Michael Creedon and Nuala Whelan Ballymun Job Centre 4 th 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’

 Pilot initiative: Nov 2012 – Dec 2014  739 (679) young people aged  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

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 Target 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

Increase Self Awareness Improve Self Esteem Build Career Self Efficacy Resilient in Labour Market

 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)

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.

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

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

‘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

Further Reading: Evaluation Reports  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: Nuala Whelan: