Today’s Afternoon Show featured the Friday Panel. Joining Máire in studio was Martin McMahon from O’Callaghan’s Mills and Clare Chairman of the ICMSA, Aine Mae O’Mahony from Clahane, and member of the Lahinch Playground Committee and Marie Dillane from Corofin and Top Bike Ennis. Today they talked about JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme that provides work experience placements for interns for a 6 or 9 month period. The aim of the National Internship Scheme is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. The Scheme will also give people a real opportunity to gain valuable experience to bridge the gap between study and the beginning of their working lives. However, it has been in the headlines a lot in recent times after claims that employers are using the scheme for free labour.
Also up for discussion – the word that strikes dread in Leaving Certs and their parents – the CAO. The CAO deadline will be tomorrow the 1st of February at 17:15. Is there a lot of pressure on students to decide on what they want to do in the future at such a young age?
They also turned their attention to the weather, Met Eireann has issued another of it’s ‘orange alert’ storm warnings this morning — and this weather system looks a little more serious than the one that hit last weekend. Winds of up to 130km are set to sweep into the West from Friday night — and in addition to the high-tide factor which created an extra risk of flooding last Saturday and Sunday, the weather service says we can also expect frequent heavy showers, including “some thundery with sleet and snow”. Forecasts have been put in place on exposed coasts as forecasters warn of extremely high waves.
Finally today, as Ireland has officially gotten GarthMania, the panel talked about what makes the Irish so fond of Garth Brooks? He’s coming to Croke Park for three dates in July and yesterday sold out 240,000 tickets in the space of 90 minutes. 150 people waited overnight outside the Irish Shop in Ennis to wait for the tickets to go on sale.
To contact the show please email afternoon@clare.fm
