Established in 2018, our Women's Employment Programme assists new arrivals to navigate Ireland’s employment systems. We provide women with pre-employment training in a peer-supported environment as well as employment-readiness support including English language training, one-to-one mentoring and supported work experience and volunteering placements. Empowering women with this support better positions them to retain stable employment in an area reflective of their skills, experience, education and interests.  

“Meeting other women from different backgrounds with similar challenges to mine was amazing - we shared stories and ideas and for once my situation (being unemployed) wasn’t such a big issue but a process of learning. The planning was very good and the topics we covered where all relevant.

The employment program gave me back the confidence to go out and get what I believed in and what I wanted. It turned out there was something to learn even in CV writing! I am grateful for the opportunity I got to attend this program and I would encourage other unemployed women to attend future programs.”  

 -Zah

Impact 

As of April 2020, the programme has supported 62 women to prepare for a return to employment and 24 women have secured either full or part-time employment, including some who have set up their own businesses with the remainder continuing their training or education in pursuit of better career prospects for the future. 

“I have been in Ireland 10 months and recently got my Labour Market Access Permission. I am a Cameroonian welder by trade, with over 12 years’ experience as a self-employed welder specialising in manual metal arc welding.

The IRC employment programme has assisted me to prepare my resume and for interview, understand my employment rights in Ireland, as well as identify suitable training to be EN-certified to practice here. After I complete my four-month course, I hope to find employment in my trade. I have also enrolled on their in-house digital skills course.”

-  Vivian Agwe (pictured right)

Our Employment Programme is supported by the Dormant Accounts Fund through Pobal, the European Social Fund and Social Innovation Funds Ireland. 

For more information about our employment supports or if you are an employer who would like to partner with us, please contact Employment Caseworker, Amaka Chuks

Email Amaka