When I had a meeting with my job adviser in November 2018 I noticed something on the walls in People1st in Letterkenny beside the reception desk that was not there in October and that was a lot of A4 sheet's that were put on the wall. I started reading them, they were reviews from people who had been on Jobpath giving their version of how they had gotten help with their personal advisers (job advisers) and saying how much People1st had helped them ect.
Nothing wrong with that.
The only thing was I never once seen or read one negative review, I never once read anyone say that they had their social welfare cut two weeks before Christmas, not once did I read on all the A4 sheets on the wall anything that was from people who had experienced the opposite of what was written on the walls.
It seems to be a case of you can say anything you want about Jobpath/People1st so long as it is all positive.
What if what was written on the sheets on the walls was all negative, one might say that not everyone has had a negative experience of Jobpath/People1st which is true to a certain extent, so where are all the positive things that people have to say? On the wall it seems and all the negative and bad experiences that people have had and are having of Jobpath/People1st are swept under the carpet and not allowed to be seen or heard on the walls.
That is censorship and it is biased.
Monday 17 December 2018
Thursday 13 December 2018
Donegal TD Thomas Pringle Confronts Taoiseach Over Dismal Jobpath Figures
Copy and pasted from Donegal Now - Link at bottom of page.
Donegal TD Thomas Pringle used his Leaders Questions today to confront the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on what he says are ‘dismal figures’ regarding Jobpath success rates after he received figures from the Department of Social Protection.
Speaking in the Dáil Deputy Pringle said “the Department’s own figures prove that Jobpath is not fit for purpose. The most recent figures for 2016 show that Jobpath only helped a further 2% of individuals gain full-time employment when compared to the number of people who gained employment on their own accord.
“Figures for people who gained part-time work do improve, however part-time work is often precarious and low-waged. Because of this, the State often steps in to subsidise income through the Family Income Supplement, part-time Jobseekers’ Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
“The question must be asked as to why the Government continues to pay a private company which has only served to continue the situation of income insecurity for people which the State must subsidise anyway".
Deputy Pringle read an excerpt of a letter written from an individual undergoing employment training from the company People 1st in Donegal. The letter referred to the difficulties and the pressure the person faced by the company quoting “the advisors put a lot of pressure on me. I feel extremely stressed, and made feel worthless”.
Speaking to the Taoiseach, Deputy Pringle said “You can see from the letter I read out how the profit-driven model of these private companies apply unnecessary pressure on people in vulnerable situations and yet you continue to pay millions to these companies. A total of €58.4m has been given away to these companies, money better spent on 500 houses for example or 5 or 6 schools, or reinstate social welfare income supports for part-time and seasonal workers to pre-2012 levels across the entire State”.
“I welcome the Taoiseach’s indication that due to economic growth Jobpath may not be needed in the future. There is sufficient staff available in the Department of Social Protection to take on what these private companies are doing so there’s no excuse to move on from this model. Yet Fine Gael continues to be blinded by the notion that private services are more efficient than the State” concludes Pringle.
https://www.donegalnow.com/news/pringle-confronts-taoiseach-dismal-jobpath-figures-leaders-questions/261802
Donegal TD Thomas Pringle used his Leaders Questions today to confront the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on what he says are ‘dismal figures’ regarding Jobpath success rates after he received figures from the Department of Social Protection.
Speaking in the Dáil Deputy Pringle said “the Department’s own figures prove that Jobpath is not fit for purpose. The most recent figures for 2016 show that Jobpath only helped a further 2% of individuals gain full-time employment when compared to the number of people who gained employment on their own accord.
“Figures for people who gained part-time work do improve, however part-time work is often precarious and low-waged. Because of this, the State often steps in to subsidise income through the Family Income Supplement, part-time Jobseekers’ Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
“The question must be asked as to why the Government continues to pay a private company which has only served to continue the situation of income insecurity for people which the State must subsidise anyway".
Deputy Pringle read an excerpt of a letter written from an individual undergoing employment training from the company People 1st in Donegal. The letter referred to the difficulties and the pressure the person faced by the company quoting “the advisors put a lot of pressure on me. I feel extremely stressed, and made feel worthless”.
Speaking to the Taoiseach, Deputy Pringle said “You can see from the letter I read out how the profit-driven model of these private companies apply unnecessary pressure on people in vulnerable situations and yet you continue to pay millions to these companies. A total of €58.4m has been given away to these companies, money better spent on 500 houses for example or 5 or 6 schools, or reinstate social welfare income supports for part-time and seasonal workers to pre-2012 levels across the entire State”.
“I welcome the Taoiseach’s indication that due to economic growth Jobpath may not be needed in the future. There is sufficient staff available in the Department of Social Protection to take on what these private companies are doing so there’s no excuse to move on from this model. Yet Fine Gael continues to be blinded by the notion that private services are more efficient than the State” concludes Pringle.
https://www.donegalnow.com/news/pringle-confronts-taoiseach-dismal-jobpath-figures-leaders-questions/261802
Thursday 6 December 2018
Jobpath Private Companies Getting €3,718 For Every Jobseeker
Copy and pasted from The Journal.ie
Link to article at bottom of page
Private companies getting €3,718 for every jobseeker that makes it through the State's Jobpath scheme
How much the companies got paid per person has been shrouded in secrecy since the roll out of the programme.
Private Companies are entitled to €3,718 for every jobseeker that gains sustained employment for one year through the JobPath scheme.
JobPath is an employment activation service provided to people who have been on the live register for more than 12 months and are trying to secure and sustain full-time paid employment or self-employment.
Department officials told the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee today that the two private companies employed by the State, Turas Nua and Seetec, have received €75.7 million and €73.3 million respectively.
The committee was also told that about 190,000 people have gone through the scheme.
How much the companies got paid per person has been shrouded in secrecy since the roll out of the programme. The reason cited for this was that the information was commercially sensitive due to the public procurement process.
However, the PAC was told yesterday that both companies had agreed to share the figures and place them on the public record.
Concerns over repeat fees
Concerns have been raised about the repeat fees being paid to the companies operating JobPath, with TheJournal.ie reporting in September that 11,000 people have been referred to the scheme for a second time having already completed the programme in full.
Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane asked for the breakdown of how much the company is awarded, depending on how successful the person is in employment.
Initial registration fees for each of the 190,000 people who have so far engaged with the JobPath scheme amounts to €311 per person.
The companies then receive job-sustainment fees which are paid four times:
After 13 weeks of sustained employment, the company gets €613.
After 26 weeks of sustained employment, it gets another €737.
After the person is in employment 39 weeks, the company gets €892.
And after 52 weeks of employment the company gets €1,165.
If a person makes there way through the programme to 52 weeks in work, Turas Nua or Seetec, then would receive €3,718.
A statement from the Department of Social Protection states that JobPath is an activation service, not a placement service and the costs per participant are in the region €781.
“The performance-related fee structure set out above is based on a payment-by-results model whereby the contractors have met all initial start-up costs with a relatively small fee per person who receives the service and more substantial fees when a result is achieved,” it added.
Staying in employment
Of the 190,000 engaged so far – 17% sourced employment which was sustained for 13 weeks, 14% for 26 weeks, 12% for 39 weeks and 9% for 52 weeks.
The Controller and Auditor General, Seamus McCarthy, told the committee yesterday that only 7% were still in employment after 12 months.
The C&AG said that 16,000 people had dropped out of the programme, but that 16,000 were still in the process of it, with a further 69,000 in agreed Personal Progression Plans (PPP). These plans are signed up to by the jobseeker when enrolled in the scheme.
Civil servants told the committee that the scheme was value for money, as it was delivering on targets set by the Department of Social Protection.
Raising concerns about repeat payments being made to the companies for the same person partaking in the programme for a second time, Sinn Féin spokesperson for Employment Affairs and Social Protection John Brady said essentially the private companies are receiving two payments of €311 for every one of the 11,000 people referred twice.
“The bottom line is JobPath has failed, it has provided 9% of those who have engaged with the scheme with a job that has been sustained for one year at an enormous cost to the taxpayer,” he said.
He said the Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has described this scheme as the most successful job activation scheme in the history of the State.
“I think the taxpayers of Ireland who are actually paying for it would have a different view,” he added.
Link to article on the journal website https://www.thejournal.ie/jobpath-fees-4367277-Nov2018/
Link to the Jobpath report http://www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/JobPath-Performance-Report2017.pdf
Link to article at bottom of page
Private companies getting €3,718 for every jobseeker that makes it through the State's Jobpath scheme
How much the companies got paid per person has been shrouded in secrecy since the roll out of the programme.
Private Companies are entitled to €3,718 for every jobseeker that gains sustained employment for one year through the JobPath scheme.
JobPath is an employment activation service provided to people who have been on the live register for more than 12 months and are trying to secure and sustain full-time paid employment or self-employment.
Department officials told the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee today that the two private companies employed by the State, Turas Nua and Seetec, have received €75.7 million and €73.3 million respectively.
The committee was also told that about 190,000 people have gone through the scheme.
How much the companies got paid per person has been shrouded in secrecy since the roll out of the programme. The reason cited for this was that the information was commercially sensitive due to the public procurement process.
However, the PAC was told yesterday that both companies had agreed to share the figures and place them on the public record.
Concerns over repeat fees
Concerns have been raised about the repeat fees being paid to the companies operating JobPath, with TheJournal.ie reporting in September that 11,000 people have been referred to the scheme for a second time having already completed the programme in full.
Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane asked for the breakdown of how much the company is awarded, depending on how successful the person is in employment.
Initial registration fees for each of the 190,000 people who have so far engaged with the JobPath scheme amounts to €311 per person.
The companies then receive job-sustainment fees which are paid four times:
After 13 weeks of sustained employment, the company gets €613.
After 26 weeks of sustained employment, it gets another €737.
After the person is in employment 39 weeks, the company gets €892.
And after 52 weeks of employment the company gets €1,165.
If a person makes there way through the programme to 52 weeks in work, Turas Nua or Seetec, then would receive €3,718.
A statement from the Department of Social Protection states that JobPath is an activation service, not a placement service and the costs per participant are in the region €781.
“The performance-related fee structure set out above is based on a payment-by-results model whereby the contractors have met all initial start-up costs with a relatively small fee per person who receives the service and more substantial fees when a result is achieved,” it added.
Staying in employment
Of the 190,000 engaged so far – 17% sourced employment which was sustained for 13 weeks, 14% for 26 weeks, 12% for 39 weeks and 9% for 52 weeks.
The Controller and Auditor General, Seamus McCarthy, told the committee yesterday that only 7% were still in employment after 12 months.
The C&AG said that 16,000 people had dropped out of the programme, but that 16,000 were still in the process of it, with a further 69,000 in agreed Personal Progression Plans (PPP). These plans are signed up to by the jobseeker when enrolled in the scheme.
Civil servants told the committee that the scheme was value for money, as it was delivering on targets set by the Department of Social Protection.
Raising concerns about repeat payments being made to the companies for the same person partaking in the programme for a second time, Sinn Féin spokesperson for Employment Affairs and Social Protection John Brady said essentially the private companies are receiving two payments of €311 for every one of the 11,000 people referred twice.
“The bottom line is JobPath has failed, it has provided 9% of those who have engaged with the scheme with a job that has been sustained for one year at an enormous cost to the taxpayer,” he said.
He said the Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has described this scheme as the most successful job activation scheme in the history of the State.
“I think the taxpayers of Ireland who are actually paying for it would have a different view,” he added.
Link to article on the journal website https://www.thejournal.ie/jobpath-fees-4367277-Nov2018/
Link to the Jobpath report http://www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/JobPath-Performance-Report2017.pdf
Calls For Jobpath Programme To Be Scrapped
Copy and pasted from Ocean FM.
Donegal TD Thomas Pringle calls on the government to scrap JobPath
A Donegal TD is calling on the government to scrap the Jobpath programme claiming that the amount spent on it isn’t justified.
Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle is calling for the program to go based on figures published by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social protection.
The report dated from 2015, when the programme was implemented, shows that Jobpath only helped 2% of people gain full time employment.
Deputy Pringle says that the funds could be used a lot more effectivley elsewhere.
Link to article https://www.oceanfm.ie/2018/11/15/donegal-td-thomas-pringle-calls-on-the-government-to-scrap-jobpath/
Donegal TD Thomas Pringle calls on the government to scrap JobPath
A Donegal TD is calling on the government to scrap the Jobpath programme claiming that the amount spent on it isn’t justified.
Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle is calling for the program to go based on figures published by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social protection.
The report dated from 2015, when the programme was implemented, shows that Jobpath only helped 2% of people gain full time employment.
Deputy Pringle says that the funds could be used a lot more effectivley elsewhere.
Link to article https://www.oceanfm.ie/2018/11/15/donegal-td-thomas-pringle-calls-on-the-government-to-scrap-jobpath/
The Reason For Not Posting
For anyone reading this blog and was wondering why my last post was in April 2017 last year and then I posted on June this year and said that I was back on Jobpath for a second time and that I would write about it then there were no more posts.
What I will say for now is that Seetec/People1st are monitoring this blog as well as other peoples social media accounts to see if anyone posts anything about Jobpath. I was and have been intimidated by a senior member of staff in People1st/Seetec and told I would be taken to court if I posted anything else on this blog.
I will give a full account of what happened and what was said to me very soon.
What I will say for now is that Seetec/People1st are monitoring this blog as well as other peoples social media accounts to see if anyone posts anything about Jobpath. I was and have been intimidated by a senior member of staff in People1st/Seetec and told I would be taken to court if I posted anything else on this blog.
I will give a full account of what happened and what was said to me very soon.
Tuesday 19 June 2018
So It Begins Once Again
Once again I have received a letter informing me I am being put on jobpath.
Once again I will write all about my experience about being on it.
Once again I will write all about my experience about being on it.
Friday 21 April 2017
Public Performance
As I mentioned previously in my C.V. Course aka Gateway post there is a television in a room on the wall in the People1st building in Letterkenny. When I did the C.V. course they had the television tuned into RTE news before the course started which was then hooked up to a laptop to show the slides they had to show. Now most weeks when I walk past the room where the television is when I have to job search the television is turned on and tuned into RTE news when the room is not being used for "Gateway".
Do People1st have a TV licence?
On the AnPost website it says the following under TV Licence General FAQ.
Do you have a television set in your office or business premises?
If you have a television set at your business premises it is your legal obligation to have a valid TV Licence. There is no requirement to have a TV Licence for each set as one TV Licence covers all TV sets at a single premises.You must also have a valid TV Licence even if the television set is just being used for meetings or for training purposes.
http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/TVLicence/TVLicenceStandard.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b0C160E7A-4F62-4357-BC21-7FB999396792%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fAnPost%2fMainContent%2fPersonal%2bCustomers%2fMore%2bfrom%2bAn%2bPost%2fTV%2bLicence%2fGeneral%2bTV%2bLicence%2bFAQs%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest#busprem
Regardless of whether People1st in Letterkenny have or don't have a TV Licence more importantly do they have an IMRO Dual Music Licence?
Since the 13th of March 2017 there has been a radio sitting on the floor in the People1st building in Letterkenny turned up really loud. There is only one reason I can think of why it is there and why it is on switched on everyday.
This is an attempt to prevent other people from over hearing personal information being given out by either the unemployed people or the job advisers when in actual fact it does the opposite as the job advisers now talk even louder than ever before as they can't hear themselves other wise.
Do People1st/Seetec have an IMRO Dual Music Licence for these public performances?
Some of the radio stations that they have tuned into so far include, Today FM, 2FM and one of the worst radios stations in Ireland, iRadio. As I write this its tuned into Al Porter on Today FM who's as funny as a toothache.
I have posted below some of the faqs that are on the imro website site along with a link to their site.
https://www.imro.ie/faqs/
It’s only staff that listen to the radio / watch TV in the workplace, the general public don’t have access to the business premises so why do I still have to pay for an IMRO Dual Music Licence?
It is irrelevant who in your organisation has access to copyright music via the TV/radio. What is relevant is that the use of music in the workplace is in public and is considered a public performance of the copyright work, because the performance / music use is taking place outside of the domestic environment.
Do I need a licence? All I use is a TV / radio!
Yes you do. All TV and radio broadcasts contain copyright music, hence an IMRO Dual Music Licence is required.. Holding an IMRO Dual Music Licence is a legal requirement if you are using IMRO controlled copyright music in any business or workplace in the Republic of Ireland, including the use of music via TV’s, radios, music systems, PC’s, music in presentations, music on hold, live music, discos, karaoke, etc.
What is meant by “public performance”?
A public performance of copyright music takes place when that music is used anywhere outside of the domestic environment.
The staff bring in their own radio, it doesn’t belong to the company.
Under Sec 37 (2) of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 ‘the copyright in a work is infringed by a person who without the licence of the copyright owner undertakes, or authorises another to undertake’, the public performance of the work. Therefore in effect by allowing staff use their own radio in the workplace, you are, as their employer, authorising the use of music on your premises and you must hold an IMRO Dual Music Licence to allow you and them to do so.
https://www.imro.ie/music-users/which-licence-suits-my-business/factories-offices/
A Dual Music Licence from IMRO is required if you use copyright music as a background to work, meals, breaks, exercise and recreation at workplaces such as offices, factories, canteens or restrooms. A Dual Music Licence applies to performances of copyright music within the repertoire controlled by IMRO & PPI.
This blog is having some sort of effect as not only have they now got a radio on the floor turned up loud to try and give people some kind of privacy but they also since the start of January 2017 have A4 printed sheets on ALL the job advisers desks that read the following "Private room available on upon request"
Obviously People1st/Seetec/ are in a quandary as to how to keep things private concerning people giving out personal information in an open public space, hence the radio playing and A4 sheets on desks informing about a private room.
But the question still reminds, do People1st/Seetec have an IMRO Dual Music Licence?
Do People1st have a TV licence?
On the AnPost website it says the following under TV Licence General FAQ.
Do you have a television set in your office or business premises?
If you have a television set at your business premises it is your legal obligation to have a valid TV Licence. There is no requirement to have a TV Licence for each set as one TV Licence covers all TV sets at a single premises.You must also have a valid TV Licence even if the television set is just being used for meetings or for training purposes.
http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/TVLicence/TVLicenceStandard.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b0C160E7A-4F62-4357-BC21-7FB999396792%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fAnPost%2fMainContent%2fPersonal%2bCustomers%2fMore%2bfrom%2bAn%2bPost%2fTV%2bLicence%2fGeneral%2bTV%2bLicence%2bFAQs%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest#busprem
Regardless of whether People1st in Letterkenny have or don't have a TV Licence more importantly do they have an IMRO Dual Music Licence?
Since the 13th of March 2017 there has been a radio sitting on the floor in the People1st building in Letterkenny turned up really loud. There is only one reason I can think of why it is there and why it is on switched on everyday.
This is an attempt to prevent other people from over hearing personal information being given out by either the unemployed people or the job advisers when in actual fact it does the opposite as the job advisers now talk even louder than ever before as they can't hear themselves other wise.
Do People1st/Seetec have an IMRO Dual Music Licence for these public performances?
Some of the radio stations that they have tuned into so far include, Today FM, 2FM and one of the worst radios stations in Ireland, iRadio. As I write this its tuned into Al Porter on Today FM who's as funny as a toothache.
I have posted below some of the faqs that are on the imro website site along with a link to their site.
https://www.imro.ie/faqs/
It’s only staff that listen to the radio / watch TV in the workplace, the general public don’t have access to the business premises so why do I still have to pay for an IMRO Dual Music Licence?
It is irrelevant who in your organisation has access to copyright music via the TV/radio. What is relevant is that the use of music in the workplace is in public and is considered a public performance of the copyright work, because the performance / music use is taking place outside of the domestic environment.
Do I need a licence? All I use is a TV / radio!
Yes you do. All TV and radio broadcasts contain copyright music, hence an IMRO Dual Music Licence is required.. Holding an IMRO Dual Music Licence is a legal requirement if you are using IMRO controlled copyright music in any business or workplace in the Republic of Ireland, including the use of music via TV’s, radios, music systems, PC’s, music in presentations, music on hold, live music, discos, karaoke, etc.
What is meant by “public performance”?
A public performance of copyright music takes place when that music is used anywhere outside of the domestic environment.
The staff bring in their own radio, it doesn’t belong to the company.
Under Sec 37 (2) of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 ‘the copyright in a work is infringed by a person who without the licence of the copyright owner undertakes, or authorises another to undertake’, the public performance of the work. Therefore in effect by allowing staff use their own radio in the workplace, you are, as their employer, authorising the use of music on your premises and you must hold an IMRO Dual Music Licence to allow you and them to do so.
https://www.imro.ie/music-users/which-licence-suits-my-business/factories-offices/
A Dual Music Licence from IMRO is required if you use copyright music as a background to work, meals, breaks, exercise and recreation at workplaces such as offices, factories, canteens or restrooms. A Dual Music Licence applies to performances of copyright music within the repertoire controlled by IMRO & PPI.
This blog is having some sort of effect as not only have they now got a radio on the floor turned up loud to try and give people some kind of privacy but they also since the start of January 2017 have A4 printed sheets on ALL the job advisers desks that read the following "Private room available on upon request"
Obviously People1st/Seetec/ are in a quandary as to how to keep things private concerning people giving out personal information in an open public space, hence the radio playing and A4 sheets on desks informing about a private room.
But the question still reminds, do People1st/Seetec have an IMRO Dual Music Licence?
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