We have a work experience programme that you can avail of. If you have very little work history it’s a good chance for you to get some experience, or you may think you’d like to work in a particular sector but not sure if it would suit you.

Our work experience programme allows you to try working with a company to gain the relevant skills and hands on experience of the job and the company before you commit to it. One can work and receive a social welfare payment including DA/JA/PCB.

If you are on a payment, you stay on your payment during your work experience and we will give you a top up of €20 per week at the end of your work experience.

Employers can avail of a grant for employing jobseekers with a long term medical condition/disability.

A person employed through the Wage Subsidy Scheme is subject to the same conditions of employment as other employees – it is your employer that would be on the scheme not you as the employee.

You would get the same terms & conditions as everyone else in the workplace e.g. contract of employment, PRSI contributions, annual leave, tax deductions and the going rate for the job.

YESS aims to give you the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment, while on a work placement. You must be aged 18–24, unemployed and getting a qualifying social
welfare payment for at least 12 months to avail of YESS.

If you have been unemployed for less than 12 months, you must face a significant barrier to work to qualify. Your Employment Support Specialist will be able to chat through this with you.

YESS pays a basic weekly allowance of €229.20

If you have been unemployed more than 12 months your employer could be eligible for JobsPlus when employing you. JobsPlus offers grants of €7,500 and €10,000 for employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed.

You may be able to avail of a grant to undertake short term training to support you to get employment. Your Employment Support Specialist can support and advise you on this.

The EmployAbility Training Support Grant Scheme

Purpose

The EmployAbility Training Support Grant (ETSG) is designed to fund quick access to short term training that can support individual jobseekers seeking employment (including self-employment) to access work opportunities. The grant can be provided when an Employment Support Specialist has identified an immediate skills gap or related intervention, such as obtain or renew certification and permits, that is preventing a jobseeker commencing a job offer. Courses up to and including QQI level 6 can be supported, including PASS courses.
The scheme is not designed to substitute training and activation measures that are funded under other programmes and agencies (i.e. Solas or Education Training Boards (ETBs)).

Objective

The objective is to identify skills needs of jobseekers and provide them with financial support up to the value of €1,000 per annum assisting jobseekers to obtain work, in line with their agreed individual employment plan.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, you can apply for funding to pay for an interpreter to assist you at a job interview you attend.

If you start a new job, you can also use a JIIG to pay for an interpreter to help you during your induction period. Your
Employment Support Specialist can support you to avail of this.

TIf you have a visual impairment or are blind and need help with reading at work, you may be eligible to apply for a grant to allow you to employ a personal reader.

This grant aid allows you to employ someone on a part-time or ad-hoc basis for a maximum of 640 hours a year to help you with reading at work. Your Employment Support Specialist can talk you through this.

Your employer could avail of a disability awareness training grant. The purpose of the training is to deliver clear and accurate information about disability and to address questions or concerns that employers and employees may have about working with people with disabilities.

Employers and self-employed people can apply for the WEAG grant towards the cost of adapting the workplace or making it more accessible.

The grant is provided by the Department of Social Protection. For more information on this grant please contact your Employment Support Specialist.

The Part-Time Job Incentive (PTJI) Scheme allows long-term jobseekers to take up part-time work for less than 24 hours per week and get a special weekly allowance instead of their jobseeker’s payment. It is intended to be a stepping stone to full-time work.

You must be available for and seeking full-time work while you are on the Part-Time Job Incentive Scheme.

CV and Cover Letter, Interview Preparation, Job Searching.