Another one thousand places are being added to the JobBridge Scheme.
Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton says the National Internship Scheme has exceeded expectations since it went live at the start of July last year.
As well as increasing the number of placements, Minister Joan Burton’s also announced people who get a Disability Allowance or a One Parent Family Payment will now qualify for the scheme for the first time.
It’s 10 months since the plan was launched, and so far, 6 thousand 8 hundred and 40 internships have started – well above the initial target of 5 thousand.
Two thirds of interns have so far been placed with private companies, another fifth are in the public sector, and the remainder are involved in the Community and Voluntary sector.
Almost 800 people who’ve taken up internships under the national scheme have gone on to take up a full-time job.
93 per cent of interns surveyed have also expressed satisfaction with the scheme.
