People’s Impact Fund
Tackling youth unemployment together.
The People’s Impact Fund, created by Rethink Ireland, Deloitte Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development, is a €500,000 fund aimed at empowering young adults through enhanced employability skills and employment facilitation. This one-year fund is designed to promote equitable access to employment opportunities for marginalised young people across Ireland.
With youth unemployment in Ireland standing at 12% as of Q2 2024, significantly higher than the overall unemployment rate of 4.6%, the need for targeted support is critical. The People’s Impact Fund aims to bridge this gap by funding innovative non-profit projects that equip young people aged 15-30 with the necessary skills to thrive in today’s job market. Together, we aim to tackle various challenges faced by young adults from marginalised communities, including limited awareness of career options, insufficient technical or general skills and the lack of supportive social networks.
Awardees
Ballymun Job Centre
Choosing My Future is an employment guidance service for young people who are unemployed or in low-skill, low-paid work. It aims to empower disadvantaged young people to pursue fulfilling careers The service takes a person-centred life-first approach to build self-esteem, employability, career clarity, and well-being. It is impartial, exploring the challenges experienced by young people, and drawing on community, public service supports, and employer knowledge, to enable young people to build sustainable labour market outcomes.
EQUAL Ireland
EQUAL Ireland, in partnership with Spéire Nua, proudly presents their award-winning project, Empowerment through Education and Employment. This initiative tackles deprivation, unemployment, and education barriers among young adults, ensuring individuals access opportunities, progress to accredited education, and secure paid employment. With a strong focus on gender equality, we empower individuals—especially women—to break cycles of poverty.
Foróige
The Foróige NFTE mentoring programme provides young people with access to one-to-one mentoring and coaching from businesses, volunteers in the corporate world. This creates new opportunities for these young people to develop their business to the next stage and opens up a world of employment and training opportunities.
YMCA Dublin
YMCA Dublin’s Réidh programme supports refugees and asylum seekers in overcoming barriers to employment and social inclusion. Through career guidance, employability training, English language classes, and welfare support, Réidh empowers participants to build skills, gain work experience, and integrate into Irish society. With a holistic, trauma-informed approach, YMCA Dublin ensures participants have the skills and confidence to transition into education, training, and meaningful employment opportunities.
