Nothing seems to have changed in the vetting of advertisements for internships in the JobBridge programme. But members of the public are fighting back and vetting the adverts themselves – if you spot an advert which appears to be the provision of free labour to a private enterprise or replacement for a previously paying position you can submit the ad to a Tumblr blog. (Shark jumped there.)
Farcically there have been more advertisements for internships for waiters (Food Service Personnel cough) and cleaner interns in Four Star Hotels in Cork and qualified beauticians in Malahide who will vajazzle you courtesy of a payment from the Department of Social Protection. The hotel jobs were pulled following direct action protests to the hotel by twitter and by email.
One could be forgiven in thinking officials in the Department of Social Protection who are vetting these adverts are doing it so badly on purpose in some sort of protest or attempt to try undermine the Minister and the entire programme. Meanwhile the Minister and Martin Murphy of HP, chairperson of the Job Bridge Steering Group, are taking to the road to talk about the scheme. Next week they are in Athlone for a breakfast briefing (you can apply to attend)
They will speak about the scheme providing
quality internship in an organisation in the private, public or community and voluntary sectors. Its aim is to provide those seeking employment with the opportunity to gain valuable and meaningful, (my emphasis) work experience. By involving themselves in this internship, participants will enhance their skills and ultimately improve their prospects of securing employment in the future.
That’ll be no mention of cleaning, waiting tables, designing websites for free for furniture movers or vajazzling I assume.
No mention either of the internship not being rateable as prsi credit, nor guarantees for decent references for the interns, etc.. This is slavery, pure and simple. It could have been set up to be more meaningful, to get motivated companies to actually contribute *something* other than a broom, boxes to move or a teatowel (the firms should have had to contribute matching funds to the €50 or the govt should have agreed to match € for € over 50 up to say, €100 pw, which would have been a low cost incentive!) I’m glad some employers have been shamed into withdrawing and hope the likes of Aer Lingus will reconsider their shitty jobs too (i.e. the interns not the hosties). It does, if I might add, show up exploitative employers in a bad light… but maybe that’s no bad thing in a way, such companies won’t get my business anyhow…
It seems that the beauty salon specifically excludes those who might just benefit from the intern experience !! This from their Education Requirements: “We will also except applicants from Beauty Therapy Students who are near their final exams. “
Open FM » Today’s Links // Sep 8, 2011 at 09:32
[...] JobBridge – Vetting the vetters? Nothing seems to have changed in the vetting of advertisements for internships in the JobBridge programme. But members of the public are fighting back and vetting the adverts themselves – if you spot an advert which appears to be the provision of free labour to a private enterprise or replacement for a previously paying position [...] [...]
Something of note for me here.. Yesterday, I sent Labour TD Áodhán Ó Ríordáin a little tweet (just for the hell of it) asking him how he, as a Labour Party member, could honestly condone this programme. The curt reply was that he ‘understood the concerns’ but ‘supports it’.
This morning, he retweeted four Jobbridge posts into my timeline. All four require applicants to have third-level qualifications in specific areas, and all four were nine-month internships. Is this what our government intends to provide for those leaving third-level education fully qualified?
I can’t state it enough times.. When it comes to the nonsense of ‘experience’.. The vast majority of jobs and careers out there, new workers are upskilled on the minutiae of the day-to-day tasks in a matter of a few short weeks. These internships do not need to run to nine months, especially for those fully-qualified college leavers.
Also, Suzy.. “officials in the Department of Social Protection who are vetting these adverts are doing it so badly on purpose in some sort of protest or attempt to try undermine the Minister and the entire programme..”
That’s the single most pertinent point I’ve heard yet.. I can count the number of people I’ve met/spoke with who condone the programme on one hand (well, maybe both hands..). Perhaps those (slightly) overpaid public servants in welfare are doing their country a service after all..
Nice posts about JobsBridge (all of them)! It looked as a good initiative, but the implementation is scary. And we all pay for it.
Perhaps the rule should be that you can hire a if a few people in that company have that and you will be working alongside of them and be trained 5% of your internship programme by people who have that skill. Or some similar formula. Hiring, oops sorry – getting someone for free, to call people and sell your stuff to the UK market, and we pay for it? That should be illegal.
BTW – RSWP for the Athlone event is closed. The end date was 9th.
Hi guys,
The whole thing stinks but so does capitalism. What other options are there?
1) Sit on the dole while trying for a job!
2) Or emigrate.
3) Or try out Job Bridge. If company are crowd of pricks dont apply or leave quick.
In an ideal world it wouldnt be necessary. But reality is country is overpriced as compared to our nearest competitor the UK – (25% higher wages…), business are closing rapido, thousands are emigrating.
Heres a question maybe someone could answer, would things be much better without these programmes?