Fine Gael has outlined plans that it says could keep thousands of younger people from emigrating in search of work.
It said it would put more than 20,000 people on one year public, private and voluntary sector work placements and mandate the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to create a further 5,000 work experience places through its clients.
Fine Gael said that 5,000 more people could be employed in community work schemes and that it would guarantee 700 craft work placements for apprentices until they complete their courses through State and semi-State firms.
Communications spokesman Leo Varadkar said some of the country’s best talent was leaving because of the lack of job opportunities and his party was eager to put this right.
He said Fine Gael would introduce a training voucher scheme “so people on the dole can access training that meets their individual needs” and return to the workforce. “We want to eliminate the practice of forcing unemployed people to attend redundant, unnecessary or unsuitable training courses for the sake of it,” Mr Varadkar said.
Education spokesman Fergus O’Dowd said the party in government would seek to overhaul Fás to make it more capable of providing enhanced and targeted training for people aged over 25.
Mr O’Dowd said a further 17,000 second chance education places could also be created and that it would support those participating in this initiative, which would target former retail and construction workers who did not finish school.
“Participants will receive a premium payment of about €20 per week on top of their social welfare payment, a €500 contribution towards the cost of books and a completion bonus of around €3,000,” Mr O’Dowd said.
