JobBridge

JobBridge was a national internship scheme operated by the Irish government between 2011 and 2016. It aimed to provide unemployed individuals with work experience through structured internships, with the goal of increasing their employability and helping them re-enter the workforce.

The scheme allowed participating organizations to offer internships lasting between six and nine months, for which interns received a "training allowance" on top of their existing social welfare payments. The intention was to provide meaningful training and skill development that would improve the intern's chances of securing permanent employment after the internship concluded.

However, JobBridge was highly controversial and faced considerable criticism from various quarters. Common criticisms included:

• Exploitation: Accusations that employers were using the scheme to replace paid employees with unpaid interns, thereby reducing labor costs.
• Low Pay: Concerns that the allowance paid to interns was insufficient to cover living expenses, particularly in urban areas.
• Lack of Job Creation: Doubts about the effectiveness of the scheme in actually creating permanent jobs, with some arguing that it simply delayed the process of long-term unemployment.
• Displacement of Existing Workers: Fears that the scheme could displace existing paid employees, particularly entry-level positions.

Due to the persistent controversy and changing economic conditions, the JobBridge scheme was discontinued in 2016 and replaced with a new program, JobPath, which focused on providing more intensive employment activation services to jobseekers.