The Government will this morning announce details of a national internship programme with 5,000 places for unemployed people.

The JobBridge scheme will provide six- or nine-month placements with a host organisation for people who are at least three months unemployed.

The Government has received expressions of interest from some 500 organisations offering some 1,000 placements, including leading Irish and multinational companies.

Among the companies endorsing the scheme are Dawn Foods, KPMG, Arthur Cox, Mercury Engineering, Hertz, ESB, Tesco, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, AL Goodbody and Aer Lingus.