Work Placement Experience Programme

This helps people to re-train and gain experience in another type of employment. It helps people to build new skills and gain work experience. The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a 6-month, 30 hour per week voluntary work experience and training programme. The programme is for jobseekers that are currently getting a qualifying social welfare payment and who have been unemployed for six months (156 days) or more. Participation on the WPEP is voluntary. If you have been in receipt of one of the following payments for 6 months you may qualify to apply for a WPEP place:

• Jobseeker's Benefit

• Jobseeker's Allowance

• Jobseeker's Transitional payment

• One-Parent Family Payment

• Disability Allowance

• Blind Person’s Pension

• Farm Assist

• Jobseeker's Benefit for the Self-Employed (JBSE)

If you are getting the One-Parent Family, Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment, Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, you will automatically qualify for WPEP. If you have been on one of the following schemes, time spent on the scheme can count towards 6-month qualification period:

• Community Employment Scheme (CE)

• Tús

• Rural Social Scheme (RSS)

• Back to Education Allowance

• Youthreach / VTOS

• Springboard

• SOLAS Training Programmes

The WPEP scheme lasts for 6 months and there is no option to extend the placement. While on the WPEP you can qualify to do 2 placements in total. This can be for up to a maximum period of 12 months (52 weeks). Each of the two placements must be with a different host organisation, and must have at least a 4-week gap in between each placement. You will work 30 hours a week over 4 or 5 days each week. The 30 hours includes time spent on training. While participating on the WPEP you are entitled to all the standard public holidays and a total of 11 days annual leave on your 6-month placement. You can do part-time work during the WPEP placement as long as it does not interfere with the required hours of the placement. Part-time work will not affect the rate of WPEP paid. You are not allowed to work part-time with the WPEP host. The weekly amount paid to you while on WPEP is €335. You cannot take a placement where you already have built up experience in the role. Contact your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office for more information about WPEP or e-mail: wpep@welfare.ie. The number to call is 0818 111 112. You can register online for WPEP on the www.jobsireland.ie website. After you have registered with JobsIreland, you can apply for suitable WPEP vacancies as advertised.