Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the evolution of active labour market policy in Ireland and provides a detailed description of the structure of active labour market programmes in Ireland. It is concerned with the impact of active labour market policies on the employment prospects of their participants in Ireland. The book traces the evolution of active labour market programmes from their early origins in Sweden as a solution to the inflationary problems associated with full employment during the post-war boom, to their widespread adoption as a solution to mass unemployment throughout the industrialised countries since the 1970s. It also examines whether some programmes are more effective than others and identify the types of programme which are more likely to enhance their participants job prospects, using multivariate statistical techniques to take account of relevant individual characteristics such as education and previous labour market experience.