Three in five participants in JobBridge – the national internship scheme - secure employment following their internship, according to an independent evaluation published on May 1 by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton.
The evaluation, conducted by Indecon Economic Consultants, shows that 61 per cent of interns progress to paid employment after completing their internship.
The 61 per cent progression rate for JobBridge is among the best in Europe, where progression rates for similar internship schemes average just 34 per cent.
The evaluation report also found that 96 per cent of host organisations would recommend JobBridge to another employer, and 89 per cent of interns stated that JobBridge had given them new skills. Interns found that they also benefited from an increase in their self-confidence, the opportunity to gain quality work experience, and the opportunity to establish a network of contacts.
The Taoiseach and Minister Burton jointly launched the report at the offices of LinkedIn in Dublin. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 200 million members, is among the companies which have benefited from JobBridge, hosting interns who later progressed to full-time employment with the company.
Welcoming the findings of the report, the Taoiseach said: “The Government has an ambitious plan to modernise and improve our work activation services as part of our Pathways to Work strategy. JobBridge was a key early scheme to help deliver on this agenda. It is now clear that JobBridge is delivering for thousands of jobseekers by providing them with valuable opportunities to gain relevant work experience, knowledge, and skills in a workplace environment. The fact that three in five interns gain employment following the scheme is a testament to the potential that exists in providing new work activation services to jobseekers and employers.”
More than two-thirds of interns who have participated in JobBridge were over six months on the Live Register prior to taking up an internship.
