Fine Gael Innovation & Research Spokesperson Deirdre Clune TD has challenged Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe TD to ‘ramp up’ the Government’s initiatives to tackle graduate unemployment.
Minister O’Keeffe claims the Government has been pro-active in addressing the growing problem of graduate unemployment – but the reality is totally different. The Government has a target of just 2,000 for its Work Placement Programme, a drop in the ocean of the 100,000 graduates which the Union of Student’s of Ireland now estimate are unemployed.
The Government’s response needs to be ramped up as progress is much too slow. Graduates from 2010 have now joined 2009 graduates in the employment market.
The Minister must use his imagination and initiative to extend the internship programme to ensure that organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors take on these graduates.
A major investment has been made in these people in terms of their education. The economy will lose out as many will emigrate, while more will be left on jobseekers’ benefits with their skills untapped.
The USI has set out the scale of the challenge that graduates now face. It’s time the Minister woke up. Fine Gael believes these graduates are of value – but what about the Taoiseach and his Fianna Fáil & Green Ministers?
Fine Gael plans to tackle youth unemployment
NewERA stimulus package, employment focused tax cuts and support for small businesses to help reduce unemployment across all age profiles;
Hope for a Lost Generation policy to target Youth Unemployment with workshare schemes like those in Germany and the US, a National Internship Programme, and increasing the number of places available on further education and retraining programmes.
