Minister Burton also hosts employer briefing and visits Jobs Fair in Blanchardstown
The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, T.D., today (Friday, 19th April 2013) officially opened the Intreo Centre in Blanchardstown.
The Blanchardstown Intreo Centre, which is located in the Department’s offices in Westend House, Snugborough Road, offers jobseekers in Dublin 15 income supports and tailored employment supports in the one location.
Speaking at the opening, Minister Burton said: “The opening of the Intreo Centre here in Blanchardstown, and around the country, marks a fundamental reform in the way the Department of Social Protection supports jobseekers. Intreo provides a personalised service, based on the person’s individual needs including advice on education, training and personal development opportunities, job search assistance as well as information on and access to a range of income supports. Intreo is pro-active, ensuring jobseekers get not just the income supports they need but also employment supports to help them on the path back to work.”
A number of elements are key to the Intreo service. They include:
• Activation measures including client profiling, early group engagement and one-to-one meetings which focus on customised employment supports and monitoring of each client’s progress
• Integrated decision-making process leading to quicker decisions
• Integrated reception providing a one-stop shop incorporating all strands of the Department’s employment and income support services
• A ‘social contract’between the service and its clients
Enhanced employer engagement at national and local level maximising access to job opportunities and potential employees.
Intreo is already delivering – clients can access employment supports in Intreo Centres within a week or two of registration as opposed to a minimum of three months previously. Similarly, decisions on welfare claims are made within days instead of weeks, and client attendance at the engagement sessions with case workers has increased significantly.
Minister Burton continued: “This one-stop shop model is also available in a number of the Department’s offices around the country. The full Intreo service will be rolled out to all the Department’s offices nationwide by the end of 2014.”
Briefing for employers
Earlier today, Minister Burton hosted a briefing with employers to outline the extensive range of services and supports available to assist them in growing their businesses and supporting their workforce through engagement with the Department of Social Protection. This is one of a series of
briefings with employers which have been held around the country and it is supported by Chambers Ireland, Fingal Chamber of Commerce, CIPD, Eures, IBEC, ISME and the Revenue Commissioners.
Speaking at the briefing, Minister Burton said: “We know that you – the employer – hold the key to getting Ireland back to work. This briefing session provides an opportunity for you to gain some knowledge of the employment services available to you from the Department of Social Protection – services that can put job-ready candidates at your fingertips at no extra cost and in fact in many cases with a financial subsidy. I have also established a dedicated Employer Relations Division in my Department to engage with employers and support their needs.”
The briefing outlined the incentives, including financial incentives, available to employers when recruiting people from the live register. These include financial supports such as the new JobsPlus scheme, which will be launched at the end of June (further details in the Notes for Editors), and employment initiatives such as JobBridge – the National Internship Scheme, and workplace supports to assist employees with disabilities. All of these services are provided at no costs to employers. Experts from the Revenue Commissioners were also in attendance to provide information on their Job Assist Scheme.
Employment and Advice Fair, Blanchardstown Centre
Minister Burton then visited the Employment and Advice Fair which was arranged by the Department of Social Protection’s International Employment Service and opened yesterday and runs until 6pm today (Friday, 19th April) in the Blanchardstown Centre. The Fair is aimed at Irish and EU workers looking for jobs locally and throughout Europe.
A number of Irish Companies including Hertz, PayPal, National Pen, Douglas Wellness Centre, WALK, Simple Sales & Marketing, Optimum Ltd., At Risk Security, Clarion Hotel and All in Care Ltd. are at the Fair recruiting for vacancies in Ireland.
Jobs is areas such as General Accounting/Financial Accounting, Administrators, Marketing Translator, IT Developers, Project Managers, Customer Service and Sales, Service Engineers, Warehouse and Maintenance Administrator, Retail Store Detective, Loss Prevention Officer, Security Officers, Food & Beverages Assistants, Receptionist and Home Care Assistants are available at the Fair in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.
EURES Advisers from EU Member State countries, who are specialists in international recruitment, are at the event to advise those interested in employment and career development options in other Member States as well as education and training providers together with Irish advice and welfare agencies including those dealing with taxation and business start-up.
Minister Burton commented: “Through the Department’s EURES service, we are assisting employers to connect directly with potential future employees. Many of these employers have engaged with our services on an on-going basis and include both indigenous and multinational companies seeking employees for a wide range of roles.”