Ger Walsh and his Staff Team of Waterford City Local Employment Service is delivering on their Goal ‘GETTING WATERFORD WORKING’ by asking Employer, To Say Yes to YESS
Employers, as you are aware, there is a financial cost and risk associated when taking on new staff and I’m sure you’ll agree employers need all the help they can get.
If you are hiring, you may ask the question… Are there any supports available that will allow my company to give a young person a start – gain experience and hopefully prove themselves to be a great addition to my team?
The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) may be the answer!
What is YESS?
The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is a work experience placement programme which is specifically targeted at young jobseekers aged 18-24 years of age who are long-term unemployed or who face barriers to employment. The YESS will aim to provide jobseekers with the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment while on a work placement. The scheme will provide a supportive structure for Participants, including case officer support for both Placement Hosts and jobseekers.
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While participation on the YESS will be wholly voluntary for both parties involved, there will be certain qualifying and eligibility conditions that both placement hosts and jobseekers will have to satisfy. All YESS placements will be advertised on the Jobs Ireland website, Jobsireland.ie and interested jobseekers will have to log onto same to view scheme vacancies.
Who is the YESS for?
The YESS will be available to jobseekers and other eligible cohorts who are aged between 18 and 24 and have been out of work and in receipt of a qualifying payment for at least 12 months, or if unemployed for less than 12 months, be considered by a case officer to face a significant barrier to work.
Note: Candidates must be in receipt of one of the following qualifying payments:
Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit, One Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker Transition Payment, Disability Allowance, Blind Person’s Pension or Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
What will it involve?
The YESS is a programme specifically designed to provide workplace experience opportunities to young jobseekers while on a work placement. Participants on the YESS will be required to work 24 hours per week, and placements will be for 3 months initially, with an option to extend this further to 6 months.
A designated DEASP case officer will liaise with the jobseeker and Host Company throughout the period of the placement, to monitor how well it is progressing for both parties and provide appropriate advice/support. This will include a formal review meeting after 2 months, which will facilitate the case officer in deciding whether to approve a request for an extension of the duration to 6 months.
Clearly defined learning and development outcomes for each placement will also be identified. A Learning and Development Plan will be agreed between all parties at the outset of the placement and the case officer will monitor the progress of same. The placement host will nominate an individual to support and mentor the participant during the placement.
How much is paid?
All participants will receive a payment of €229.20 per week from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP). Participants whose underlying entitlement is in excess of that amount will continue to receive their weekly payment with an additional top-up allowance of €22.50 per week.The YESS commenced Monday 1st October 2018, and is open to applications.
Where is the YESS available?
The YESS will is available to eligible jobseekers nationwide, but will be dependent on employers offering placements throughout the country.Employers: The YESS will be open to organisations in the private, community and voluntary sectors only. There will be clear eligibility requirements for placement Hosts to participate on the scheme, and they must agree to Terms and Conditions when they advertise a placement.
All YESS placements must be advertised on the Department’s Jobs Ireland website, Jobsireland.ie and employers must register on this site to do so.
Am I eligible to host a placement?
The eligibility criteria for an employer to host a YESS placement include the following:
• An organisation, or a local branch, must certify that they have a minimum of 1 full-time employee who is employed for 30 hours or more per week (i.e. on payroll and subject to PAYE and PRSI)
• The Placement Host should be a legal entity and / or a charity recognised by the Revenue Commissioners (with a CHY number)
• The scheme is open to sole traders who satisfy the conditions of the scheme
• The placement host should be fully compliant with all legal requirements
• The placement host’s Public/Employers Liability insurance and Motor insurance, if applicable, should cover any participants on the programme.
• The placement host should be fully compliant with current workplace Health and Safety and all other legal and sectoral requirements
• The placement must be in accordance with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s Code of Practice on Sexual Harassment and Harassment at Work
The Youth Employment Support Scheme is co-funded by the Irish Government, the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020
For further information on the scheme qualifying criteria, please check out The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) . Or alternatively give Ger a call on 0861425507 if you’d like discuss any aspect of YESS.