employment supports

When it comes to supporting asylum seekers, there’s a sense that governments can only do much. That leaves it up to communities and social enterprises to close the gap.

Ahead of the launch of a tendering process for delivery of job activation programmes, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection commissioned Indecon to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of Local Employment Services. Here, editor Allen Meagher dives in to the results.

In times of unemployment and economic difficulties, some of the brightest stars are the entrepreneurs who chance it all on an idea.

Sometimes, it can feel like working in community development is an uphill battle, with hard-won victories few and far between. Over the last few months, however, the sector’s enjoyed some major (and minor) successes.

Often, it can be the more vulnerable people in our communities who have the most difficulty finding ways to be self-sustaining. Here, Terenure Enterprise Centre enterprise support officer Vasilena Vasileva explains what they did with Walk to change that.

Following on from a successful visit to a Co Kerry social farming open day, Allen Meagher takes a closer look at what it’s all about.

Farming is a vocation as well as a way to make a living. Imagine sharing farming life with people who need to catch a break, but who may also not know a thing about farming… That’s social farming and it’s changing lives.

Amid criticism and concerns about the JobPath programme, the recently rebranded Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has touted its successes.