EmployAbility Service

To date our EmployAbility Service ( formerly known as Ready for Work) has impacted the lives of over 800 people.

Close to 70% of those completing work experience through the service have since started working and almost all of the participants have said that the service has increased their confidence and motivation for finding employment. 

If you are in contact with people who are affected by a health condition, injury, illness or disability and who are progressing towards a return to work, you can make first contact with our service by emailing employability@bitc.ie or calling 01 8747232.

Use our leaflet to talk to your client about this opportunity: BITC RFW Leaflet

After the initial contact with us your client will need to be referred by an Intreo Case Officer or Local Employment Service Mediator. We can provide a letter to take to Intreo/LES.

Following referral by Intreo/ LES,candidates attend a registration meeting to ascertain if our service is a good fit. We carry out a needs assessment and a Job Coach begins to create a working relationship with the client. If our service isn’t suitable, clients are referred to appropriate alternative services.

Clients build their working relationship with our Job Coach, who is trained in Adult Guidance and Counselling. In these guidance sessions, the job coach works with them on any barriers to employment, identifies long and short-term goals and guides them in their job seeking activity.

• Networking workshops – our Wednesday Workshops series, developed as a response to Covid lockdown in Spring 2020 and delivered completely online, provides another space for EmployAbility clients to interact with businesses
• Our in house training focuses on life skills such as positive self-talk, self-awareness, motivation and communication skills. Participants are also trained by business volunteers, selected from recruitment companies, in CV and interview preparation. Mock interviews with detailed feedback are provided by these volunteers

Our participants get to test and improve their own job readiness by entering a work experience. Placements are:

• Supported – someone in the business acts as a ‘buddy’ to the participant  to help them to get familiar with the role and the company, and our team are there to deal with any issues that may arise
• Usually 4 – 8 weeks, part time – part time hours are arranged to allow for child care and other appointments and to encourage participants to build a routine gradually
• Monday – Friday – placements don’t include weekends. During week days our team are available to support participants and businesses

Progress on the job is monitored by the company and feedback given during and after the placement. Placements are extended where appropriate. Immersion in the workplace and direct contact with company staff is a highly effective way for participants to develop workplace and life skills.

Work placement opportunities include: retail (operations and sales), stockroom, warehouse, maintenance, catering, cleaning and admin.

There is ongoing monitoring and support of participants in employment settings and people are encouraged to manage their time and responsibilities around welfare benefits, accommodation, personal relationships etc. so that they don’t impinge on their responsibilities to their employers.

For those who haven’t found employment we continue to support them to increase their employability through training and volunteering.