Earlier this month, we attended the launch and awards ceremony of a programme called Career LEAP. The event was launched by Minister Pascal Donohoe and Minister of State, Michael D’Arcy, with Professor Chris Morash, Vice-Provost of Trinity College, also addressing the group. Career LEAP is a innovative unique programme which has been developed by Trinity College and Professor Carmel O’Sullivan to encourage young people from a social or educational disadvantage to become part of the workforce. LEAP stands for Local Employment Action Partnership. The partnership involves the bringing together of local community groups, local businesses, and most importantly the participants.
Walls are proud to be one of the business partners who took part in the programme, with two of participants based on our Dublin Landings site for the duration of their work placement. Two of the thirteen placements spoke on the day of the launch, one being Paul Flood, who was based on Dublin Landings. Paul spoke about where his life was before the programme, where it is now, and his experience working with Walls and how much “he loved it”. While with us we introduced Paul to a subcontractor that he is now working with. We’re delighted his still around our Dublin Landings site and we wish him all the best in his future career.
Apart from the sense of pride that we get from building in the capital, we are especially keen to assist any endeavours that helps young people from the locality. Through our participation in the programme we have the utmost admiration and respect for the principles, objectives and innovative approach of this unique programme. Getting your first job can be difficult and Career LEAP does its utmost to bridge this gap. We’d like to thank Carmel O’Sullivan and the programme co-ordinator, Aimee Harding, for the opportunity to take part in this initiative.
Our Training Manager, Niamh Barry, is a member of the Career L.E.A.P. Steering Committee and was on a panel of three speakers who spoke about the businesses experience of the programme, along with Sinead Smith, Corporate Responsibility Manager at A&L Goodbody, and Mairead Mahon, Director of Swan Youth Service. You can read more about the launch here: http://www.thejournal.ie/career-leap-inner-city-3688636-Nov2017
