[Questions 15-22 relate to persons aged 15 years or over]
Q.15 Present status
Indicate by inserting a check mark in the appropriate box, the person's present principal status. Self-employed persons should insert check mark in box 1. Persons temporarily absent from work because of illness, holidays, etc. should insert a check mark in box 1.
[] 1 At work
[] 2 Seeking regular work for first time
[] 3 Unemployed
[] 4 At school, student
[] 5 Home (i.e. domestic) duties
[] 6 Retired
[] 7 Unable to work owing to permanent sickness or disability
[] 8 Other (specify ____)
Question 15: Present status
(i) Self-employed persons should insert [a check mark in] Box 1.
(ii) Persons temporarily absent from work because of illness, holidays, etc., should insert [a check mark in] in Box 1.
(iii) Apprentices who are in employment and also attend technical schools or colleges of technology should insert [a check mark in] in Box 1.
(iv) Full-time students who are in part-time employment should insert [a check mark in] in Box 4.
Q.15 to Q.20:
The questions on the person's position in regard to employment (questions 15-20) are the most difficult to check and require the most careful study. These Questions should be answered for each person aged 15 years and over (i.e., born on or before 13 April, 1971). For persons younger than 15, these questions should be ignored.
Q.15: Present status
Note that it is the persons principal status is required and only one of the listed categories should be ticked. A person who is mainly engaged as an assisting relative on a farm, in a shop or in any other commercial enterprise, should be regarded as "at work" even if he or she receives no payment or no regular payment. A member of a religious body (other than a member who is retired or permanently unable to "work owing to illness etc.) should be regarded as "at work" even if he or she receives no payment.
A housewife however who assists in the family business, but is mainly engaged on housework should be entered as on "home (or domestic) duties".
If category 8 is ticked, the precise status should be described in the space provided. If persons on AnCo or other training courses/employment schemes require assistance in deciding their status at Q. 15 the information given in Appendix 10 may be used as a guide.
Appendix 10
Procedure to be followed when assistance is required in completing question 15 (present status)
At Question 15 (Present status) what is required is the subjective view of the person as to his/her present status with regard to employment. At any one time there are over 20,000 persons on the various training or other employment schemes and if such persons are unsure as to which status to indicate and ask for the assistance of the Enumerator, the following guidelines should be followed:
A. Persons on the following schemes should be treated as being "At work" (Box 1)
(1) Teamwork/grant scheme for youth employment: This scheme is operated by the Department of Labour, where grants are paid to voluntary bodies to employ young unemployed people for an average period of 6 months on projects beneficial to the community.
(2) Apprentice training: Apprenticeships in designated industries are the responsibility of AnCo and apprentices are often supported/ sponsored by an employer. The majority of apprentices spend the first year of their course in an off-the-job training centre.
(3) Employment incentive scheme: The scheme, which is organised by the Department of Labour, provides a subsidy to employers who take on additional staff for jobs of at least 6 months duration. Many young people may not even know that they are being supported under this scheme.
(4) Enterprise allowance scheme: This NMS scheme is designed to help individuals or groups of individuals to set up their own business. Under Question 17 (Employment status) such persons should be self-employed, coded 1 or 2 as appropriate.
(5) Community enterprise programme: Under this programme the YEA provides assistance to local groups, mainly co-operatives, setting up production or service-type business enterprises.
(6) Youth Self-Employment Programme: This YEA/Bank of Ireland programme is targeted at unemployed young people with a business idea that could provide them with full-time employment but who would have difficulty gaining access to bank loans.
(7) National Co-Operative Farm Relief Services: The YEA provides funding to place young people as farm relief service workers with farm relief co-operatives.
(8) Work Experience Programmes: Under this programme young people with no previous employment experience are giving an allowance for about 6 months while they are gaining some work experience.
[p.69](9) Community youth training programme: Participants are given basic training and work experience on community projects and receive a weekly payment from AnCo.
(10) CERT craft/management courses: These courses provide training for school leavers in bar, kitchen, dining room and reception skills. Participants receive a training allowance from CERT in the initial part of the course and are paid by a sponsor during the later (work experience) part.
(11) NRB sheltered employment: The National Rehabilitation Board provides sheltered employment and participants should be regarded as being employed.
(12) BIM - Training in the fishing industry: Courses are offered to young persons wishing to take up a career in fishing. Four months is spent at a training centre and eight months on board a trawler.
B. Persons on the following schemes should be treated as being either "Seeking regular work for the first time" (Box 2) or "Unemployed" (Box 3):(13) AnCo adult training courses: These short-duration courses are designed to prepare unemployed people for a wide range of occupations at skilled and semi-skilled level.
(14) Community training workshops: This programme, conducted by AnCo, provides basic training in community-based workshops, mainly for early school leavers and travelling people. The programme revolves to a high degree around educational and personal development.
(15) CERT unemployed training programme: These short-duration courses aim to provide basic skills to unemployed persons in cooking food and bar service.
C. Persons on ACOT courses should be regarded as being students (Box 4). Courses in General agriculture are of 9 months duration through an agricultural college. Courses in Amenity / Commercial horticulture are of 2/3 year duration.