Targeted Support For Long-Term Unemployed To Seek Training And Employment

"Fifty Facilitators are now in place in Social Welfare Local Offices throughout the country, working with their colleagues in FAS and other agencies, to help social welfare customers identify and access training and development opportunities," she continued.

Minister Hanafin met these Facilitators at a special cross-departmental seminar in Dublin, which was attended by representatives of FAS, Guidance Counsellors and adult education and guidance experts.

Each of these Facilitators work closely with people who have been signing on the Live Register for an extended period of time as well as other social welfare recipients, with the aim of assisting them to get into new careers or to help them access educational or training programmes.

Welcoming the ten new Facilitators who were appointed this month, Minister Hanafin said, "in each region of the country there are Facilitators working to help social welfare recipients to identify appropriate training or development programmes which will enhance the skills that individuals have and ultimately improve their employment chances as well has help them continue to develop personally."

Funding of €160million for the two programmes - Back to Education and Back to Work - will support 9,000 people this year alone to participate in full-time education and more than 8,000 others to take up employment or self-employment.

The Back to Work Allowance assists long term unemployed people, lone parents and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour forces. Over 100,000 people have taken advantage of this scheme since its inception in the mid 1990s.

The Back to Education Allowance programme includes educational opportunities for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities who are in receipt of particular social welfare payments. Participants can improve their educational qualifications by attending full time second or third level approved courses.