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Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Minister Kevin Humphreys launch Pathways to Work 2015

The new Pathways to Work 2015 was launched today, marking the next installment in the Government's strategy to help unemployed people return to work.

First introduced in 2012, this is the third iteration of the Pathways to Work strategy, which seeks to ensure that as many newly created jobs as possible go to people on the Live Register. Pathways to Work is a complementary, twin strategy to the Action Plan for Jobs which supports job creation.

Pathways 2015 builds on the progress made through Pathways to Work 2012, and 2013. As Ireland moves into economic recovery, it has a specific focus on helping the long-term unemployed, the young unemployed, and improving employer engagement. Key actions under the 2015 plan include:

• Benchmarking State employment and training services, including the new-look Intreo offices, at local, regional and national level, and publishing the results; this will ensure performance against targets
• Introducing a ‘Back to Work Family Dividend’ which will allow jobseekers who are returning to work to keep Qualified Child Increase welfare payments for a set period of time; this will remove a potential ‘welfare trap’ and make sure that ‘work pays’
• Launching an Employment and Youth Activation Charter, which involves a commitment from employers who sign the Charter that at least 50% of candidates for interview will be taken from the Live Register; the Charter was launched on 29 September
• Introducing a new account manager approach to employer engagement whereby employers who interact with Government, through the Department of Social Protection, to source potential employees will now have a dedicated accounts manager to assist them; this will make the process more streamlined, more attractive, and easier to navigate for employers
• Continuing to roll out Youth Guarantee initiatives to support young unemployed
• Implementing an enhanced version of the JobsPlus employment subsidy specifically for young unemployed people, and implementing JobPath, where third-party providers with proven track records will be hired to provide additional employment services focused on long-term unemployed

Read the full Government Press Release

Find out about Pathways to Work and the work of the Labour Market Council here

See an overview of the Irish labour market, and how the Government has helped reduce unemployment under Pathways to Work

 Read the full Pathways to Work 2015 document

 Read the Employment and Youth Activation Charter