To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning (i) how many young people have left the Steps 2 Success programme before completion, broken down by constituency area; and (ii) for his assessment of how this affects his Department’s European Social Fund targets.

Delivery of Steps 2 Success commenced on 20 October 2014 and to date no participants aged 18 to 24 have completed the full duration of their attachment period on the programme. People aged 18 – 24 who are in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance for nine months are mandated to participate on Steps 2 Success for a one year period. Steps 2 Success participants who find work continue to receive assistance from their Steps 2 Success contractor for a period of up to one year. A mandatory JSA participant must attend and participate on Steps 2 Success as a requirement of their continuing entitlement to benefit. Sanctions may apply to mandated JSA participants who fail to attend or participate, without good cause, as determined by the Social Security Agency.

The Steps 2 Success programme does not receive funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) and participants leaving the programme before completion will not impact on any ESF targets.