Work Links Roscommon 2024-2028

This project is co-funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Social Protection and the European Union.

Roscommon LEADER Partnership has successful applied for funding under the WorkAbility: Inclusive Pathways to Employment Programme.

The WorkAbility programme funds, local, regional and national projects who provide progressive pathways into employment (including self-employment) through education, training, skills development, and in-work supports for people with disabilities based on their needs, their abilities and their potential. The Roscommon LEADER Partnership program is called “Work Links Roscommon 2024-2028”

The primary target group for the programme is people with disabilities aged 16 years and over who are currently not work ready and/or are distant from the labour market. Projects funded under the WorkAbility Programme incorporate a strong focus on employer engagement, raising employers’ awareness and building their capacity to recruit, retain and progress people with disabilities in their workforce.

The WorkAbility: Inclusive Pathways to Employment Programme is co-financed by the EU Employment, Inclusion, Skills, and Training Programme (EIST) 2021-2027 and the Department of Social Protection (DSP). This new five-year programme closed for applications in September 2023. Successful organisations were notified in December 2023 with projects commencing on 1 January 2024 and running to 31 December 2028.

Aims of the Programme

The programme aims to ensure that people with disabilities are fully supported to find and maintain employment and organisations, which employ programme participants, are supported to ensure that their employment is successful.

Objectives of the Programme are:

To improve the employment prospects of people with disabilities who are currently distant from the labour market.

To build the capacity of employers to recruit, retain and progress people with disabilities within their workforce.

To facilitate new partnerships amongst stakeholders (people with disabilities, disability services, employment services and employers) and new approaches to providing employment supports to people with disabilities.

This project is in line with the government’s goals as outlined in the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities, 2019. Our alignment with the government strategy is clear through our aims of providing comprehensive targeted guidance on further education, training and career options. This including interview technique and confidence building skills; scoping of opportunities for people with disabilities to experience work experience opportunities and gain an understanding of the world of work. Additionally the provision of awareness raising opportunities including information sessions to local businesses to increase their awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities. We will continue to provide supports by informing them of the Employability Service, the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Reasonable Accommodation Fund through the updated Employers toolkit. We are in keeping with the high-level goal of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025 where it aims to extend employment opportunities to all who can work including marginalised groups and specifically in relation to people with disabilities. We believe that this joined-up approach model of working can be sustained into the future with collective use of resources.

Project Focus

The project will focus on training that is required specifically to meet the needs of employers and may include customer services, HACCP, Manual Handling, IT amongst others. Once participants have developed person centred plans and once we have initial employers on board and we can establish courses and requirements to enhance employment opportunities. We plan to upskill people with disabilities in areas where there are vacancies therefore improving their prospects of securing employment. We propose to couple these certified and non-certified courses with soft skills and confidence building supports where needed. We have shown, in the Work Links Roscommon project 2022, that siloed support offerings are not the way forward to maximize opportunities for people with disabilities. However, by providing integrating current segregated support options from various partners into a more coherent model of support for employment, education and training progression options is a way forward for people with additional needs.

For Employees:

We understand the value of a holistic approach. Our integrated model combines certified training with soft skills and confidence building, maximising employment opportunities.

Benefits:

We match participants’ abilities and interests with available positions on our database, ensuring a perfect fit. We elevate job readiness; improve access to employment, and open doors to diverse career opportunities.

Participant Training:

QQI Accredited Courses
Non-Accredited Courses
ASDAN
Industry specific training e.g. Manual Handling; HACCP; Safe Pass etc. according to the expressed needs and aspirations of participants

For Employers:

The project will focus on training and supports specifically to meet the needs of employers around any issues or concerns they may have about engaging an employee with additional needs. A short work placement will be carried out prior to any job offer to ensure a good fit for all.

The project will develop further the Database of employers to ensure the widest promotion of and engagement with the project on e.g. training supports. Easyread document development, Disability Awareness Training for existing employees etc., to explore offering a place to a person with a disability

The Employers Toolkit will be further developed as a project tool for the benefit of employers, their employees, all stakeholders and participants, their supporters and family members.

Services and grants for employers will be showcased in partnership with key stakeholders e.g. employers’ grants on the Wage Subsidy Scheme and Workplace Equipment Adaption Grant will be explained.

HR Consultants will be made available to employers to alleviate any concerns or “fear” with employing people with disabilities, support them with contracts, with how to conduct good interviews when employing people with disabilities etc.