This new initiative is designed to give people an opportunity to experience real life work in a professional environment with a genuine wage.
What the Work Placement Experience Programme is
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a 6-month, 30 hour per week voluntary work experience 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.
The weekly rate of payment is €311.
See the qualifying list in the next section.
If you would like to re-train and gain experience in another type of employment, this programme can help you build new skills and gain work experience. You cannot take a placement where you already have built up experience in the role.
You can work part-time while you are on the programme, provided the part-time work does not impact your placement. The part-time work cannot be with the WPEP host.
How to qualify
To qualify for the Work Placement Experience Programme, you must be a jobseeker:
aged between 18 and 65 years, and
on a qualifying scheme for at least 6 months (156 days), and
currently getting certain social welfare payments
The qualifying payments are:
Jobseeker's Allowance
Jobseeker's Benefit
Jobseeker's Transitional Payment
One-Parent Family Payment
Disability Allowance
Blind Pension
Farm Assist
Jobseeker's Benefit for the Self-Employed
Time spent on the schemes below may be counted as part of the 6 month (156 day) qualifying criteria. You must transfer to a Jobseekers' payment before you can take up the placement.
Community Employment Programme
Back to Education Allowance
Youthreach
Springboard
Solas Training Programmes
TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative
Rural Social Scheme
The WPEP Guidelines provide information on participant eligibility or you can check with your local Intreo Centre Case Officer to see if you are entitled to take part in any scheme or placement.
Rate of payment
The weekly rate of payment is €311.
Find out more on:
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/95fe1-work-placement-experience-programme
