Who did it?
These commitments were set out in Ireland’s Pathways to Work Strategy (2021 – 2025). The intention was for this to be led by the Irish Public Employment Service - Intreo, working with partners in the Further Education and Training sector, employers and the Councils for Voluntary Service.
Where are we drawing the evidence from?
Information sourced from:
What kind of support was it?
Intense activation, upskilling and reskilling opportunities, and engaging with employers.
Note: little evidence was found regarding actual implementation of interventions. Information here stems from the strategy statements.
Where did it run?
Ireland
When did it run?
2021 – current
Who did it serve?
Groups with low levels of labour market participation, informed by the fact that these groups are shown to have higher rates of poverty and deprivation associated with lower rates of participation and employment.
This included developing specific programmes to encourage ‘older’ inactive people to return to the workforce. No age range is specified within the strategy but target groups include people who had left employment to take up child-care or other caring duties.
What were its key features?
- A series of commitments from the strategy state:
- Commitment 53: Undertaking focused engagement with employers to encourage the recruitment of older workers, including the promotion of the JobsPlus recruitment subsidy.
- Commitment 54: Tailoring bespoke job promotion and local recruitment events for older workers where reskilling and upskilling options will be outlined and referrals made to the Education and Training Board, as appropriate.
- Commitment 55: Developing and operating ‘Returner’ programmes to encourage and support people who left the workforce and have been outside of the workforce for some time to take up employment.
- Commitment 56: Reviewing the eligibility conditions for access to work placement and recruitment subsidy schemes to consider, for example, if higher recruitment subsidies should be made available for the recruitment of older unemployed workers.
What were its outcomes?
Pathways to Work Progress Report (July 2021 – June 2022) states:
- Commitment 53 - Status Update: Efforts are ongoing to promote JobsPlus, with a new promotional video recorded in Q1, 2022. The promotion includes publicising the higher level of grant on JobsPlus for over 50s moving into employment.
- Commitment 54 - Status Update: Plans will be developed for events aimed at older workers in Q3 2022 through targeted campaigns in collaboration with the Education and Training Boards. This will include a campaign centred on the International Day for Older Persons (1st October 2022).
- Commitment 55 - Status Update: Plans are being advanced to develop this later in 2022.
- Commitment 56 - Status Update: A JobsPlus Steering Group was established which has instigated a renewed focus on promoting the scheme and the higher rate of subsidy for older workers. In addition, a number of improved administrative changes have been introduced. The scheme will remain under review in light of the current labour market and scheme uptake over the coming months.
