Google commits €300,000 in funding for Dublin employment initiatives

Google’s philanthropic arm Google.org has committed €300,000 in funding for non-profits to support local employment in Dublin.

The funding will directly support programmes by two non-profits: St Andrews Resource Centre, which will create a community based training programme to upskill 50 local unemployed people; and Ringsend Community Service Forum, which will offer focused training through a “train the trainer” process to provide assistance in accessing jobs, educational and training opportunities for up to 2000 local unemployed youth in Ringsend and Irishtown.

The programmes are defined by Google’s Employment Task Force, which was launched in 2021 with an initial grant of €500,000 to help find sustainable employment solutions for long-term unemployed people from the south inner city, and provide training and development opportunities. The taskforce is made up of Google representatives, community-based training employment and education services, local businesses, Dublin City Council and the Department of Social Protection.

Google’s global chief marketing officer Lorraine Twohill said it was a significant and important employment initiative. “We’ve been part of the Ringsend and Pearse Street community for almost 20 years, and we know it is important for Google to show up locally,” she said. “We remain committed to addressing the opportunities and challenges facing the Docklands community, and through the Task Force and organisations we support, we will continue to build on the work launched in 2021, helping to create meaningful, sustainable and long-term employment for members of our local community.”