the scheme is abused and by ineffective management and inaction are complicit. The other fact is that this scheme is a copy of scheme in the UK (point being is that the gov't prefer to copy a controversial scheme rather than actually trying to create something themselves - shows a lack of want to really do something properly)

Just on the section in bold in the quote...the scheme was announced on July 1st 2011 with the 1st internships beginning on August 1st which would mean that even the 1st internship would have finished by Feb 2012 (less than 18 months?)

Also, businesses are now trying to have internships extended to 15 or 18 months!

http://jobbridgetonowhere.tumblr.com/

http://www.scambridge.ie/how-the-jobbridge-scam-works/

MadsL

April O Neill wrote: »

This is a lie.

April O Neill wrote: »

How convenient.

So you basically are calling me a liar.

Any grounds for that?

April O Neill

MadsL wrote: »

So you basically are calling me a liar.

Any grounds for that?

That your story is highly unlikely. Outside of that, nay.

What do you care? If it's true, you know it is. I just don't believe you.

El Gato

road_high wrote: »

Or just some financial incentive to take people on and just effing pay them. Ya know, the old fashioned notion of work for a wage. Dole plus €50 paid from my taxes to subsidise private enterprises is a shambles of the highest order. I'd urge anyone to run a mile from this abuse and look at other options, even emigrate for a bit to get experience and get paid. Whole thing is obscene if you ask me. Wonder how many TDs sons/daughters are "working" under this boll1x? Now that would be an interesting stat...

AFAIK there was an announcement about employers being given €7k to employ someone who has been unemployed for 2 or more years....not 100% sure on the details.

Not one TDs children would be on the scheme even though 217 'internships' were in government offices with 52 currently on the scheme in gov't offices http://www.thejournal.ie/jobbridge-government-departments-946399-Jun2013/

There is no way in hell that the gov't ever had any intention of making any of these 'interns' permanent (unless they happened across the Purple Squirrel)

jackal

El Gato wrote: »

Just on the section in bold in the quote...the scheme was announced on July 1st 2011 with the 1st internships beginning on August 1st which would mean that even the 1st internship would have finished by Feb 2012 (less than 18 months?)

She started in 2010, in what was a precursor to jobbridge - The Work Placement programme. I don't think you even got €50 extra per week.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Work-Placement-Programme.aspx

MadsL

April O Neill wrote: »

That your story is highly unlikely. Outside of that, nay.

What do you care? If it's true, you know it is. I just don't believe you.

Then could you retract your accusation that it is a lie if you only think it unlikely but have no grounds to doubt it nor have presented any evidence as to why it might be a lie.

I don't take kindly to being called a lair thanks.

April O Neill

MadsL wrote: »

Then could you retract your accusation that it is a lie if you only think it unlikely but have no grounds to doubt it nor have presented any evidence as to why it might be a lie.

OK, I shall rephrase.

It's highly likely this story isn't true.

Moving on...

MadsL

April O Neill wrote: »

OK, I shall rephrase.

In my opinion, It's highly likely this story isn't true, but I cannot think of a single reason why.

Moving on...

FYP...

and done.

El Gato

jackal wrote: »

She started in 2010, in what was a precursor to jobbridge - The Work Placement programme. I don't think you even got €50 extra per week.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Work-Placement-Programme.aspx

Yes I remember this scheme. There wasn't any payment but the scheme itself differed from Jobbridge in the respect the employers had a real need for certain roles and there was a strong possibility the person on placement would get a job with the company they did the placement with.

The problems with Jobbridge are the displacement of paid workers for 'interns', internships that could never be qualified as internships, companies abusing the scheme to get effectively free labour etc...

IMO Jobbridge is a way for the gov't to manipulate register numbers and present a facade that they are trying to solve the unemployment crisis. 5555 'internships' is a weak and pathetic attempt to deal with 435,000 unemployed, this represents approx 1% of unemployed on the scheme....that leaves 430,000

April O Neill

MadsL wrote: »

FYP...

and done.

Of course it's my opinion, who else's would it be?

Why I think it's not true. Whatever about people advertising internships that are clearly bullshít, you can't let someone go from their job and rehire them as an intern in the same one. And I doubt any employee would put up with and not report it if it did happen. Add in the fact that he's in his 60s.. I call shenanigans.

MadsL

April O Neill wrote: »

Of course it's my opinion, who else's would it be?

I hope you appreciate the distinction between "that's a lie" and "I don't believe that" in future. You still seem to be having trouble with that.

MadsL

April O Neill wrote: »

Of course it's my opinion, who else's would it be?

Why I think it's not true. Whatever about people advertising internships that are clearly bullshít, you can't let someone go from their job and rehire them as an intern in the same one. And I doubt any employee would put up with and not report it if it did happen. Add in the fact that he's in his 60s.. I call shenanigans.

You are of course assuming that the employer and the employee told other employees.

April O Neill

MadsL wrote: »

I hope you appreciate the distinction between "that's a lie" and "I don't believe that" in future. You still seem to be having trouble with that.

Thanks for that. What would I do with AH?

Coffeeteasugar

There is a lot of exploitation by the scheme, which is a pity as it does have its benefits too, like boosting confidence, getting out of the house, and feeling proud simply by getting the dole paid into a bank account!! It's no job but at least it's something anyway. Although, should only be 20-30 hours max!

Backstreet Moyes

Came across this earlier. How do you need experience to be a cleaner.

http://jobseeker.fas.ie/Default.aspx?q=B+fomdowzS8kaDnSlUDk1zaMUPiFEeNrNWjviinu490thmC2C0u+DAdJQXOV5MgkP32WcPbQfF7tROMmVmwveoM85XVvf4xB7zztUk7KlM0cyCmrmlVebcBQ0Vat/pjbeYm5UdBsHlZhVvfpZ2NWjK57mo0iJyFks8GT6lmJC+EikhYhekIQq2vCLNNXeLNp4N6aX1lca78eivyqKpdpFGCE/PSzDuwL18RrqDiE6pYLnxzoxKS8VwvmOdjl+l5fcpdkBbeg+LVVwfWSNdRJXYoVl1O/hJResyPIA/rIj2W9CzmcLqY3NgGWfZR7W3cuxxoO/1cWIw3nwcuwFiPiDvqVAXzpEAPaUpATLjv0EDoqRHzf8/cFY2LqJLzJZgjXOGNnSR2eZkDnsPM9xrICWTGUT4PmeOOF68+Mrj5p+9+HEUZ01L8xL2FrJf6IRXTvHiEXVcgZ72yPoHZTawHCtqsMvYksXAjG

snubbleste

Nuts102 wrote: »

Came across this earlier. How do you need experience to be a cleaner.

kylith

Coffeeteasugar wrote: »

There is a lot of exploitation by the scheme, which is a pity as it does have its benefits too, like boosting confidence, getting out of the house, and feeling proud simply by getting the dole paid into a bank account!! It's no job but at least it's something anyway. Although, should only be 20-30 hours max!

I'm on a CE scheme now and I have to admit that the above is all accurate; I was definitely on my way to depression of some sort due to just plain not having anything to do and feeling useless.

Of course, now I get to listen to people say how they wish they could afford to keep me on when my scheme ends in a couple of months, which translates as 'we love you, but we love having free staff more'. I could apply for an extension, but it'd be of no use because I still wouldn't have a job at the end of it.

DoesNotCompute

chughes wrote: »

There seems to be a reluctance to name the 23 banned companies. Anyone got a link to this list?

I emailed the Dept of Social Protection, but they said they won't release the names due to "data protection" issues.

I will put in an FOI request, just to see what happens. It will be probably be refused on the same grounds though.

Backstreet Moyes

Can you get in trouble for turning down a position. FAS are putting my name forward for load of administration jobs. The recent was to be selling tickets at the desk of an art gallery. I am a quieter person who would rather put the head down in the office rather than greeting people all day. But if i turn it down i presume i will get cut.