D.R.W.A Committee meet with Minister for Training and Skills Ciaràn Cannon T.D. to Discuss EGF €12,000,000 underspend.

D.R.W.A Committee meet with Minister for Training and Skills Ciaràn Cannon T.D.
Introduction
Intervention 1 Enterprise
Intervention 2 Job Search Allowance
Intervention 3 EGF Specific CE Schemes
Intervention 4 Mobility Allowances
Intervention 5 Education Training and up skilling PC/Laptop allowance
Intervention 6 Incentive Grants
Intervention 7 Employers Training grant
Intervention 8 Over 50s Home Training Allowance
Intervention 9 Childcare and Disability Allowances
Intervention 10 Geographical Mobility Allowance
Intervention 11 Placement Research
Intervention 12 Implementation of an EGF Website

With Only 2 months left of the EGF fund remaining and with a potential surplus of €12,000,000 the DRWA have met the Minister in charge of EGF funding in Ireland Ciaràn Cannon T.D. twice in the last couple of weeks

April 13th and April 21st To discuss proposed Interventions that can still benefit as many EGF clients as possible in the remaining short time left .

We have a further meeting on the 12th May to progress these proposals ..

Introduction:

Dear Minister as requested at our meeting on the 13TH April 2011 please see proposed Intervention measures for the Dell EuropeanGlobalisation fund.

All Interventions proposed in this document have been compiled within the time frame April 13th – April 17th 2011 on the full understanding that there is only two months to go till the end of the Dell EGF fund. It is not an exhaustive list of intervention that could have been implemented, but a list of interventions that we feel can still be beneficial to all EGF clients within the last two months.

The D.R.W.A believes that the purpose of the global fund is to provide an enhanced addition above and beyond that provided by existing state benefits and work schemes. A fundamental basis for the use of the Global Fund is that it should be completely separate from existing training schemes, employment subsidies and educational allowances already available to unemployed workers. Unfortunately due to a lack of foresight and the ability to think outside of the box the originators of the Dell EGF submission missed a golden opportunity to be innovative and create a real possibility of helping workers regaining their place in employment as rapidly as possible. Which is the ultimate aim of EGF assistance.

As Dell and other employee’s were not/never consulted prior to submission of original EGF application we thought it appropriate that we give them the opportunity on this occasion to express their opinions on the various interventions that could and should have been Implemented, what interventions in the short time available would now prove beneficial.

So in the Brief time since our meeting we have consulted with over three hundred of our members, we have also researched other European Countries EGF applications and what they have implemented within their Own EGF funds.

The remainder of this document is the result of that membership consultation and research of other European globalisation funds. Unfortunately due to the limited time available the number one requested intervention WPP (Work Placement Programme’s) cannot be included on this occasion. All measures proposed in this document have been included in other EGF schemes across Europe.

We look forward to discussing these proposals at our forthcoming meeting.

 PROPOSED INTERVENTION ONE

Enterprise

Extract taken from CEB Press release November 2010.

The four County and City Enterprise Boards in the Mid-West wish to highlight crucial facts, which have been overlooked around their successful role in the distribution of funds under the EGF.

• As of November 1st, 137 new businesses, which are being set up by people affected by DELL redundancies, have received funding approval through the Enterprise Boards in the Mid-West. This exceeds the initial target of 50 Business Start Ups to be supported through the EGF fund by nearly threefold.

• The 137 new business start-ups will create an estimated 195 full-time and 16 part-time positions locally over the next twelve months.

• An additional 63 business proposals are currently being developed and researched. These are due to be submitted to the County and City Enterprise Boards for evaluation under EGF before April of 2011.

Some CEB’S have been patting themselves on the back for a Job well done since early June 2010. Target as per Submission 50 EGF Clients.. Actual beneficiaries to date 168 (plus potentially +70)

1. Fact – Due to their own inability to converse with Employee’s from the affected companies they got their original targets dismally wrong.

2. Fact- of the 168 beneficiaries to date a grand total of 10 people have been able to draw down their full allocation of grant aid – There are two months left of this EGF fund - Actual Success rate 20%

3. Fact - 49 of the 168 clients have not drawn a cent from their allocated grants , some of which were passed six months or more ago .

4. Fact - From their own Historical data it takes between 6 to 12 months to draw down the entire allocation of grant

aid. Those business start ups up for evaluation in April 2011 >>> 63 – 70 - , do not have sufficient time left .

 Some CEB’s are currently in self denial even delusional as they are under the false impression that all CEB beneficiaries

1. Have sufficient time to draw down their entire allocation of grant aid

2. Can obtain finance from banks etc to co-finance their business start ups.

Due to the late start up of EGF interventions ( 10-12 month delay ) the majority of these EGF clients are going to lose out.

The DRWA are proposing that the governments share of the overall surplus of EGF funds be used to extend closing date for financial assistance to CEB clients.

Due to the financial institutions reluctance to give loans , EGF clients are finding it difficult to obtain sufficient capital to match their CEB grant aid.

Without this financial assistance they cannot draw down from their grants.

The DRWA are proposing that CEB grant aid be increased from its current 50% to 75 %.

PROPOSED INTERVENTION TWO

Job Search allowances:

 Extract from rules govern the European Globalisation Fund ..

Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 amended by (EC) No 546/2009:

Article 3 - Eligible Actions

(b) for special time-limited measures, such as job-search allowances, mobility allowances or allowances to individuals participating in lifelong learning and training activities

A Contribution to EGF clients for the costs incurred while seeking employment.

This cost would include but not necessarily be limited to,

o Childcare / crèche places/expenses/vouchers

o Public transport travel expenses / free travel passes / taxis

o Mileage Expenses for use of own vehicle

o Meal expenses food allowances

o Overnight allowances

o Stationary and CV printing costs

One particular EGF client has attended twenty seven interviews since been made redundant at a considerably cost to him. He has attended interviews as far afield as Holland and six to date in Dublin. Due to his lack of success and mainly due to lack of financial resources he has now confined his job searches to the mid west, which considerably reduces his chances of gaining employment. Unfortunately he is now one of many who cannot afford the costs of attending Interviews outside of their immediate vicinity.

Again some of this would be retrospective payments.

PROPOSED INTERVENTION THREE

EGF Specific CE Schemes:

CE courses which have been implemented through EGF funding be continued into next year as we were led to believe that the decision to do so is supposed to be on a desk in FAS waiting to be approved. There are upwards of 180 EGF clients anxiously awaiting the outcome of this decision.

From Egan, Oliver

to Dell Redundant Workers Association ,

"Donnelly, Mary" ,

"Corbett, Maura" 

cc "Smith, David" ,

Gerry Hinchy Paul O'Connor Brian Jordan

date 29 March 2011 22:55

subject RE: CE Places

Brian,

DES has advised that it considers the issues of EGF CE places to be a matter for DSP and FAS. The FAS Community Services Director met management in the MW to review entitlements and is considering the issue. I expect the position to be clarified in the next 10 working days following consideration by my colleagues on the Senior Management Team in FAS.

I am not sure what the listing requested on the 21st refers to. Is this a matter that was discussed directly with Mary D?

Regards

Oliver

PROPOSED INTERVENTION FOUR

  Mobility Allowances:

Extract from rules govern the European Globalisation Fund ..

Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 amended by (EC) No 546/2009:

Article 3 - Eligible Actions

(b) for special time-limited measures, such as job-search allowances, mobility allowances or allowances to individuals participating in lifelong learning and training activities

What have the Dell EGF clients been given -- Draconian FÀS Training allowances €0.80 per day meal allowance and a maximum of €32.60 mileage allowance if they travel between 64km and 80km a week ( Please note these allowances are restricted to those individuals participating in FÀS training programmes only )

EGF clients participating in Private or 3rd Level course get NOTHING....

 

People who need to travel to attend Private/3rd Level /FÀS training courses in order to increase their chances of re-entering the labour market cannot afford the associated costs such as travel, meals and accommodation; as their only source of income is a weekly benefit allowance from Social Protection. The main objective of the EGF since its inception is to improve workers’ opportunities to re-enter the workforce by means of up-skilling, re-training, outplacement assistance and the promotion of entrepreneurship. Without mobility allowance that actually covers their expenses this has proven very difficult.

The DRWA are also proposing that this allowance covers child care costs.

Based on the number of EGF clients that have already attended courses we

Envisage 80% retrospective payments.

PROPOSED INTERVENTION FIVE

  Educational Training and up skilling PC /Laptop Allowance:

 

Over 500 EGF clients have to date participated in some form of computer training course through FÀS or Private colleges. Unlike their counterparts in 3rd Level Educational providers they have been denied an allowance to purchase a laptop /Pc for home training and up skilling..

Once there course is completed their ability to continue to practice their new learned skills has been denied. Without this resource what they have learned will soon be forgotten. Their ability to continue up skilling themselves via online training courses taken from them..

One Student attending a Third level course has recently acquired a Laptop via EGF funding for €3500, This is €500 more than private college students are entitled too for a year’s training..

To counter balance this imbalance and gross favouritism we are proposing that all students who have completed a computer related course and who so wish to continue their studies should be allocated an allowance to purchase a PC / Lap top for home practice and self training . There are a number of websites available such as www.alison.com which provides free online courses. Alison.com is based in Galway

 PROPOSED INTERVENTION SIX

 Incentive Grants:

 

Re-employment grants for job-finders: this covers an incentive of € 250 granted to redundant workers who have participated in the EGF funded actions and have found a new job themselves.

 Estimated Cost of Intervention €62,500

 Grant for joining the EGF package: this covers a single payment of € 150 as an

incentive for redundant workers to participate in at least one of the training

measures after the completion of the Occupational Guidance .

 

Estimated Cost of Intervention €210,000

 

 Incentives for rapid integration: This bonus will be inversely proportional to the

number of months it takes a worker to re-integrate into the labour market, i.e.

EUR 4,000 EUR if a job is found within the first 9 months, and EUR 2,000 if a

job is found in the final 3 months of the one-year period following redundancy.

 Estimated Cost of Intervention €260,000

 

Total Estimated Cost of above Interventions €532,500

 PROPOSED INTERVENTION SEVEN

Contribution to training Grant:

Contribution to the training costs incurred by the new employer: this covers a

recruitment incentive of up to € 1000 that can be granted to an employer who offers a long-term contract to a dismissed EGF Client worker and agrees to provide him/her with on-the-job training of up to 120 hours during the 3 months following recruitment.

 When the EGF Placement research centre has matched potential employees with Employers this grant aid could be used as an added incentive to ensure employment and cover any costs of induction training

PROPOSED INTERVENTION EIGHT

Over 50’s Home training allowance:

(Age Profile of D.R.W.A membership)

Based on our own analysis there has been a poor take up of EGF interventions from the over 50’s age group ( Approx 300 ) . Those that have taken up EGF interventions have predominately ended up within the CE schemes.

We have also learned that the computer literacy skills of this age group are extremely poor. Their unwillingness to rejoin the classroom environment is down to lack of confidence and the potential of embarrassing themselves.

Due to the lack of any specific intervention aimed at this group within the original submission we are proposing that those clients that show an interest be allocated an allowance to purchase a PC where they can learn in their own words this alien technology in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Estimated Cost of Intervention €225,000

PROPOSED INTERVENTION NINE

Childcare and Disability Allowances:

Support for child-care and care of disabled family members – 

In order to facilitate the reintegration of redundant workers with dependent children (up to 8 years of age) or disabled family members with special care needs, an additional allowance will be paid for a maximum period of three months in order to cover the additional costs that the EGF client will face in order to avail of training or other interventions.

This measure will also provide support in order to overcome the obstacles EGF Clients with caring responsibilities are faced with when searching for a job.

Again some of this would be retrospective payments.

Estimated Cost of Intervention €200,000

PROPOSED INTERVENTION TEN

Geographical mobility Allowance:

This aims at increasing geographical mobility over a distance exceeding 50km.

It is available to dismissed workers who accept a stable job offered for at least Six months at a distance of more than 50 km away from their place of residence.

It aims at financing mobility costs such as transport, cost of living, and Child care.

We are proposing that retrospective payments of this allowance are made to those EGF Clients who have already gained employment and fall within the agreed parameters.

PROPOSED INTERVENTION ELEVEN

Placement Research:

In light of the multitude of FAS training courses, private college and third level programmes undertaken by the EGF clients it is now proposed in the limited time left that an EGF Placement research centre be set up.

Placement researchers interface with potential employers and

Identify on the basis of specific job vacancies the most suitable candidates and

Possible further job specific training needs. As we now have a large majority of former employee’s with a different skill set than that they previously had prior to leaving Dell and downstream companies.

We are proposing that this Placement Research centre specifically deals with those EGF clients that have up skilled during the EGF period and interfaces with all potential employers throughout the Mid West and further afield to match potential job vacancies from the EGF data base.

PROPOSED INTERVENTION TWELVE

Implementation of an EGF website:

The DRWA have over the last 14 months solicited information from the EGF Co-ordination unit in the form of over 1200 e-mails , of which the majority remain unanswered . The majority of these requests originated from our members and foreign journalists . To negate the requirement of this constant harassment of the over worked co-ordination unit surely a WEBSITE outlining the relevant information would be deemed reasonable .

It would also fulfil the administrator’s obligation to Article 9 of the rules and regulations governing EGF implementation.

can be more intuitive,

On previous requests for this website we have been advised its non introduction is purely down to cost