Paddy Richardson, MBA., Dip. MS., Dip. Social Policy

1
Paddy Richardson, MBA., Dip. MS., Dip. Social
Policy Criminology Manager, Employability
Programmes, Business In The Community Ireland
2
Social Inclusion and the SME

MISSION STATEMENT Business In The Community is a
unique movement of companies across Ireland
committed to continually improving their positive
impact on society.
3
Social Inclusion and the SME

• Ireland today
• Almost full employment
• Highest per capita income in Europe
• Why is their a need to discuss Social
• Inclusion?

4
Social Inclusion and the SME

• Context of todays presentation
• If
• Poverty Social Exclusion
• Then
• Financial Independence Social Inclusion
• Therefore
• Having a good job with good pay is the route to
  Social Inclusion
• Is it that simple? Of course not

5
Social Inclusion and the SME

• NESF Report No 33 Jan 2006
• Labour force growth to fall from 3.5 to 0.5
• Less equality of opportunity
• Wealthier but more unequal society
• Highest level of income inequality among OECD
• 14 of households in poverty headed by those with
  a job
• Employment on its own is not always
• a route out of poverty

6
Social Inclusion and the SME

• Other links to poverty and economic
• vulnerability
• Educational deficits
• Gender discrimination
• Prejudice
• Racism
• Disability
• Mental Health
• Criminal record
• Cultural differences

7
Social Inclusion and the SME

• One of the main causes of Social
• Exclusion is within the gift of employers
• to reverse, while at the same time having
• a mutually beneficial outcome.
• BUT there are challenges!

8
Social Inclusion and the SME

• Those challenges are taken up by Business In
• The Community Ireland through its employability
• Programmes.
• LINKAGE
• READY FOR WORK
• EPIC

9
Social Inclusion and the SME

• OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMMES
• LINKAGE
• To provide ex-offenders and ex-prisoners with
  career guidance and support to access further
  education, training and fulltime employment
• READY FOR WORK
• To break the cycle of homelessness through the
  provision of pre-employment training and work
  experience and career guidance and employment
  opportunities
• EPIC
• Through the provision of pre-employment training
  and career guidance, provide the Parents of Irish
  Born Children with opportunities to become
  economically independent by September 2007

10
Social Inclusion and the SME

• LINKAGE est. 2000 (nationwide)
• - 18 staff (various locations)
• Funded by Probation Service
• Estimated costs for 2007 1.2 1.4 mil (VFM)
• Ready For Work est. 2002 (Dublin only)
• 3 staff (Mainly based in BITC)
• Various funders
• Estimated costs for 2007 168,000
• EPIC established 2006 (Dublin specific areas)
• 7 staff (based in Oblate Centre, Inchicore)
• Funded by DJELR (RIA GE Unit)
• Estimated costs for 2007 525,000

11
Social Inclusion and the SME

• LINKAGE
• 3180 engaged
• 1135 went into further training / education
• 1229 were employed
• 3673 placements in total
• READY FOR WORK
• 130 engaged
• 124 completed pre-employment training
• 90 completed work placement
• 44 went into further training / education
• 28 in full time employment
• EPIC
• 50 engaged
• 27 pre-employment training
• 12 into mainstream training (English language)

12
Social Inclusion and the SME

Making the links There is a strong link between
those that commit crime and those that are
socially excluded. There is also clear evidence
that social inclusion reduces the likelihood of
criminal activity effectively reducing the cost
of crime Polarisation of communities are
compounded by exploitation and the lack of
meaningful opportunities for immigrants The lack
of understanding of e.g. mental health issues
associated with homelessness is one of the
greatest barriers to progression. Across all our
programmes gainful employment continues to be the
strongest indicator in combating social exclusion
13
Social Inclusion and the SME

We should not gauge the success of one programme
against another because each of the target
groups have different needs and each raise
different types of prejudice and different types
of issues and concerns for employers. But, the
figures speak for themselves and show that in
spite of a wide range of challenges there are
milestones being created by hundred of employers
for thousands of formerly socially excluded
people. What are the reasons for those
successes?
14
Social Inclusion and the SME

• Some reasons for success
• We know that employability is the path to
  employment
• We have highly experienced and highly skilled
  staff who know
• how to develop a career path leading to the
  appropriate match
• between employer and employee
• We know and understand employers issues and
  concerns
• We know that employers have the right to be aware
  of a criminal
• background or other matters that may not be
  appropriate to the
• post on offer
• We know that employers may need support in
  diversity training
• particularly for their staff
• We continue to develop best practice because we
  are also aware
• that one inappropriate placement by our staff
  could do both the
• the employer and the programme untold damage

15
Social Inclusion and the SME
Quotes from employers (Linkage programme) I
would be delighted to give someone a chance
provided they turn up on time and follow
instructions
16
Social Inclusion and the SME

• Employers main issues and concerns
• Trust?
• Discipline?
• Social personal skills?
• Information?
• Consideration for others Staff/Customers?
• If problems arise, what support will I have?
• Are these not questions you might have about any
  potential employee?

17
Social Inclusion and the SME

• What has worked well?
• A clear and very focused role for programme staff
• setting out a realistic and attainable career
  path with each
• individual
• making the appropriate match between employee /
  employer
• Ongoing support for each person and each employer
  as
• required
• Honesty and integrity with employers and clients
• What has not worked?
• Working to established practices of other
  agencies
• Putting targets on staff
• Trying to provide a holistic service
• Fast tracking people into jobs or training

18
Social Inclusion KEY POINTS

• Our domestic labour force growth is predicted to
  fall from 3.5
• annually to 0.5. At he same time, there is a
  large pool of highly
• motivated people with various backgrounds and
  skills looking for
• employment
• I am not aware of any sympathy jobs being
  created for any of our
• clients but I am aware that if our potential
  labour force is not
• mobilised more fully we are likely to experience
  a sharp slowdown
• in economic growth rates compared to recent
  years.
• While we know that employment is not always, on
  its own, a route
• out of poverty we also know that gainful
  employment continues to
• be the strongest indicator in combating social
  exclusion.
• Across a wide range of challenges there are
  milestones being
• created by hundred of employers for thousands of
  formerly socially
• excluded people.
• There is strong evidence that inclusion practices
  by employers has

19
Social Inclusion and the SME

We all have a role to play in bringing our
distinct and unique contribution to provide
effective social inclusion none more so than
employers!
20
Social Inclusion and the SME

For further information on any of these
programmes, or, if you wish to contact any of our
programme coordinators or Training and Employment
Officers you can do so by contacting myself or
Ellen at prichardson_at_bitc.ie ellen_at_bitc.ie Our
Website, presently under construction is
www.bitc.ie