THE number of women on Community Employment Programme schemes has more than doubled in the past three years and tide schemes have had more success in targeting the long term unemployed and families with children, according to figures from FAS.
CEP schemes were criticised in the 1995 Task Force Report on the Long Term Unemployed for failing to reach these three categories.
The latest returns to FAS, responsible for administering the schemes, shows a record 40,500 people participated last March and that 43 per cent were women. In 1994 there were 40,000 participants, of whom 20 per cent were women. Translated into numbers of participants, there were 8 000 women on CEP schemes three years ago, compared with 17,400 last month.
The main reasons for the increase are the wider variety of work that can now be undertaken through the schemes and greater accessibility for lone parents to apply. In 1994, only 4 per cent of places went to people on lone parent allowances, compared with 9 per cent in 1995 and 14 per cent in 1996. This is an increase from 1,600 lone parent participants to 5,700 over three years.
FAS has opened up two new work options for marginalised groups. One is the Integration Option for those over 21 who have been out of work for at least a year. They may work on CEP projects for up to 12 months and it is targeted at those with "reasonable prospects of employment".
The other is the Work Option, aimed at the over 35s out of work for at least three years. These have been identified as the people most, at risk of remaining out of work. Again, significant progress has been made although these options began only last year.
During 1995, long term unemployed people aged over 35 accounted for only 55 per cent of people on CEP, although these were the group most at risk of remaining on the dole. Last year the figure rose to 60 per cent. More schemes have also been made available for other high risk groups, mainly people with disabilities. These groups now account for 5 per cent of all, participants on CEP, compared to, 2 per cent in 1994.