Jobfit closes despite helping 41 jobseekers

Despite supporting 41 people to get jobs since it started in September 2010, the Jobfit Centre in Athlone has closed after the Government opted to discontinue funding and keep just four of the eleven centres nationwide open. Rehab's National Office this week confirmed the Jobfit programme in Belhavel, Athlone undertaken by TBG Learning in partnership with National Learning Network, both Rehab Group companies, which has been in operation since last September has shut its doors. "The JobFit programme has been funded by the Labour Market Activation Fund of the Department of Education and Skills, and was for a defined period of time. JobFit Athlone's funding period is now finished and the service has closed," the statement said. Jobfit centres in Limerick, Castlebar, Cork and Tallaght in Dublin will continue to be funded by the Government and will remain open for business until June. "However, JobFit's impact in Athlone will be felt across the community for many years to come as a result of it having supported 41 people into jobs, and 95 FETAC award qualifications having been achieved by participants," the statement added. The Department of Education and Skills has provided an additional 384 places on the JobFit programme nationwide which will continue in four remaining locations until June this year. This funding has become available as a result of the redistribution of savings achieved under the Labour Market Activation Fund to deliver additional places within the lifetime of the fund. JobFit Athlone expressed its thanks to everyone for their support, encouragement and practical help over the lifetime of the programme, including the Department of Education and Skills, local employers and the community, and wishes all those who participated on the programme the very best for the future. In a statement to the Westmeath Independent this week, the Department of Education and Skills said the decision not to continue in Athlone was the decision of TGB Learning. . "TBG Learning Ltd was one of those who were successful in the tendering competition and were contracted to provide programmes of 12 weeks duration for the unemployed under the Labour Market Activation Fund. It said The Labour Market Activation Fund was launched in March 2010, in order to assist in the creation of training and education provision for specific priority groups among the unemployed and those formerly employed in declining sectors - construction, retail and manufacturing sectors -, with particular emphasis on the under 35's and the long-term unemployed. "The contract with TBG Learning provides for the training of 1,500 participants a total sum of €7.03m for the provision of these programmes in 2010 and up to March 2011," it stated. The department confirmed no budgetary provision was made for a further iteration of the fund in 2011. "However the Minister for Education and Skills recently decided to re-distribute savings achieved under the fund to a number of existing funded projects. In the context of savings achieved under the 2010 Fund, the Minister approved funding for a proposal from TBG Learning to deliver additional 382 places on JobFit programme, at a cost of €500,000, within the parameters of the 2010 Fund. "Athlone is not one of the locations covered by the TBG proposal for extended funding but this was the decision of TBG itself," the statement pointed out. It is not proposed to make any further funding available under the Labour Market Activation Fund at this time, the Department said but a full examination of the fund is to be undertaken during the year and the findings from that exercise will, among other things, inform labour market policy priorities into the future.