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Thinking of Hiring New Staff? Check out the Pathways to Work

Thinking of Hiring New Staff?

A new initiative announced by the Government recently to drive progress in helping jobseekers return to work. The Pathways to Work 2015 strategy seeks to ensure that as many newly created jobs as possible go to people on the live register.

The Pathways to Work strategy was originally introduced in 2012 and one of the main initiatives of the strategy was the rollout of 44 Intreo (one-stop-shop) centres.

The 2015 strategy is managed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and also involves other Government Departments. Under the strategy, employment and training services overseen by the DSP and the Department of Education and Skills will be benchmarked and have the results published.

Under Pathways to Work 2015, State employment and training services overseen by the Departments of Social Protection and Education and Skills will be benchmarked at local, regional and national level, with the results published, to ensure performance against targets.  Intreo centres, the new-style social welfare offices which provide employment and income supports to jobseekers in the one place for the first time, will be assessed as part of this process, with performance statistics published for each centre.

Some other key actions contained in the updated strategy include a new Employment and Youth Activation Charter. Employers who sign the charter will commit that at least 50% of people considered for interview will be taken from the live register. Employers who interact with the DSP will also have a dedicated account manager to assist them.

Te Pathways 2015 strategy will be delivered under five strands:
Strand 1: Incentivising employers to provide more jobs for those who are unemployed
Strand 2: Better engagement with unemployed people
Strand 3: Greater targeting of activation places and opportunities for those who are long-term unemployed
Strand 4: Incentivising the take-up of employment opportunities by unemployed jobseekers
Strand 5: Completing the Reform Agenda.