Michael Creedon and Nuala WhelanBallymun Job Centre

4th November 2015

Job Bridge and the Youth Guarantee

‘Ultimately, the youth guarantee will involve a mix of initial assessment, career guidance and planning, education and training or work experience, aimed at increasing the capacity of the young people to access employment. ‘

‘This will not be realised at a local level without both co-ordination and partnership between the public service agencies and local businesses and community groups. Hence, the approach at a national level will be mirrored at local level by the direct involvement of the local representatives of the national stakeholders’

Pathways to Work: the implementation of the EU Council Recommendation for a Youth Guarantee (2014:11)

Pilot initiative: Nov 2012 – Dec 2014 739 (679) young people aged 18-24 Job Seekers Payment Process:

◦ Activation – DSP◦ Group Information session◦ Referral to BJC Guidance Practitioner (BJC Team: 5 guidance

practitioners and a team leader)◦ 4 month period◦ Quality Offer

Underpinned by an Interagency network

Ballymun Youth Guarantee Pilot

Activation / Group Information Session

Profiled into Target groups 1, 2, 3.

Referral to BJC Guidance Team: Individualised assessment of need. Steps in the guidance process adapted relative to need

Career Action Plan

Quality Offer

BYG ProcessTarget group 1: JC or less/ no work experience/other barriers

Target group 2: LC/ some work experience

Target group 3: LC and above + work experience

An initial Assessment of the individuals needs (education, training, skills, personal situation)

A tailored career guidance process identifying latent skills, abilities, aptitudes, preferred behavioural style in the workplace (through use of a range of methodologies and tools)

Development of a career plan which includes a career objective and shorter term career goals

Implementation of the career plan in a supportive and positive way

BJCs key role: Guidance service

IncreaseSelf Awareness

Improve Self Esteem

Build Career Self

Efficacy

Resilient in Labour Market

Outcomes

A range of offers – acknowledging the range of labour market barriers and meeting the disparate needs of job seekers

Target group 1: 180◦ FET programmes: NQF L3,4,5 (120)◦ Supported Employment options: e.g. Job bridge, CE, Tús, Gateway(35)◦ Blended Learning (15)◦ Private Sector Employment (7FT, 3PT)

Target group 2: 283◦ FET Programmes: NQF L3 – 6 (165)◦ Supported Employment options: e.g. Job bridge, CE, Tús, Gateway (77)◦ Private sector Employment (27 FT, 14 PT)

Target group 3: 99◦ FET programmes: NFQ L3 (9), L4/5 (20), L5 + (24)◦ Job Bridge (20)◦ Private Sector Employment (17 FT, 9 PT)

Pre-Offers (10)

Quality Offers

What the participants said…....."The Scheme has been very beneficial for me. I have gained experience in childcare and I now know it's the right path for me. I have also gained confidence from it".... ...."The Youth Guarantee Scheme helped me get an 8 week shadowing experience which resulted in me gaining full time employment. I've improved my Computer skills and obtained experience in Electronics and Building Management Systems. I would Highly recommend this scheme to anyone".... ..."The Scheme helped me get a foot in the employment door and get some experience which was amazing. My confidence is up 100%".... ..."The first meeting I had with Ballymun Youth Guarantee Scheme may well turn out to be the most productive and in many ways important meeting I will have in my life. As a result of their hard work and endeavour I was able to receive funding to go toward my traineeship on the road to becoming a solicitor. I have now completed my job bridge scheme and have been taken on in full employment by the firm"...

The national YG should be based on the objective of investing in young people in order to increase their employability and labour market sustainability in the long-term.

Lessons from BYG

Organisational Level Adoption of a Guidance Policy Quality Guidance model – systems and structure to the approach Providing on-going Guidance Use time to develop the career plan

Practitioner Level Skills of the guidance practitioner Interaction: Approach of the guidance practitioner Team approach and peer support

Client Level Non intimidating setting Establishing Trust and Rapport Openness to on-going support

Lessons for Guidance Practice from the BYG

o Positive and Supportive client-centred approach

o An Interagency approach – with a lead organisation driving the process (employment focused)

o Good quality career advice - ongoing

o Quality offers and wrap around support

o Employer Engagement

o Local, Innovative, Flexible Responses - take a risk!

o All young people, not just those claiming Job Seekers payment

LESSONS for the further development of the Youth Guarantee in Ireland

Job Bridge‘Providing young people with Work Experience is key: Skills can

be taught but this is not the same as experience’ (Devlin, 2015: 4)

Job Bridge = Quality offer, if it is identified as an intervention which will assist the job seeker in overcoming some labour market barriers or meeting a particular need.

Feedback from job seekers is that they need experience: CV, building self-esteem, building social capital, building motivation

The Job seeker has identified the need which it will fulfil The internship has been identified as part of a career plan The employer has identified the experience on offer

Thank You!

Further Reading: Evaluation Reportswww.welfare.ie Policy and Practice, Key Learning from the Ballymun Youth

Guarantee Project Lessons from the Ballymun Youth Guarantee Pilot – A focus

on Employment related Career Guidance Ballymun Youth Guarantee Pilot Scheme - Evaluation

Contact:Michael Creedon: creedonm@bmunjob.ie

Nuala Whelan: whelann@bmunjob.ie