IRD DUHALLOW | PROGRESS REPORT
2020 - 2021
IRD Duhallow Community Employment Scheme for participants in mind. Through our Job centre, we identify the needs of local employers in order to focus training in areas where real job opportunities exist locally. The supervisor works with each participant in developing a specific training plan tailored to the abilities of each participant.
Our CE scheme has been operational for over 20 years and historically covered the communities of Ballydaly, Boherbue, Banteer, Lyre, Kilcorney and Dromtariffe as well as some specific community enterprises in Newmarket. This past year, we have been tasked with increasing our scheme to take in the communities of Kiskeam, Ballydesmond, Knocknagree and Cullen. This has seen our scheme numbers jump from 23 to 46 and we now also have an Assistant Supervisor Position. The expansion of the scheme is welcome, as it has afforded us the opportunity to integrate our services across a wider region which ensures enhanced opportunities for both participants and our communities.
Timothy Tarrant is based in Dromtariffe. One of his responsibilities is to maintain the grounds around the Community Hall.
Training and retraining is a key focus of our community employment scheme. We are fortunate to have
Our scheme assists participants in bridging the gap between longterm unemployment and the open labour market. It is characterised by offering paid work on a temporary contract, together with training, personal development and job search activities while simultaneously benefitting rural communities with access to labour to support volunteer and community led activities. The key components of the scheme are enhancing confidence and preparing long term unemployed to enter mainstream employment. Philip Casey maintaining community green areas in Knocknagree.
Our scheme offers opportunities in Caretaking, Park Assistants, Furniture Restoration, Administration, Accounts, Community Laundry, Community Kitchen, Village Tidy Towns, Insulation Operatives, Meals on Wheels, Laundry Drivers and Counter Assistant.
CE Supervisor Paddy O’Connor and IRD Duhallow CEO Maura Walsh presenting a bouquet of flowers to Sheila Fogarty on her retirement from the scheme.
access to the IRD Duhallow Skillnet training programme which runs a suite of training courses locally and online. In line with the CE regulations of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection all training courses have a QQI FETAC, City and Guilds or other Certificate qualification.
This past year has been a most challenging one for everyone, and Julia McAuliffe ensures that the Community Gym in Ballydesmond is kept and we are fortunate that our maintained to the highest of standards. participants stepped up to support our rural communities during the Covid 19 pandemic. IRD Duhallow remained fully operational during this time, with the majority of our staff and scheme participants continuing to work.
Over the past year participants took part in Manual Handling, Payroll, Driver Certificate of Professional Competency, Desktop Publishing, Interview skills, Site Dumper, Training Delivery and Evaluation, HACCP, Safe Pass courses. All of the courses undertaken by participants are certified through SOLAS, QQI or City and Guilds. This past year, four of our participants progressed onto employment.
Participant Development through Training IRD Duhallow continues to run its scheme with long term job prospects
Throughout the year many of our participants are involved in supporting the local tidy towns committees in their work. Pictured here, Catherine O’Donoghue undertaking painting work in Kiskeam.
CE Rehabilitation Scheme Many of those recovering from addiction in Duhallow find themselves facing a difficult job market. In some instances, they cannot return to the same workplace they left before they started their rehabilitation or were unemployed for a long period of time in advance of entering. A person’s capability of gaining initial employment, maintaining employment and obtaining new employment while in recovery poses a difficulty for many of those in recovery from addiction. As a result there is often a serious danger that the recovery efforts will unravel and lead to relapse. IRD Duhallow has recently been approved a CE Drug Rehabilitation scheme for the region with 7 participants and 1 Supervisor. The overall objective will be to provide opportunities for people in recovery from substance misuse to re-engage into their communities and activate them for entry to the labour market. The scheme will assist in bridging the gap between long-term unemployment and the open labour market. It is envisaged that the new scheme will empower these people who are in recovery to grow in confidence in their own employability, acquire new skills and engage more effectively with the labour market whilst also positively attributing to their mental health.
Scheme participant Bernadette O’Leary is sponsored by Cullen Community Hall. Bernadette is responsible for setting up the hall for socially distanced meetings and ensuring that the hall is sanitised and cleaned after each event.
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