Ability to Work Fund supportive of pathway to work

MEMBERS of a programme in Walkinstown were among a group of 1,000 people with disabilities who were supported on the pathway to employment through the Ability to Work Fund over the past three years.

The Ability to Work Fund is a €1.5m fund created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with State Street and the Government of Ireland to open pathways to employment by investing in organisations that provide training, upskilling and education.

Among the organisations that took part in the programme is Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability’s Creating Employment PATHways Through Technology Project.

WALK’s Creating Employment PATHways Through Technology Project used the funding to recruit additional members and provide a more cost-effective and tailored service.

The technology platform provides job coaches with the tools and resources needed to create vocational profiles for their clients.

Overall, 148 participants engaged in WALK’s CEPTT programme, 74 people with disabilities were supported into paid employment, and 45 people with disabilities were supported into work experience with a view to gaining paid employment.

The national fund allowed for an increase in service levels, expanding reach to open employment opportunities for people with disabilities, nurturing their talent and matching them with progressive companies and organisations.

Since the launch of the fund in 2021, four awarded organisations – including WALK and Dublin Simon Community – have implemented a range of innovative initiatives and support projects in direct response to the employment and equality needs of people with disabilities.

Deirdre Mortell, CEO, Rethink Ireland said: “We know that almost two-thirds of people with disabilities are unemployed in Ireland.

“This is unacceptably low when we know that people with disabilities have a right to equal employment opportunities. The Ability to Work Fund is one step towards addressing this.”