John Lyons TD
BALLYMUN NEWS YOUTH GUARANTEE DELIVERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN BALLYMUN
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
Since being elected, I have made tackling youth unemployment a priority.
29% YOUNG 739 PEOPLE
IN BALLYMUN FALLS BY
Last Year, Ballymun was host to the National Pilot Scheme of the Youth Guarantee. The aim of the scheme was to offer young people under 25, who were out of work, access to training, education, work experience or full time employment. The pilot scheme was run throughout 2014 and early indicators show that the scheme has been a success. By the end of 2014, Youth Unemployment in Ballymun fell by 29%. Meanwhile, the national fall in Youth Unemployment for the same period was 18.9%.
ON YOUTH GUARANTEE
IN BALLYMUN
I genuinely believe if it were not for the Youth Guarantee Scheme in Ballymun, we would not have seen such a huge drop in youth unemployment in the area. Many thanks to the Local Implementation Team who worked hard so that our young people in the area could have better opportunities. Please see inside for more details on the Youth Guarantee.
What’s Inside...
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I am very happy with my experience of the Youth Guarantee. My life has changed for the better and I hope that I am on the first step to the rest of my career. Karl Boyne, local young person
■ Supports for Getting Back to Work ■ Help with Setting up a Local Business ■ More on Ballymun Youth Guarantee
John Lyons, your local TD. Contact me on 618 3280 or john.lyons@oir.ie /JohnLyonsDublinNorthWest
@JohnLyonsTD
Read Karl’s full story on the next page
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Has the Youth Guarantee Worked? CSO Live Register Drop for Under 25s
-18.9% -29%
% Change National % Change Ballymun
739 Ballymun Young People Participated in Youth Guarantee
Where are they now? 20%
13%
By the end of December last year, 79% of the 739 local young people had received an ‘offer’ of employment, work experience, community employment or education and training as part of the scheme. The vast majority of the young people (86%) have already started one of these options.
Education/Training CE/Tus/Work Experience Employment
53%
Karl’s Story t I received by With the guidance and suppor has been partaking in this scheme my life spects have pro positively impacted. My career about subjects improved greatly. I am learning st in, but I now that I thought I had no intere n given bee e actually really enjoy. I hav taking in this excellent opportunities by par attending program, for example, I am now ed to do my college and I have been select work placement in Sweden. a qualified By the end of this year, I will be gress into 3rd level employment in. I can also pro find can I ich wh nt, ista ass e t this scheme I health car sing. I can safely say that withou nur dy stu to UK the or and ed with no education in Irel re than likely still be unemploy mo uld wo I . ties uni ort opp se would have none of the I think this scheme qualifications. from my personal experience in, ed pat tici par e hav I t tha as. I feel that e in Ballymun ticularly in disadvantaged are par , ally As this was only a pilot schem ion nat ple peo ed loy ty for young unemp viders, for example, have a would be a fantastic opportuni s with 3rd Level Education pro link e hav ybe ma to is e em e Sch to improve the Youth Guarante th Guarantee participants. You to ed cat number of places allo nged for the better and I arantee Scheme. My life has cha Gu th You the h wit nce erie my exp Overall I am very happy with p to the rest of my career. ste t firs hope that I am on the
61 Local People Supported in Setting Up Their Own Business The Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership are doing great work in helping local people set up their own businesses. In 2014, the Partnership supported: ■ 61 people from long term unemployment into self-employment ■ Over 207 participants in various work training programmes ■ Over 40 participants get a place on Tús Work Placements ■ Over 90 businesses register with Ballymun4Business website, aimed at promoting enterprise it the area. ■ A new Business Mentoring Service in conjunction with Ulster Bank. ■ 6 local businesses display their business at North Dublin Chamber of Commerce Expo For more information on the advice, training and grants available to help you set up your business, visit the Partnership’s website - www.ballymun.org - or contact Barry Sheridan or Gerard McLoughlin in the Economic Development Section on 01 842 612.
Getting Back to Education I recently welcomed the Minister for Education & Skills Jan O’Sullivan to the area who talked about the importance of education and helping people to take up new opportunities. There are several great schemes available to support people if they want to return to education and keep current social welfare payments:
BACK TO EDUCATION ALLOWANCE The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) helps people who are unemployed, are getting a One-Parent Family Payment or have a disability, to attend approved second-or third-level education courses.
SPRINGBOARD Springboard offers free, part-time, third-level and retraining places for jobseekers and unemployed people. Their courses are in high-demand areas like IT - where there are jobs available.
MOMENTUM Momentum is a new scheme which provides education and training courses for people who are long-term unemployed. All Momentum education and training projects are free. There are full and part-time projects available.
Social Welfare Supports if You Set Up a Business: Back to Work Enterprise Allowance The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme encourages people getting certain social welfare payments to become self-employed. With the scheme, you can keep a percentage of your social welfare payment for up to 2 years. This applies to someone out of work for 12 months or more.
Short-Term Enterprise Allowance The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) gives support to people who have lost their job and want to start their own business. To qualify you must be getting Jobseeker’s Benefit. There is no qualifying period, which means you do not need to have been getting Jobseeker’s Benefit for a certain period of time.
Other Routes Back to Work There are several other schemes, through the Pathways to Work strategy, to help people get experience, maintain supports and find a career path.
Community Employment Scheme (CE) CE is a great value to local communities and to jobseekers alike. CE offers parttime placements in jobs based in local community organisations. The minimum weekly payment for new participants is €208 but may be more depending on your payment.
JobsPlus JobsPlus offers employers cash-payments to take on long-term unemployed people. If you have been out of work for 12 months or more, you can benefit from the scheme. With the Youth Guarantee, under 25s can be taken on the scheme if they’re out of work for 4 months or more.
JobBridge JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, gives work experience opportunities for unemployed people. It is aimed at people who have been either getting a jobseeker’s payment or signing for credits for at least 3 months. If you take up an internship you keep your social welfare payment and get an extra €50 per week. Internships last between 6 and 9 months and over 60% people who have taken an internship with the scheme get a job after this period.
Financial Supports Return to Work & Keep Your Child Payment If you’re on Jobseekers Allowance or One Parent Family payment, you can now take up a job and keep your child payment for two years. This is through the Back to Work Family Dividend. This is a payment of €29.80 per week per child in the first year and half that in the second year. It can be worth up to €2,324 for a one child family over two years. It does not impact on any FIS payments (see below).
Family Income Supplement (FIS) A lot of people I meet are unaware they might be entitled to Family Income Supplement. FIS is a weekly tax-free payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to people on low pay. The FIS you receive is 60% of the difference between your average weekly family income and the income limit which applies to your family.
Visit johnlyons.ie Contact: Dáil Éireann, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 618 3280 Email: john.lyons@oireachtas.ie Web: johnlyons.ie /JohnLyons DublinNorthWest @JohnLyonsTD
Working with your local Labour Team
Cllr Andrew Montague 087 908 0409 andrewmontague@eircom.net
Cllr Áine Clancy 087 7635406 aine.clancy1@gmail.com
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John Lyons TD