Taoiseach, Micheál Martin joined Google’s Vanessa Hartley at the Fair Play Cafe in Ringsend recently to announce €750,000 in funding from Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, to St Andrews Resource Centre.
This project will deliver comprehensive wrap-around training and support to over 1,000 unemployed individuals and early school leavers in Dublin Docklands communities, aiming for at least 50% of beneficiaries to access further education or employment opportunities.
The funding will help future-proof Dublin’s Docklands communities through hyperlocal training initiatives that will strengthen essential skills and provide support to help people access jobs, education, and long-term employment opportunities.
Google.org provided the funding to St Andrews Resource Centre who will use the funds to support the work of This City Works, a platform between Dublin city-based community employment services, helping job seekers in Dublin find the right job for them. The training will be delivered through several vital programmes.
These include a certified Train-the-Trainer programme for unemployed adults, an expanded community-based digital support for early school leavers and long-term unemployed, and a Level 5 Homecare Assistant course for 20 learners aimed at bridging local employment gaps and preparing students for AI-linked apprenticeships.
The grant will also fund wraparound support across multiple partner organisations such as LIR, Lets Go, FAACT, Fair Play Digital Hub, and others to ensure learners can access coaching, mentoring, and practical assistance.
The initiative will support 100 learners through career development programmes, upskill students in ten local schools, and enable 15 learners with additional support needs to complete a modular employment programme.
Speaking at the event Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, "This project shows that when we align community needs with the right training, we create a more inclusive, resilient, and future-proof workforce for the Dublin Docklands and beyond. I want to thank Google.org for its continued commitment to this invaluable work."
