Google.org Announces Funding of €300k to Support Local Employment
29th March 2023
At an event yesterday evening Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD announced funding support of €300,000 by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, to fund nonprofits supporting local employment opportunities through the Local Employment Task Force.
Launched in 2021 with support from Google, the Employment Task Force aims to find sustainable employment solutions for long-term unemployed people from the south inner city and provide training and development opportunities. This latest grants by Google.org will fund skills programmes by two nonprofits in the local area:
The Anchorage Project – a community-based training programme in the Ringsend and Irishtown area. The new skills based training will support 70 students to obtain an ITEC certified level qualification and soft skills to enable them to gain sustainable employment in the beauty and hospitality skills industry.
The Irish Nautical Trust – Google.org will continue its support of this hugely successful scholarship programme for students to access marine skills and technology. Launched in October 2021, this community-based environment maritime training programme educates local unemployed people and school leavers on the environment. Of 30 recent graduates, 28 have gained employment with ongoing support being provided to the remaining two. The funding supports access for students to obtain a certified level of maritime skills and enable them to gain sustainable employment in the marine industry.
Last evening’s event was to present certificates to the first 10 parents of children with special needs who completed the Special Needs Assistants (SNA) qualification with support from Google. This programme was established by Google’s Education Taskforce, a group consisting of the seven local schools in the area, who identified the need for SNA support. At the same time the local Neurodiversity network in the community made up of over 60 families from Irishtown, Ringsend and Pearse Street (NIRP) approached Google seeking training support in the field of SNA and digital support.
Google supported 10 scholarships for the NIRP group. 10 parents successfully achieved level 5 and 6 qualifications in the field of SNA. They carried out their work experience in the local schools supported by the Education Task Force. Following the initial success of the programme, Google has now announced its intention to fund a further 10 scholarships in the Docklands community.
Pictured: Minister Donnelly with David Sneddon, VP, Google Ireland and the 10 parents who completed Google’s inaugural Special Needs Assistants (SNA) scholarship programme. (Image: Naoise Culhane).
