A new £25-a-week training bonus for long-term unemployed who go on FAS training courses comes into operation this week, writes Padraig Yeates, Industry and Employment Correspondent. About 11,000 people will benefit from the allowance, which makes it more attractive for them to sign off the dole and seek places on the specific skills training programmes provided by FAS.
Until now many of those eligible, particularly if they had dependants, were better off participating in the Community Employment schemes. This was because they were allowed to keep extra welfare benefits. However, job placement rates are almost twice as high for people who learn a specific skill than for participants in CE.
The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, said yesterday she was confident the new allowance would encourage more long-term unemployed access to training and secure employment.
Another 3,000 long-term unemployed should benefit from an increase in the allowance paid to employers who provide practical work experience under the Workplace scheme. The allowance to employers increases from £15 to £25 a week.