Urban Uplift Fund backs four innovative organisations to tackle youth unemployment

Four innovative non-profit organisations have been awarded funding to help tackle youth unemployment in Dublin through green and digital skills.

The funding, which has been awarded under Rethink Ireland’s €763,000 two-year Urban Uplift Fund, is designed to equip young adults with the skills to to gain employment in the green and digital sectors. aims to increase employment and employability among young adults in the growing green and digital sectors.

The four organisations are youth environmental education organisation Eco-Unesco, which delivers green and sustainable development focused employability programmes to young people; An Cosán’s Workability Programme, which aims to improve digital skills of women from disadvantaged areas; Now Employment and Training Services, which offers support to people with intellectual disabilities; and Generation Ireland, which offers opportunities for young adults in Ireland’s digital and green sectors, by preparing, placing, and supporting people into otherwise inaccessible life-changing careers.

The Urban Uplift Fund, which was created by Rethink Ireland with support from JPMorgan Chase, IBM and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Account Fund, will support up to 200 young adults. Up to 120 marginalised young adults will be supported into jobs, apprenticeships or work experience programmes, and help up to 75 young adults complete certified training and up to 80 to progress on to further education.

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“Critically, this fund will empower marginalised young adults who are at risk of permanent exclusion from society by working to remove the persistent barriers to employment that they face. The green and digital sectors are the employers of the future and we are determined that no one will be left behind. The Urban Uplift Fund focuses on providing opportunities in these sectors, making a step change in the right direction for young adults in Dublin’s most marginalised communities,” said Deirdre Mortell, chief executive of Rethink Ireland.

“Progress made to date on reducing unemployment rates in Ireland has not benefited everyone equally and with the onset and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, these inequalities have only increased. The need for this fund is great.”

The funding was welcomed by Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities Joe O’Brien. “The four pioneering organisations announced today have been awarded to address the serious problem of youth unemployment in our communities based on impactful employment programmes based on upskilling for the green and digital economies,” he said. “By working with Rethink Ireland we are enabled to support these non-profit organisations as part of the solution.”