|
Community Employment
At Meitheal
Mara we run a Fás Community Employment program. 12 of our staff are on a program
to move them from long term unemployment to full time employment or education.
During their time with us, 1 to 3 years, the participants gain experience of a
workplace environment and receive training in health and safety as well as a
training plan to meet their individual needs. Through this program participants
have access to literacy tuition and career guidance. We have training positions
in our workshop, archives and front office. Our past participants include those
who have gone to third level colleges, are running their own businesses and
those who have found employment in related, and sometimes totally unrelated,
fields.
Youth Boat Building
We run boat
building programs for groups of young people from the city. Over 15 weeks these
young people spend one evening a week building a Dunfanaghy currach. From
gunwales to tarring they work as a team and through this process learn not only
about boat building but about themselves and their strengths. We build an
average of 5 to 6 boats per year and after launching their boats the young
people are then encouraged to join our rowing program where they get to put
their boat to use.
Youth Rowing
Our step by
step rowing program was developed to introduce the young people of Cork city to
our maritime heritage and ,through working as part of a team on the water ,to
promote personal and social development.
Back to Education Program
The aim of this
program is to provide an opportunity for young people who left education early
to re enter it through an environment adapted to their needs. Over the course of
a year the young people participate in many woodworking projects in our
workshop, they research, design, plan and produce craft pieces, train in rowing,
participate in communications and personal effectiveness sessions and even get
an introduction to basic cookery. We have 6 young people (16 - 19 years) on this
program who attend Meitheal Mara three days per week. All will have the
opportunity to work towards national certification (FETAC) in woodcraft,
communication and personal effectiveness.
Funding
All our youth projects are
supported by The Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund under the National
Development Plan
Our community employment
Project is funded by FAS - Training and Employment
Authority.
Our Back to Education
Program is a Department of Education & Science, Back to Education Initiative.
We also rely on
our fundraising activities to supplement current funding.
|
