FAS Community Employment Project
Background Information
Cashel Town Council sponsor a F.A.S. Community Employment Project for the last twelve years. A full-time Supervisor, Joe Barry, was appointed to the position in 1996 and has remained in this position since. The Town Council's Project Sponsor representative is Town Clerk, Seamus Maher and our F.A.S. Employment Service Officer is Catherine McCormack from the F.A.S. Offices, 6 Mary Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for the Project is set down by F.A.S. Participants are mainly recruited from the long-term unemployed that have been signing on the live register for a minimum of twelve months. Others have been recruited from those in receipt of disability payments where the work on the Project may positively improve their lives. An exemption from the Disability Section is required in order to recruit these candidates.
Our Project has fifteen participants and a supervisor based at the Civic Offices, Friar Street, Cashel. Throughout the year, participants have an opportunity to avail of training & development and structured work experience.
They undertake much valuable work and are involved in, Office Administration duties, Office Cleaning, General Operatives engaged in outdoor maintenance work, Road Crossing Wardens, Playground Maintenance, Assisting Town Gardeners and Tidy Towns Committee, Administration role at Cashel Folk Village.
Aims
The Council's key aims in sponsoring this project are as follows;-
1. To achieve a marked improvement in the appearance of the town and environs through the environmental and amenity works in the context of a planned programme.
2. To provide opportunities to unemployed persons to gain valuable skills and experience in a wide variety of areas, which will enhance their job prospects and facilitate their personal development in a meaningful way.
3. The achievement of 1 and 2 above will greatly aid local development in the tourism sector especially. In addition the improved quality of the town environment will undoubtedly improve the quality of life for the town's people.
Participant Progression
The Project work equips participants with a wide variety of work experience namely in the areas of general operative, office administration and office cleaning. Similar vacancies are advertised from time to time and Participants working in these posts will be in a good position to apply. The Project provides participants with a wide variety of progression modules and work placement. Examples of progression related training is F.A.S. Safe Pass course, safe lifting techniques course, interviewee skills course, car, mini-bus & truck driving lessons.
The F.A.S. Safe Pass Course is compulsory by law for all outdoor workers. On completion each participant receives a Safe Pass card that is valid for four years. This enhances their ability to gain part-time or full-time employment on construction sites. It also allows them to take up work placements in the locality.
All driving licences enhance participants progression options. Specific skills such as forklift course should help the participant gain employment in factories/warehousing. All progression related skills and work placements have been provided specifically to meet each individual's requirements after consultation where these requirements were identified.
In operating this Project under FAS the Council will provide Training, Development and Work Experience for the participants and improve the appearance of the Town and its environs. The success of the Project will be measured by the provision of a comprehensive programme of training & development. Participants will be encouraged to progress into full-time employment where possible and to use their time on Community Employment to develop new skills. Personal development of each individual is the true measurement of success where team work and training opportunities bring people out of their shell and provide them with a boost to their confidence and self esteem. It is also important that our project work is well structured and that we achieve our goals as outlined below.
Project Work Programme:
Description of Works:
Maintenance and up keeping of all flowerbeds in the town. Assisting in pruning of all trees in the town.
All hedges in various locations to be trimmed twice throughout the year Spraying all streets with weed killer and retreating particularly troublesome areas if necessary.
Improve and maintain all approach roads to Cashel with a view to enhance overall appearance.
Watering all flower beds, hanging baskets & flower pots throughout the Town.
Painting of Fences at various locations throughout Town with preservative.
Maintenance and enhancement of Bothar Na Mairbh. (Path linking Rock of Cashel and Camas Road)
At specific times scheme workers will be engaged in litter clean ups of problematic areas that will be identified by the Council.
Almost all the above projects require clearing and disposal of weeds, clippings, etc., on an ongoing basis. This must be done promptly - as soon as possible after weeding, etc., has taken place.
Miscellaneous items which may arise throughout the year e.g. cleaning up areas in the run-up to Tidy Towns adjudication, preparations for special events, painting & decoration of the Heritage Centre and removal of ivy and facilitating a repair to a section of Town Wall located between Feehan's Road and the Cathedral in John Street. Such items may arise as once off special requests and are taken on only if the manpower and resources are available.
Participant Development
FAS participants working on Cashel Town Council's Community Employment Project will have the opportunity to develop many skills. These are as follows; -
Road Crossing Warden Training.
Building and construction skills.
Gardening skills.
Painting skills.
Weed control programme in Cashel Town & Approach Roads.
Hedge trimmer and strimmer usage.
Office administration skills.
Office cleaning skills.
These are the practical project related skills that participants can develop while on the project. Training & Development is available to all participants and a wide variety of skills are be catered for such as -
Manual Handling Safe Lifting Course.
Car driving lessons.
F.A.S. Safe Pass Course.
Forklift Ticket Course.
Rigid Truck and Mini-Bus Driving Lessons.
Light Engine Maintenance Course.
Stone Wall Building Course.
Painting & decorating course.
Cost of Running Project for one year
Overheads and Administration: €15,300.00
Development Modules: €7,500.00
Wages: €189,725.00
Capital Expenditure: €12,700.00
Materials: €15,600.00
Total: €240,825.00
Funding Amount
FAS: €226,865.00
Sponsor Group: €12,700.00
Total: € 228,125.00
