Architecture Graduates caught in Catch 22

Fine Gael TD for Dublin South, Olivia Mitchell, has called on the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, to allow graduate architects to avail of the JobBridge Scheme in order to get their professional qualification. Speaking in the Dail today, Deputy Mitchell outlined the difficulty faced by newly qualified architects in getting work experience in the current environment.

“Architecture graduates must complete professional exams and a period of relevant work experience in order to become registered architects. However in order to sit the exams the graduates must have completed a specified amount of work experience.

“With little or no work available in the building sector and particularly in design work, JobBridge is one of the only hopes for these graduates. However JobBridge is not accepting architecture graduates on the basis that they are still studying.

“This means that these students are caught in a catch 22 situation. They cannot sit the exams and officially qualify because they can’t work and they can’t work through JobBridge because they are apparently studying for those exams.

“I have asked the Minister to allow these graduates the opportunity, through JobBridge, to complete their qualification. JobBridge is perfectly suited to help these graduates make the transition from student to young professional.

“I very much welcome the commitment from the Minister today that she is going to positively include architects in her review of the JobBridge eligibility criteria. I look forward to the outcome of this review.”