Thousands of JobBridge interns are being exploited through “inadequate regulation” of the scheme, which is also harming actual job creation.
This is the view of Fianna Fáil city councillor Ollie Crowe, who is calling on the Government to “urgently reform” the controversial scheme which was originally introduced in 2011.
“The current structure of the scheme allows for exploitation and takes away real jobs,” said Cllr Crowe. “We have seen numerous examples of this, whether ads which stated a PhD was a minimum requirement or ads seeking qualified teachers to work under the scheme. This is doubtlessly depressing job creation and needs to be urgently addressed.”
He said the scheme “should be used solely for beneficial practical experience”, and cited a report on JobBridge by international economic consultant Indecon, on behalf of the Department of Social Protection, which showed that 29 per cent of employers would have been likely to hire someone had JobBridge not been in place.
“That is thousands of people who would have been in paid positions providing tax revenue who instead were providing taxpayer funded labour to companies,” he said, “yet still the Government has not acted. JobBridge has the potential to be effective, but is causing more problems than it is offering solutions.”
