Education for Employment

The Education for Employment (E4) project is an important program offering training and employment specifically aimed at marginalised groups such as people with disabilities, and the disadvantaged in Ireland and several other European countries.

In Ireland, funding from The McMahan Center - Abilities Activists and the European Union is providing the opportunity to offer high quality, flexible and supported learning opportunities in the IT sector to individuals from various marginalized groups. The objective within this E4 Project is to train and employ people as Technical Support Officers in Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) and Assistive Technologies (AT) through new innovative educational programmes and through a partnership with private, public, educational, rehabilitation and support organisations.

The E4 project has build a new innovative partnership involving 3rd level education, service providers in the rehabilitation fields, support organisations and industry. It has brought together The Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), The Institute of Technology (Blanchardstown) the National Training & Development Institute (NTDI), the Centres for Independent Living (CIL) and the Irish Business & Employers Confederation (IBEC), the project aims to offer life-long learning pathways to training and employment.

Building on the work of the Inclusive Learning through Technology (ILT) project, the E4 program operates within a flexible, non-traditional learning model shifting the focus from one of fitting the individual into already existing education systems, to designing education systems to fit each individual student within the following criteria

• The courses are designed to meet the requirements of students seeking an education with a view to working as IT developers and network and system support staff
• Students may leave the course with qualifications at three specific stages, after 2 years with a higher certification in Computing, after 3 years with a Bachelor of Science (ordinary) in Computing and after 4 years a Bachelor of Science (honours) in Computing.
• The courses provide new training in thinking/learning techniques developed by Edward DeBono and further researched by the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Central Remedial Clinic.
• The courses are designed to establish a lifelong learning pathway to employment for participants through foundation courses at rehabilitation centres progressing onto further educational colleges –St Peter’s College, Killester- onto IT Colleges –ITB and DIT Kevin Street –
• Through partnership with industry (DELL, Microsoft, Delcran, Quinn Direct and liasing with the Irish Business Employers Federation (IBEC) to provide an apprenticeship, ongoing support, training and experience of the workplace.
• Students are provided with supports through NTDI, ITB and the CRC in work related social skills and employment outcomes