First students of DCU Ability complete the programme
The first students of DCU Ability, a programme that helps young people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine with disabilities to improve their employment prospects and achieve their full potential, have completed their training programme. A pilot group of six students completed the thirteen week course which included career preparation, work experience, personal and interpersonal skills, personal effectiveness, and health and safety in the workplace. These students are now able to head on with confidence to work placements across DCU and partner companies.
The DCU Ability team have also been working with a number of individual students around work placement confidence and skill development. The first work placement was at the President’s Office here in DCU.
The intake for the second running of the course began mid-June with ten students. A third course due to start in September with twelve students is currently over-subscribed with the next availability in January 2020. Placements for the second intake of students include DCU’s main restaurant, DCU in the Community in Ballymun, the DCU Sports Complex and the School of Nursing and Human Science.
Dr. Carmel Andersen, DCU Ability project manager, said
“We are so proud of these young people who have worked so hard over the last thirteen weeks to develop new practical work based skills. They have demonstrated that if you offer inclusion in the workplace you have an enrichment of your working environment in more ways than you can imagine.
We are constantly amazed at everyone’s abilities and it has been an absolute delight to work on this project.”
What is DCU Ability?
DCU Ability promotes the employability of young people (eighteen to twenty-nine) with disabilities to gain the skills, competencies and experiences needed to be career-ready, by creating meaningful and tailored pathways into education, training and work placements, using a person-centred approach.
Dublin City University are working in partnership with St Michael’s House, campus businesses and other disability service providers to harness their joint expertise, resources and facilities.
DCU Ability will support 100 young people and provide training programmes, career advice and occupational therapist support in the work placements. Bespoke personal development plans will enable these young people to transition from school to employment or education.
The programme works closely with companies who can offer a job placement, to give Ability students an experience of what it is like to be in the workplace.
DCU Ability is co-financed by the Irish Government and the ESF Programme for Employability Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.