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RISE & EPIC Programmes: Employment and Training for Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Covid-19 updates:

Our offices are currently closed and all our services including training have been moved online. For any enquiries about the EPIC Programme, email us at epic@bitc.ie

For guidance, advice and resources about Covid-19 in various languages, please visit the HSE website

The EPIC Programme

Under Business in the Community Ireland’s Business Action on Employment, we also have EPIC (Employment for People from Immigrant Communities), our employment programme which works with immigrants and refugees to help them integrate into Irish society.

We work in partnership with businesses to provide specialised supports. Immigrants and refugees looking for employment and education recognise the lack of Irish work experience, interview preparation and the understanding of the Irish standards when preparing CV and Cover letter as strong obstacles to succeed in their applications.

EPIC is an initiative that to date has impacted the lives of over 3,000 people from 101 nationalities. 68% of our clients have found jobs or entered training or are volunteering. The programme is part supported by the Department of Justice and Equality and the European Social Fund (ESF) as part of the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020.

Under our Business Action on Employment we also run Ready for Work, our Employability Service that provides guidance, work experience and in-work supports to people with disabilities and health challenges. Further information on Ready for Work is here. Applications to Ready for Work are by referral only – please contact us for advice / information if necessary.

Women@Work- Referral agencies only can refer clients to this programme. Please visit the Referral Agency section.

RISE

We also run another programme called RISE which is suitable for recently arrived refugees or refugees who have been in Ireland for longer but have not worked for a long time, and for asylum seekers who are eligible for work permits. Find out more about our RISE programme . Training for RISE is in the Business in the Community Ireland training centre, Phibsborough Tower, Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7.  If you are living in Mosney, transport may be provided (please ask if you need it.)

Watch a video with the panel discussion from our EPIC 10 event focused on the journey of four of our former EPIC participants towards integration and employment in Ireland.

EPIC increases the job seeking skills of immigrants and refugees using a needs assessment and a client centred approach. It provides pre-employment training, One-to-One support and opportunities for work experience.

BITCI Employment Programmes Application Form

Please fill in the application form and email it to epic@bitc.ie . Alternatively, you can drop it into our offices – 3rd Floor Phibsborough Tower Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7. Paper copies of the application form are also available at our offices.

  • Covers business vocabulary, CV and cover letter writing techniques; identifying and describing skills; telephone skills for job interviews and in the workplace; advice on how to look for a job.
  • Interview preparation includes tips and advice from employers, how to handle difficult interview questions, and the opportunity to do mock interviews
  • IT Skills Training –focusing on the use of Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
  • Information sessions on a variety of themes to facilitate networking, understanding of the Irish system and to promote social integration. Topics covered include access to health, employment rights and entitlements, social welfare,  and access to education.

BITCI EPIC leaflet

Group Start dates End dates Schedule
1 13-Jan-20 21-Feb-20 Morning classes
2 03-Feb-20 13-Mar-20 Afternoon classes
3 24-Feb-20 03-Apr-20 Morning classes
16-Mar-20 01-May-20 Afternoon classes Cancelled due to Covid-19
4 (online) 06-Apr-20 22-May-20 Morning classes
05-May-20 12-Jun-20 Afternoon classes Cancelled due to Covid-19
5 (online) 25-May-20 03-Jul-20 Morning classes
15-Jun-20 24-Jul-20 Afternoon classes Cancelled due to Covid-19
6 (online) 06-Jul-20 28-Aug-20 Morning classes
7 10-Aug-20 18-Sep-20 Afternoon classes
8 31-Aug-20 09-Oct-20 Morning classes
9 21-Sep-20 30-Oct-20 Afternoon classes
10 12-Oct-20 20-Nov-20 Morning classes
11 02-Nov-20 11-Dec-20 Afternoon classes

As part of the service package Career Counsellors with expertise and wide experience in career advice and job placement, provide one-to-one support sessions on the various steps required in seeking new employment or education.

Supports include CV and interview preparation, psychometric testing, coaching for interviews as well as working with the participant to source and secure further education or employment.

  • Work experience opportunities
  • Social Support – advice on Social Welfare, housing, family and other issues
  • Mentoring service
  • Advice for entrepreneurs
  • Free access to computers for online job searching
  • Certificate of Participation upon completion of the Training

Participants must first meet three essential criteria in order to be eligible

  • Status–Participants must be adults from non-EU states with Stamp 4, Stamp 1G (conditions apply), asylum seekers with work permits or from EU states entitled to work in Ireland
  • Location – As our EPIC Programme is based in Dublin, participants must be based in Dublin or the Greater Dublin Area
  • Level of English – Participants should have intermediate to high level of both written and spoken English. The English language level will be assessed prior to joining the programme.
For further information please contact:

Livia Bartolomé
Engagement Executive

(01) 874 3842

epic@bitc.ie

Download the Guide for Migrant Jobseekers in Ireland

Find the EPIC Programme on Facebook