gov.ie - Work Placement Experience Programme

What the Work Placement Experience Programme is
How to qualify
Apply
Jobseeker Information
Operational Guidelines

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What the Work Placement Experience Programme is

The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) allows employers to host a jobseeker on a work experience placement and to help the jobseeker to build new skills and gain valuable work experience. The programme is targeted at jobseekers who are on certain social welfare payments for 6 months (156 days) and want 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.

There is no cost to the host/employer; the participant will be paid by the Department of Social Protection during their work placement. The WPEP payment will be a minimum of €335 per week per participant. A WPEP participant may also get an extra weekly amount for an adult dependant called an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA). An adult dependant is usually the welfare recipient’s spouse or civil partner.

If the recipient has dependant children they may also get an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC).

No top-up payments from an employer to the participant are permitted.

How to qualify

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
tax compliant and provide an up to date Revenue Tax reference number and a Tax Clearance Access Number (TCAN)
operating in the Republic of Ireland

A Host must have a minimum of one full-time employee who is employed for at least 30 hours per week (that is on payroll and subject to PAYE and PRSI – Class A).