Westmeath Community Development

Community Employment Programme Athlone  

The Community Employment shceme has been in operation in Athlone since 1994, initially under ATHLONE Community Taskforce with WCDL becoming the sponsor in 2007.  

Projects to date have been very successful and have focused on offering support to the wider community through various different measures.

1.      By employing workers to carry out socially valuable work in an area of disadvantage, and improve social conditions by being part of an after-schools project, thus encouraging the youth to continue in their education thereby combating early school leaving.

 2.      By employing workers in areas that give significant benefit to the community at large e.g., Lone Parents Support Workers, Athlone CIC, Open Door, TFE, Refugee Site Creche, After Schools Projects  etc 

 3.      By providing ongoing training, support, mentoring and skills updating to the Community Employment workers thereby increasing their chances of gaining full or part-time employment or go on to further training/education.

 4.      By providing reception and maintenance support to the Business Development Centre and its clients.

At present we have 27 positions with the programme.  We have a 50% progression rate form CE with our participants moving on to both full time and part time work , as fits in with their own lifestyle.  The training undertaken by participants while on CE varies from IT Skills to Childcare to Holistic Medicine, from FETAC level 3 to degree courses and everywhere in between.  Participants are given the opportunity to move and progress at their own pace, with help and encouragement throughout. 

While on the programme they are given real and valuable jobs and are encouraged to work at these positions and to take on responsibilities in order to build their confidence for the wider job market.

A tracking system is in place to follow a participant’s progress for 2 years after they leave CE, in this way we continue to offer assistance and encouragement while they find their feet and become more settled in the wider job market.

Participants must work 19.5 hours per week while on the scheme, to eligible in the first place potential participants must be 12 months in receipt of a social welfare benefit and 25 or over. Travellers, ex-offenders, refugees, people with disabilities or referred by the Drugs Ttaskforce come under different eligibility criteria and do not have to meet the age of 25.  Length of time a person is entitled to a scheme depends on age and time previously spent on social welfare.

For further information please contact Geraldine Morrissey on 0906498027 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it