ABSTRACT

Active labour market policies date back to the 1950s, and were initially developed in Sweden, not as a response to widespread unemployment, but as a social democratic tool of macroeconomic management to counter inflationary pressures resulting from full employment. At the micro level, the main interest is in the extent to which active labour market policies serve to redistribute employment opportunities, particularly to less advantaged labour market participants. The expansion of active labour market policy, in Ireland as in other countries, has led to the development of a plethora of labour market measures for the unemployed, providing a range of training courses and employment subsidies to various target groups with differing eligibility criteria. Specific Skills training courses provide training in specific employable skills to meet skill needs in local labour markets. In Ireland, direct employment schemes provide temporary part-time employment in community based work, together with personal and skills development opportunities.