Are you a Referral Agency?
Ready for Work is our EmployAbility Service for people with disabilities and health challenges
EmployAbility Services are funded by the Irish Government through the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Tá Seirbhísí Infhostaitheachta maoinithe ag Rialtas na hÉireann tríd an Roinn Gnóthaí Fostaíochta agus Coimirce Sóisialaí
BITCI runs Ready for Work, an EmployAbility Service funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that provides career guidance, work experience and support to people with disabilities and health challenges. We also support employers to maximise success as our jobseekers make the journey back to work.
We work with people who are over 18, feel ready for a return to work and have a health issue, illness or disability.
If this applies to you or somebody you work with, please contact us on employability@bitc.ie/ 01 8747232 or enquire about BITC’s EmployAbility Service at your Intreo Office or Local Employment Service.
Under Business Action on Employment we also run EPIC, our employment programme for immigrants which offers 6 weeks training, one to one guidance, opportunities for work experience and business supports. Find out more about EPIC.
The Women@Work programme is for women who have completed employability programmes but need further help to access employment. This includes single mothers, women who have left employment to provide care to children or other family members, women migrants and refugees, women with disabilities or who have had mental health, addiction or other challenges. Visit the Women@Work page to find out more.
To date 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 Career Counsellor begins to create a working relationship with the client. Those who aren’t selected are referred to appropriate alternative services.
Our pre-employment training module has been created specifically for marginalised groups and focuses on communication, building confidence, managing change plus CV preparation and mock interviews.
Participants’ skills and interests are matched as far as possible to work placements being offered by participating businesses. Placements are:
- Supported – someone in the business acts as a ‘buddy’ to the participant for the 4 weeks 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
- 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
- Unwaged – so that there is no interruption to social welfare payments for participants while on placement. Businesses cover the costs of travel and uniform if required
Work placement opportunities include: retail (operations and sales), stockroom, warehouse, maintenance, catering, cleaning and admin.
Current placement companies include: Marks & Spencer, Lidl, Boots, Momentum Support, Compass, Ricoh, Jurys Inn Hotels, Hilton hotels and the Dalata group.
Straight after the placement, participants come back together with the trainers, agree an action plan to go forward and receive certificates of completion.
Before, during and after the work placement a Career Counsellor meets with participants regularly, providing guidance, motivation and practical support during the job search and onwards into employment or training. There is also access to business workshops, which provide extra support from business volunteers for effective job seeking.
04-February-2019
25-March-2019
13-May-2019
01-July-2019
09-September-2019
14-October-2019
Follow BITC Employment Programmes on Twitter
For further information please contact: