Pathways to Work strategy threatens future of Mayo local employment centre

Mayo North West Partnership Company has warned that their local employment services and job clubs, which have served the community for over 25 years, are fighting for survival due to new proposals in the Pathways to Work strategy to require all local employment services (LES) compete in an open tenders system with private providers.

Mayo North East has questioned the government’s proposal to replace the comprehensive and integrated services for jobseekers currently delivered by the LES and job clubs with a new regional service.

Justin Sammon, CEO of Mayo North East Leader Partnership, said: “The government proposals will inevitably lead to the closure of vital local employment services and jobs clubs across the country.

"We have been operating here in Mayo for over 25 years.

"Our doors have been open to everyone who needed advice on finding employment, education and training or general life-skills.

"We have helped hundreds of people who, without the type of walk-in service we have been able to offer, would have fallen through the cracks and would never have been able to realise their true potential.

"The timing of this could not be worse as our community face into a post pandemic unemployment crisis.

"The people most affected by these changes will be the long-term unemployed, lone parents, carers, women returning to work after a prolonged period outside the workplace, and people with disabilities.

"These new proposals will lead to jobseekers being faced with a centralised profit-driven, results-based process which will not be accessible to everyone.

“Community-based local employment services have supported those without work in a holistic, person-centred way for the past 25 years.

"Many local employers have found invaluable and trusted employees through the LES.

"A recent independent evaluation by Indecon recorded strong evidence of the benefits of local employment services in Ireland.

“It beggars belief that the department would move to dismantle such important services for those without work at such a critical time.

"We will continue our campaign to keep our doors open in Mayo and urge the government to engage with the Irish Local Development Network, the umbrella body for the LDCs, to find a solution.”