We are making a big push this year to give opportunities to people who have been out of work for some time. Another 10,000 places on employment programmes are being added in 2013. In total, this year 20,000 people will have a chance to participate in JobBridge,
Springboard and the new Momentum programme – all mix training with practical work experience aimed at sectors with job vacancies.

● Momentum is a new programme. There are 6,500 places in
programmes involving certified classroom training and work
experience with a company for people who have been on the live
register for 12 months or getting credits. There are 71 different
offers in Dublin alone – mostly 20- to 40-week programmes.
Visit www.momentumskills.ie or call 8167400 (Baldoyle Training
Centre) or 8671177 (Northside Civic Centre) for more information.

● JobBridge offers an internship of 6-9 months to persons who
have been signing on as available to work and getting a payment
or credits for at least 3 months. Time on completed programmes in
FÁS training, back to education or a community scheme will count
towards eligibility. Participants will receive €50/week on top of
their welfare. See www.jobbridge.ie.

● Springboard offers part-time courses to those signing on. See
www.springboardcourses.ie.

Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, today [Thursday] announced YapStone International Ltd., a leading provider of Web and mobile payment solutions and processing for targeted vertical markets, will create 120 jobs at their new EMEA headquarters in Drogheda, Co Louth, Ireland. The investment is supported by the Irish Government Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA (Industrial Development Agency) Ireland, the Government agency responsible for the attraction and development of foreign investment in Ireland. Read the full story

4-city IDA mission to target investments from 20 world-leading and start-up companies in technology life-sciences and financial services
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, departs this weekend to lead a five-day, four-city investment mission to the West Coast of the USA, to meet companies considering investing and creating jobs in Ireland.

The IDA mission to Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and San Diego will focus particularly on companies in the technology sector and the Minister will meet 20 companies ranging from start-ups to multi-billion dollar world-leading companies. Read the full story