County Kildare Leader Partnership

County Kildare LEADER Partnership is the Local Development Company for Kildare and works with agencies and local organisations to create pathways to work for the unemployed, or those who are challenged by a disability or social exclusion. We offer practical, tailored, employment training, mentoring and guidance, supporting those who are seeking work.

Being an inclusive and disability-friendly employer has many benefits, increasing creativity through employees having different characteristics and backgrounds, bringing a variety of different skills and experiences, and an enhanced company reputation as a more human and socially responsible organization.

CKLP runs several Programmes who have job-ready participants who can respond to your employment requirements on a part-time or fulltime basis.

Our Kickstart Programme connects people to employers in 2 phases, where a 6-week part time ‘Job Skill’ training programme is followed by 4 weeks of work placement. This initiative matches the needs of the employer with the skills of the unemployed person. In this programme you get a job ready skilled worker, on 4 weeks insured work placement, supported by a key contact person. In the Kildare Ability Programme, we support young people, aged 16-19 years, with a disability who are not in education, training or employment. We create a plan for their future through a tailor-made education and training programme, employment supports and supporting employers in Kildare to be more inclusive. Ability have a “Connected-Respected-Included” initiative where companies can receive an award for participation in an inclusive campaign. The Kildare Roma Employment Support Programme provides tailored support for members of the Roma community, skills development such as Manual Handling, Safe Pass, Home Care Repair and Maintenance, One to One Career Planning, Career Skills Programme, CV Preparation and Interview Skills, leading to supported employment placement. In conjunction with the HSE, the IPS (Individual Placement Support) Programme supports people using the mental health services to get and maintain paid, mainstream employment. The Rural Development (LEADER Programme) supports local economic development, including the diversification of the rural economy and the creation of employment opportunities for local communities, including those from disadvantaged groups. These, and our other programmes: Tús, AMIF Integration, Heads Up Kildare, Youth Employment Programme, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and the Dara Project, – provide support, training and mentoring to different members of society to assist them on their journey back to work.

Our dedicated staff work closely with local employers and with local employers’ representative bodies to respond to YOUR recruitment needs and diversity policies through placements, mentoring and training. Check out all our programmes on www.countykildarelp.ie

Natural Gas

Fuelling business and life in Kildare

It takes a number of things to create the right environment for business to thrive. An educated workforce, availability of broadband services and strong business networks are core. Another key magnet that attracts businesses to an area, is the availability of natural gas.

Natural gas is the fuel of choice for many businesses. It is secure, flexible, economical and the cleanest conventional fuel source. Businesses that require heat, or large amounts of energy on demand, will choose natural gas. Over one third of the energy used in Ireland is natural gas and more than 50% of our electricity comes from natural gas. In Kildare, over 34,000 homes and 1,000 businesses are fuelled by natural gas. Natural gas is available in 22 towns in Kildare, including Naas, Newbridge, Athy, Kilcock, Prosperous and Leixlip, through one of the safest and most modern networks in Europe. Homes and businesses in Kildare use almost 1,000 GWh of gas annually, making it one of the busiest counties in the country in terms of gas demand. The county’s largest employers in the pharma and manufacturing sectors all depend on natural gas to keep their businesses running. In addition, hundreds of SMEs depend on gas to run their businesses, including many essential services.

Many larger users generate both electricity and heat on site, using a gas-powered Combined Heat and Power plant which significantly reduces their energy costs while substantially reducing their carbon emissions. Gas Networks Ireland has a range of solutions for business, regardless of size, which deliver energy and cost efficiency. Proximity to the natural gas network allows Kildare companies to use the cleanest conventional energy source. It also means that as new technologies such as renewable gas, hydrogen and compressed natural gas for heavy goods vehicles are rolled out, Kildare businesses will be able to transition to a carbon neutral future.

With Ireland’s first dedicated renewable gas injection grid in Cush, Co Kildare, now injecting commercial flows, Gas Networks Ireland has commenced its journey to a zero carbon gas network. That will mean that homes and businesses will be able to continue to enjoy the benefits of gas, while knowing that they are making an increasingly positive contribution to the environment.

If you are interested in connecting your business to the gas network, please contact our dedicated business team via email at businesslink@gasnetworks.ie or by phone on 1850 411 511. If your query relates to connecting your home, please call 1850 50 40 60 or visit: www.gasnetworks.ie.