Contracts for Kilkenny workers on community employment schemes extended

Kilkenny participants in the Community Employment (CE) and Tús schemes have been extended to allow them to complete their training.

The extension was announced by Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan, who said the extra time allowed for the contracts was a welcome development as the county eases itself out of lockdown and returns to normal.

Under the measures, CE and Tús participants’ contracts will be further extended until the end of October 2021. This will benefit participants who have been granted contract extensions since last October and whose contracts were due to end in July.

There will also be a short contract extension for those CE and Tús participants whose contracts would be normally due to end between November 2021 and February 2022.

The schemes are community work placements providing short-term working opportunities for unemployed people. The work opportunities are to benefit the community and are provided by community and voluntary organisations in both urban and rural areas.

Deputy Phelan (pictured below) said: “Many participants’ time on the schemes has been adversely affected by public health restrictions and this latest extension will allow participants further opportunities to complete their training and work placement experience.

“This final extension will also allow CE and Tús schemes to conclude participants’ placements on a co-ordinated and phased basis.

“It will facilitate the planned increase in the rate of referrals to fill existing and new vacancies to ensure that opportunities to participate on the schemes continue to be available to those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the local labour market.”