During a visit to Cork today (Friday, 14th June 2013), the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD, visited two local Community Employment schemes based in Cork city. The Glen Community Creche, based at the Glen Sports and Resource Centre situated on the northside of Cork city, is a CE project with 45 participants, a supervisor and an assistant supervisor. The key element of this project is to provide quality affordable childcare through the crèche and to provide through the sports centre a range of health activities to all who live in the local community. The crèche is run Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 5.00pm with both full day care and part-time services provided each day.
The Minister congratulated the staff at the Resource Centre on developing a two-year certificate/diploma course on youth and community work through physical activity in conjunction with University College Cork. The first course of its kind in the country, this course is due to commence this year.
Minister Burton said: "This CE project is a real example of what can be achieved where the manager and team have a specific focus and commitment to providing facilities and services which enable people participate in community development. I am also pleased to see that childcare qualifications at FETAC level 5 and level 6 are being achieved here."
This year, funding of €500,000 has been provided by the Department of Social Protection for the project. Of the 23 participants who left the project in 2011/2012, nine are in employment and a further two participants continued into training/education. The Minister also congratulated Cork City Council, which owns the Glen Resource Centre, and the Centre’s voluntary board of directors on the invaluable role the facility plays in the local community.
The Festival Arts Campaign Scheme was the second CE scheme that Minister Burton visited. This project has been sponsored by Triskel Arts Centre since 1981. It currently has 22 participants and a supervisor. This year, the Department of Social Protection is providing funding of €280,000 to this CE scheme. Located at Triskel Christchurch, Tobin Street, the Festival Arts Campaign comprises Triskel Arts Centre, the Cork Opera House, Cork Film Festival, Chernobyl Children’s Project and the Irish Cancer Society, among others. This particular CE scheme enables Festival Arts Campaign to deliver a comprehensive arts service both locally and nationally.
Addressing those present at Triskel Christchurch, Minister Burton said: "Projects such as this clearly demonstrate the benefits of CE schemes. The Festival Arts Campaign Scheme provides a vast programme of visual arts, film, theatre, music and arts in education and heritage. In addition, the work experience and training provided has enabled the participants to progress into employment with quite a significant number having moved into various arts and other organisations not just in Cork, but nationwide and internationally."
The Minister spoke of the value of the Community Employment Programme as an active labour market programme to help unemployed people re-enter the workforce. It is the largest active labour market intervention in Ireland. Its aim is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities within their communities.
In last December’s Budget, Minister Burton secured an extra €11 million in funding for 10,000 additional activation places this year, including 2,000 additional Community Employment places. This brings the overall number of activation places to 85,000, including a total of 25,300 Community Employment places, as part of the Department’s wider efforts to help jobseekers to become job-ready and secure a job, training or educational opportunity. In all, the Department will spend more than €1 billion this year on work, training and education schemes and supports.