Minister Ahern launches €375 million European Social Fund’s Human Investment Programme for Ireland

HUMAN CAPITAL INVESTMENT

Operational Programme 2007-2013

Ireland

Building the Future

Background

This project was undertaken in the context of the regeneration of Ballymun in Dublin. It has long been recognised that the range of social and economic problems facing Ballymun are complex. Key indicators of social need (unemployment, education attainment and progression levels, welfare dependency, drug and substance abuse) show a complex picture of interlocking and overlapping factors that reinforce poverty and social exclusion.

Objectives

This project developed a bottom up approach to women’s leadership in the local community and specifically worked to ensure that the regeneration programmes produced community, economic and social outcomes for women. The target group was women living in Ballymun and a particular focus was to enable these women to engage with planners and architects in the design and development of a Women’s Centre and to manage the Centre as a centre of excellence. The project provided training to women to enable them to contribute to the planning of the Women’s Centre and to manage the centre as a centre of excellence. Enabling the local community to avail of employment opportunities that will emerge within the regenerated area was also a focus. Local women were provided with the skills and capacity to engage with and participate in the design, development and implementation of regeneration programmes and activities in Ballymun.

Major outcomes include:

The receipt of funding to build a purpose built childcare facility.

Development of a business plan that will assist the Women’s Resource Centre in building a Women’s Centre in the newly-regenerated Ballymun.

Numerous training programmes including Childcare, Women’s Studies and Personal/Interpersonal Development.

Approximately 200 women have received training and/or accreditation since the commencement of the project.

The project also runs a Crèche and Information Office.

The project commenced in November 2002 and ran until December 2005.

Ballymun Women’s Resource Centre

Ireland

The Mahon Point Training & Employment Project

Project Objectives

The Mahon Point project was designed to maximise the potential employment opportunities for unemployed people in an area of high unemployment. The opportunity arose as a result of the Mahon Point Development project- a major commercial development in the Mahon district of Cork city.

This very successful ESF part-funded job training initiative brought together the Irish Training and Employment Authority (FÁS), a Local Community Association (the Mahon Community Association), some of the key retailers locating in the new development and the commercial developer of the Mahon Point project.

The property developer constructed offices and training facilities in the local Mahon Community Centre and FÁS provided a range of full and part-time courses targeted at long term unemployed people in the area. Courses, which included Retail Sales Training, Pathways to Employment, Basic Keyboard and Computer Skills, Construction Skills, Catering/Hospitality and Warehousing, were implemented in the special Employment and Training Centre that was located in the Mahon Community Centre. Easy local access to career guidance and

full/part–time, training resources played a pivotal role in the scheme’s success.

The Director of the Mahon Community Association warmly welcomed the results of the Mahon Point Training & Employment Project.

“I think it reflects the hard work done by everybody involved. From an employment training perspective, this was a win-win situation for the local community and the project. It was also a good example of how a State agency, a business and a local community can work together to achieve common goals. The Mahon CommunityAssociation is really delighted at the outcome.’’

Project Outcomes

FÁS established a database of the 1, 630 unemployed people from Mahon Point and surrounding areas who had expressed an interest in participating in the project. 1,200 of these participated in a guidance and counselling process, to identify and match their skills and experiences with their job aspirations and training/development needs. Following the Guidance and Counselling phase, some progressed directly to employment, while 456 participated in training programmes. 310 of these were residents of the Mahon Point district. 78% of those who participated in training programmes obtained employment.

This project showed how employment opportunities for unemployed people could be successfully integrated with local commercial development to the mutual benefit of both sides. Local unemployed people benefited from guidance and training that resulted in employment opportunities; and the commercial developer and retailers got a skilled workforce.

The Third Level Access Fund, when established, was set up to help to maximise the opportunities of certain target groups to access further and higher education and as a consequence to participate fully in the economy, in employment and society through the acquisition of the necessary skills and qualifications required by the economy.

The development of Third Level Access has promoted and continues to promote the participation of students with disabilities, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those from the Traveller community, ethnic minorities and mature “second chance” students, in third-level and further education courses.

The measure, through its’ various funding mechanisms has helped people in these groups in a number of ways which have led to increased participation in Further & Higher Education. The Third Level Access Measure has supported the continuing increase in the numbers of students with disabilities making applications through the disability offices of colleges, through the Fund for Students with Disabilities. It is expected that the numbers of beneficiaries in academic year 2005/6 will exceed 2,100, representing at least a 16% increase on the previous year.

The preliminary results of a recent survey conducted by the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability indicates that participation by students with a disability in third level education in Ireland has improved over the last decade.  In 2004 students with a disability represented 2.4% (2,730) of all undergraduate students in higher education institutions, compared to a participation rate of only 0.6% (460) in 1994.

The Third Level Access measure provides financial support to disadvantaged students by way of the Student Assistance Fund and the additional support through the Special Rate of Maintenance Grant. Over 12,500 students are now benefiting from the special rate of maintenance, and over 11,000 students benefited from the Student Assistance Fund in 2003/04. Through the Millennium Partnership Fund, it also promotes and assists outreach initiatives currently undertaken by area Partnerships and colleges which involve links with post-primary schools, in disadvantaged areas.

The objective of increasing access to Third Level education was further enhanced by the establishment, with the support of the Third Level Access Measure, of the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education in 2003. Located within the Higher Education Authority, this dedicated Office is responsible for the co-ordination of a multi-faceted national strategy to achieve equity of access to higher education in Ireland. Since its establishment the Office has produced a three year action plan and is currently nearing the completion of the first year of the plan timeframe. In 2005 among other activities the National Office completed a review of access funding which was published in December. It has also commenced an evaluation of institutional access programmes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities, mature students and students from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The Higher Education Authority

Marine House,

Clanwilliam Court

Dublin 2

Tel 353 1 6612748

access@hea.ie

www.hea.ie

Project name

YOUTHREACH

Project description, objectives and results

YOUTHREACH HELPS 7,000 EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS

YOUTHREACH is the principal official response to the needs of unemployed young people, generally aged between 15-20, who left school early having attained less than 5 Ds at Junior cycle level. The Government and the European Social Fund provide financial support under the National Development Plan for Youthreach.

It is administered jointly by the Department of Education and Science and FÁS is delivered in 90 YOUTHREACH centres managed by VECs, in 45 Community Training Workshops funded by FÁS and 12 Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform Workshops. These are out-of-school settings in disadvantaged urban and rural communities throughout the country.They cater for 7,000 trainees.

FAS

Education

EarlySchoolLeavers

1,865

YOUTHREACH

2859

BridgingMeasures

1,334

Travellers

955

Total

3,199

Total

3814

Nationally, one child in ten leaves school with no qualifications and one in five leaves without completing the Leaving Certificate. These young people are at particular risk in the labour market – the unemployment rate is 47.5% for those who enter the labour market with no qualifications, comparedwith 9.6% for those with a Leaving Certificate.In addition to having left school early, many YOUTHREACH participants have other difficulties.

For example, family dysfunctions are reported in over 50% of cases and substance abuse in 25%. There are high levels of literacy problems (35%) and learning needs (25%), poor physical and/or mental health (20%) and offending behaviour (20%). A small proportion (4%) are homeless or in care. Thirty per cent of female participants are lone parents.

In responding to these and other needs, YOUTHREACH offers a flexible and dynamic programme of integrated general education, vocational training and work experience. Courses are full-time and are available on a year round basis. An age-related training allowance is paid to participants.

The main objectives of YOUTHREACH are:

Personal and social development and increased selfesteem.

Promoting independence, personal autonomy and a pattern of lifelong learning.

Integration into further education and training opportunities and the labour market.

Active citizenship and social inclusion.