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Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Education Minister Ruairi Quinn pictured at the Pathways to Work Launch in the Digital Hub earlier

The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Social Protection Minister Joan Burton and Education Minister Ruairi Quinn today launched Pathways to Work 2013 the Government’s 50-point action plan to fight long-term unemployment.

The plan will build on the progress made over the past year by the Government to tackle the unemployment challenge. The economy has stabilised and the private sector is now creating 2,000 jobs a month. Unemployment fell to 292,000 in the first quarter of 2013, representing a decrease of 29,900 over the previous 12 months. The unemployment rate is currently 13.7%, down from 14.9% in April 2012.

While this progress is encouraging, tackling unemployment will remain the Government’s priority for the foreseeable future. Pathways to Work 2013 outlines how this will be done, with a specific focus on combatting long-term unemployment. The 50-point action plan builds on Pathways to Work 2012, and will involve a range of Government Departments and State Agencies working in tandem to tackle the scourge of long-term unemployment.

Speaking at the launch in Digital Skills Academy, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said:

Ireland has a long history of failing to deal with long-term unemployment and this Government is determined to make the reforms necessary to ensure we get Ireland working again. Dealing with this issue will require a co-ordinated response from across State services that we simply have to deliver.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said:

Our job – the job of this Government – every single day, is to bring about recovery. For me, that means an Ireland where every person who can work has the opportunity to do so. That every young person, leaving school or college, knows that they can make a life for themselves in their own country. That is what recovery looks like

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Minister Burton said:

Pathways to Work 2013 builds on the work done to date, and will accelerate the fight against long-term unemployment. Our core aim is to engage with every unemployed person to make sure that their first day out of a job is also their first step on the pathway back to work.

Minister Quinn said:

To complement Pathways to Work 2013 my Department will continue to invest in further education and training sectors through the introduction and development of targeted programmes for jobseekers.

Today’s launch took place at Digital Skills Academy, based at the Digital Hub in Dublin. Digital Skills Academy is the innovative education provider of digital content, technology and game development programmes. The Academy’s programmes are designed in consultation with industry to supply industry-ready talent for the growing employment opportunities in the digital technology sector. Over 70% of Digital Skills Academy’s recent programme participants are now successfully in the workplace.

Read the full press release

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Pathways to Work 2013 is available

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