1. Proposed PILOT Youth Guarantee scheme in Ballymun, Dublin
Paul carroll | 13th May 2013 | Madrid

2. Outline of Presentation
Background and current approach to engaging with the unemployed
Overview of Ballymun
Proposed pilot Youth Guarantee Scheme
Challenges & issues regarding proposed pilot

3. Department of social protection
Our mission is to promote active participation in society through the provision of income supports, employment services and other services. Lifecycle approach: Children & Families, Working Age, Old Age Budget of €20 billion for 2013 (40% of total Government current expenditure budget of €51 billion) Circa 7,000 staff nationwide – 59 local offices, 63 branch offices (plus employment services and community welfare offices since 2011/12) Circa 1.4 million people receive a social welfare payment each week and, when qualified adults and children are included, a total of almost 2.1 million people benefit from weekly payments (out of a population of 4.6 million).

4. Jobseeker payments and supports
Of €20 billion budget, €4 billion allocated to Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) and Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) and €1 billion on employment supports. In April 2013, there were 417,593 persons on the Live Register, of whom 15% are under 25 years of age (64,690). The Department supports a range of employment programmes, back to education programmes and work placement/experience programmes.

5. % Unemployment rates in Ireland (annual averages)

6. Youth Unemployment Ratios (2011)
Unemployment ratio takes out the participation effect and looks at the percentage of unemployed among all persons aged Ireland is still high in this method.

7. National Employment Action Plan
The approach to activation until now has been via the National Employment Action Plan:
After three months in receipt of JA or JB, the person receives a letter from the Department of Social Protection to attend an interview with their local employment office (now in DSP).
At this appointment, an Individual Action Plan is agreed e.g. job search, CV help, interview techniques, training, education, work placement, etc.
If person did not attend or engage, could lose social welfare payment – however, rarely happened.

8. Pathways to Work
‘Pathways to Work’ is the Government’s policy on getting people back to work. It commits to the provision of more regular and on- going engagement and greater targeting of activation places and job opportunities for those who are unemployed.
It also aims to increase engagement and incentivise employers to provide more jobs for people who are unemployed.
Focus on preventing and reducing long-term unemployment.
Early and frequent engagement

9. ‘Intreo’ integrated employment & support service
With the merging of employment services into the Department of Social Protection from January 2012, we have developed a new Intreo service as a one-stop shop service integrating employment and income supports. Now in 12 offices, it will be rolled out nationwide.
Streamlined personalized service to clients in accessing job opportunities and supports to enable them to get back to work at the earliest possible opportunity.
Early group engagement for all new job-seekers, emphasising their responsibility to be available for and actively seek work (must sign Record of Mutual Commitments). Penalised if don’t engage.
All new jobseekers are profiled to determine their probability of becoming long-term unemployed (early engagement for most “at risk” - no three month wait)

10. Youth Unemployment policy?
In Q4, 2012 there were 59,000 young people (15 – 24 years of age) unemployed in Ireland, with an unemployment rate of 27.6%.
Of these, 46.3% (27,300) were long-term unemployed
Males made up 62.5% of the young unemployed, and 73.6% of the young long-term unemployed
The number of young unemployed has decreased by 8,700 from Q4, 2011
Despite our high levels of youth unemployment (an annual average of 30% for year olds in 2012), Ireland has no explicit policy to address youth unemployment. Age is implicitly included in profiling.

11. Overview of Ballymun
Built in 1960’s-1970’s in response to significant housing shortages and chronic overcrowding in the city at the time.
3,000 apartments in a series of 4, 8 and 15 story tower blocks – the first and only tower block scheme of its kind in Ireland – and a further 2,400 houses, all within a 1.5 square mile radius. Intended as a ‘state-of-the-art’ and modern town, but…
Lack of investment in the physical and social infrastructure => alienation, isolation, rise of serious social and economic disadvantage in the area.
In 1996, a decision was made to demolish the high-rise tower blocks and replace them with low-rise housing. Ballymun Regeneration Ltd
Physical regeneration: 2,700 new housing units, a new main street is under construction, a new Civic Centre, a primary health care centre, arts centre, two new hotels. Early in 2009 IKEA opened a store.

12. Ireland Dublin Ballymun
Principal Economic Status (PES): State, Dublin City and Ballymun 2011 Census
Ireland
Dublin
Ballymun
State
Dublin
Ballymun
Employment Rate
50%
51%
32%
Unemployment Rate
19%
18%
Labour Force Participation
62%
47%
Un-skilled/Semi-skilled %
14%
10%
21%

13. 15 – 24 year olds PES Data, State, Dublin City & Ballymun 2011 Census
Ireland
Dublin
Ballymun
 15 to 24 year olds
State
Dublin
Ballymun
Employment Rate
22%
25%
21%
Unemployment Rate
39%
34%
54%
Labour Force Participation
30%
38%
46%

14. Proposed Pilot
Bring together public employment services, education and training providers, local development organisations, local employers and youth services who will collaborate to finalise the design of the pilot scheme and then work together to implement, monitor and evaluate a pilot YGS.
The pilot scheme will include elements of assessment, guidance, education and training with a particular focus on providing a work placement opportunity with local employers as a route to permanent employment for young people aged 18 to 24. Target group : 90pm new and existing.
Managed at a strategic level by a partnership of senior representatives of key stakeholder organisations, led by DSP, and mirrored at local level by a similar team who will implement the pilot scheme. Approach is designed to ensure that lessons from local pilot feed into the formulation of national policy re the future development of YGSs.
Pilot will develop an approach tailored to the needs of a deprived urban area and tested within a specific geographic area (Ballymun).

15. Youth Guarantee Scheme – Structure
Identification & Selection of Participants
Youth Guarantee
Assessment and Development of Career Plan
Basic Skills Development
Personal Skills Development
Specific Skills Training
Prep for Education & Training
Work Experience
Mainstream Education and Training
Employment

16. Barriers faced by target group
Previous education and work experience
Ability to cope /Motivation
Self-Esteem
Self-Knowledge
Occupational Knowledge
Decision Making Skills

17. Governance : National and local partnership
 National Steering Group: key Departments, local development agencies, service providers, Irish Business & Employers Conference, National Youth Council
Agree detailed design, methodology, roles and responsibilities,
Support Local Team and address issues arising
Review & evaluate the Team and effectiveness & efficiency of pilot
Agree Final Report & make recommendations on future YGSs
Disseminate results and increase capacity of partners to work together
Local Implementation Team  : mirrors National Group
Support implementation, identify and refer participants
Advise on progress, implement solutions to barriers arising
Report back to own organisations and National Group
Participate in evaluation and dissemination

18. workplan Phase 1 : Planning of local pilot (1-3 months)
Brief review of EU YGSs and consultation with local employers
National Group finalise design (input from Local Team), agree governance and expectations of each partner
Agree TOR of external evaluation, advertise and select
Phase 2 : Implementation (4-12 months)
Participants selected and start on YGS months 4-9 (though will extend..)
Assessment of participants, steps to be taken by them agreed
Participants start on the elements of the pilot
Interview with guidance practitioner at the end of each element, next steps agreed
Ongoing evaluation and review

19. Involvement of Target Group
Action 1: Local youth representative on implementation team 
Action 2: Survey of participants & employers
Action 3: A broader survey of young people in the area  

20. Challenges
With participants: not homogeneous group- most will want support, but some “welfare culture”, severe disadvantage- multiple barriers With employers: encouraging them to give commitments to take on interns/employees With employment opportunities/supports: conditionality (some require longer attachment to the Live Register) With partnership approach: getting all participating to agree shared vision, work cohesively, constructively, effectively and efficiently Timeframe: 4 month guarantee requires swift response times from identifying appropriate progression to providing it SUPPLYING SUFFICIENT SUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

21. Evaluation
An evaluation framework will be agreed that will enable the identification of lessons learned in a way that will assist in the design of future YGSs at local and national level
There will be on-going (i.e. during the pilot) and post-pilot evaluation, including surveys of participants, employers and youths in the area
The Partnership will work with an external independent evaluator to assess:
activities/tasks,
partnership and communications,
outcomes and impact for the participants and partners

22. Outcomes
For Participants (who will also have influenced the design of the model)
Increased self awareness and understanding, literacy, numeracy, interpersonal communications, IT skills, education/ training qualifications,
improved job search skills and work experience. A Job!
For policy and practice
Development of a client-centred inter-agency YGS model based on assessment of need
Improved learning for the creation and practice of YGS initiatives to assist local people to access & sustain employment and further develop the capacity of the local area to create better opportunities for local people.
Improved partnership approach to service provision across all organisations.
To have tested the effectiveness of a YGS model as a labour market measure and extract the learning to inform future policy formulation and practice at local, national and EU level

23. Thank you for listening – any questions?
Paul Carroll
Divisional Manager
Department of Social Protection
Mellowes Road
Finglas
Dublin 11