Tús . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Tús

Amarachi Ogbuji is completing her placement in Duhallow Community Food Services where she has learnt many new baking techniques.

Duhallow or be referred to other agencies as required. The SICAP funded Job Centre provides participants with support to create or update their C.V. as well as offering interview preparation. Through the Job Centre and the Skillnet programme we have developed many links with employers and have a strong track record of supporting participants to acquire full time employment. Where full time employment may not yet be an option, participants can continue to progress through other schemes such CE or CSP.

Learning New Skills

Tús participant Sonia Tobin with Terry Kelleher who manages the Shopeen in Macroom. This shop is run voluntarily and raises funds for the adjacent Sullane Haven – who provides sheltered housing, meals on wheels and numerous other services. The Duhallow Tús programme places a keen emphasis on upskilling. Tús supervisor Don Murphy is a master stonemason and he imparts his expertise and knowledge to participants of the scheme. One such project was in Cullen, where participants constructed an 80m long stone wall on the south side of the village. This job involved learning how to lay sand stone 0.9mt high with a mortar joint and it was then finished with a soldier course.

As a standard, all participants undergo manual handling training, with most going on to complete a Safe Pass

Donal O’Brien has honed his IT skills through his placement in IRD Duhallow. course. These courses are seen as essential by many employers and are valuable assets on any C.V. Tús participants are also offered other upskilling opportunities through the suite of training programmes offered across the wide range of initiatives delivered by IRD Duhallow.

Scenes at Shrone Lake which is part of the Duhallow Way. Tús participants strimmed and hedged the roadway leading up to the Shrone Lake. This scenic valley is enjoyed by walkers and forms part of the Clonkeen leg of the Duhallow Way.

Tús – Complementing other Employment Opportunities

A participant of the Tús programme can work part-time as long as they continue to undertake their Tús placement. IRD Duhallow has a number of instances where through the confidence building and skills acquired as part of the Tús programme, people have gone on to attain additional employment outside of their Tús placement. However, anyone who acquires a full time position is required to resign immediately from the Tús scheme.

Carla Ankiah is one of the many success stories from Tús. Since completing her placement with IRD Duhallow, Carla has progressed in her career to now be the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer for Autism Assisted Dogs Ireland and is a regular contributor to charities forums and a wellregarded public speaker at events.

Testimony – Paul Kennedy

After being unemployed I started on Tús in IRD Duhallow in 2016. My placement was in the Pitch and Putt maintaining the greens and fairways. Eventually I went onto maintaining the entire course. The

Paul Kennedy Head Greenkeeper at the work is quite extensive involving: Newmarket Pitch and Putt. hollow-tinning, pencil tinning, feeding and fertilising wetting agents, pesticides, fungicides and top-dressing, scarifying and seeding the greens, repairing and changing the holes. When my Tús placement finished, I was keen to continue working and progress further, so I started on CE. I trained up in Advanced Green keeping which has resulted in me becoming the Head Greenkeeper in the Newmarket Pitch and Putt. Little did I realise when I started on Tús that I would progress to this position.