Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP)

Introduced in July of this year, the Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) allows employers to host a jobseeker on a work experience placement to help the jobseeker to build new skills and gain valuable work experience.

The programme is targeted at jobseekers who have been in receipt of a social welfare payment for at least 6 months and would like to avail of training and work experience to re-engage with the job market.
Employers who host a WPEP participant will provide a placement for 6 months with the participant attending for work experience for 30 hours a week. The Department of Social Protection will pay the participant €311 per week during their placement – there is no cost to the employer, but no top-up payments to the participant are permitted.

Workers are also entitled to work part-time while they are on the programme, provided the part-time work does not impact their placement. The part-time work cannot be with their WPEP host.

The Work Placement Experience Programme is open to employers in the private, public, civil service, community and voluntary sectors.

In order for an employer to become a WPEP host they must:

• Be a business or a charity registered with the Revenue Commissioners
• Be tax compliant and provide an up to date Revenue Tax reference number and a Tax Clearance Access Number (TCAN)
• Operate in the Republic of Ireland
• Have a minimum of 1 full-time employee who is employed for 30 hours or more per week (that is, on payroll and subject to PAYE and PRSI).

To register as a WPEP host and advertise a vacancy, go to JobsIreland.ie or contact JobsIreland by phone or email:

Tel: 0818 111 112 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)

Email: jobsireland@welfare.ie