Having a Job is Brilliant for me Financially and for my Independence:
The Cope Foundation has unveiled an ambitious plan to help more than 60 young people in Cork move towards full employment.
The foundation, the country’s largest provider of support services to people with intellectual disabilities or autism, has launched its Ability@Work programme which will make dedicated supported employment services available to young people aged 18 to 29 to help them as they move from education to training and, hopefully, into full-time jobs.
The team driving the plan has already placed jobseekers with Lidl, Mater Private Hospital Cork, Duke’s Coffee Company, Sodexo and Café Velo.
They hope that by working with more local businesses, they will promote inclusivity and diversity in the workplace and make Cork the inclusive capital of Ireland.
Amy Begley, who works part-time as a customer assistant in Lidl in Kanturk, said she loves her job and the opportunities it provides. “I love the fact that I’m able to get up and go to work,” she said.
It is so nice to be able to say ‘yes, I have a job’, I am proud of that.
“I love meeting the customers, greeting them with a smile and ‘Hi, how are you?’ It can really make a difference to someone’s day. Having a job is brilliant for me financially and for my independence, it’s nice that I can socialise and pay my way for trips.
“I’m just back from a trip to Switzerland – if it wasn’t for the money I make from my job I wouldn’t have been able to go.”
Lidl’s Conor O’Donovan said they were delighted to collaborate with Ability@Work to give Amy a job.
“At Lidl our core values are trust, respect, recognition and responsibility,” he said. “Our involvement in Ability@Work allows us to really live these values by providing employment opportunities to people who, ordinarily, face barriers to gaining access to employment.”
Cope said the scheme also provides prospective employers with disability awareness training for their staff, while organisations can gain a greater insight and understanding around disability issues. The foundation’s chief executive, Seán Abbott, said they work with amazing people every day who would be an asset to any workforce:
“They do not see their disability as a reason why they cannot work, and this programme works to reinforce that. The reports we receive from participating companies about how their new employees have made such a positive impact on the entire workforce is heartening and reinforces our view that inclusivity is the way forward.”
