Enhanced Skills Programme 2 [ESP2]

6 Sep 2021 | News & Events

A New Beginning

Start—or restart—your career in our 52-week, free-of-charge-to-you Enhanced Skills Programme 2.

This award-winning, industry-led programme has been adapted to meet the needs of jobseekers who have a criminal conviction.

Jobs Market Advantage

Job-seekers are given the opportunity to get real commercial work experience, to upskill with industry-led training and to work in a team-based environment in Speedpak.

We also facilitate external work placements with our industry partners, all of whom are well-know companies. We use our strong relationships with these partners to promote diversity and equality in their workplaces.

This is an exciting and valuable opportunity to learn, to put your training into practice and to impress local employers.

Opportunity on Dublin’s Northside

The ESP2 Programme is run by Speedpak Group with the support of business, state and community partners.

Trainees will work and train on-site at our premises in Clonshaugh Business and Technology Park in Dublin 17.

Your work experience and training on the programme will provide you with:

• an up-to-date Reference and CV
• greater Confidence, Self-esteem and Job-Seeking Skills
• qualifications in Health & Safety, Manual Handling and Occupational First Aid
• a SafePass and Forklift Licence
• skills in Information Technology, Stock Control, Warehousing and Manufacturing Processes.

You will be supported throughout the programme by a Job Coach, On-the-job Mentors and our Human Resources team.

We will use our Employability & Distance Travelled System [EDTS] to track your progress and to support you as you kickstart your career!

Enhanced Skills Programme Consumer Journey

Speedpak Group – Continuing to Trade, Train and Transform

22 Mar 2021 | News & Events

Trading

We are fortunate throughout lockdown that our Speedpak Contract Services division continues to be part of the national supply chain for medical devices and catering disposables. For these contracts, we break down bulk consignments of medical masks and latex gloves for warehousing, pick and pack and distribution while disposable catering products are re-packed for distribution and sale in wholesalers. To operate safely we have maintained a core staffing while the our training staff have been temporarily furloughed. 

We have also redeployed staff from our Shamrock Rosette business. Supplying mainly to public events, Shamrock Rosettes saw its business significantly reduced. Happily, we are seeing some ‘green shoots’ as events are being advertised for the second half of this year.

The pandemic resulted in us developing closer ties with customers, as we knuckled down together to respond and innovate. In one instance, collaboration afforded the opportunity to research. This has lead to us now onboarding a new inventory and shipping platform to streamline a new added value e-commerce fulfilment service to existing and new customers. Enterprise Ireland’s Lean Business Continuity Voucher was used to part fund the research and was very beneficial. 

Slowly but surely Social Enterprises are now able to access mainstream business supports which is critical for their development and sustainability. More needs to be done and thankfully Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI) is on the case and is advocating for the needs of the sector.

Training & Work Experience

Training is currently confined to Health & Safety in the Workplace to ensure that staff can work safely at a social distance. We are delighted to be able to offer Enhanced Skills Workplace Safety training funded through the generosity of the people of Ireland through the Community Foundation of Ireland Comic Relief Fund. This training and mentoring programme will be a fantastic addition to the CV’s of our training staff and improve their employability. As a consequence we also plan to develop online training infrastructure  to ensure that we have both the capability  to maintain training in challenging circumstances but also to promote greater IT skills amongst training staff.

Transforming

The uncertainty surrounding the pandemic has been a strong reminder of the need for flexibility in business and the value of collaboration. The unemployment rate now stands at over 20% when the PUP payment is factored in and an incredible 45% for those aged 15-24 years. Unfortunately our community on Dublin’s Northside will be disproportionately affected and will have higher unemployment rates than the national average. 

So, there is much work to be done in supporting people return to work through work opportunities, confidence building and skills acquisition. We will also continue to target those most distant from the labour market and are looking forward to developing our Kickstart Employment Programme, funded through the Dormant Account fund/POBAL and in collaboration with The Irish Prison Service, The Probation Service and The Department of Justice. 

We are as relevant now as a solution to long-term unemployment as we were when first founded 25 years ago. We will continue to work hard with all our partners, Government, State agencies, Local Development, Business and Philanthropy to respond timely and effectively in our local community. We would like to acknowledge in particular the additional resources we received in recent times to help us continue deliver our social impact, in particular from Government and POBAL through the Stability Fund, Rethink Ireland through The Social Enterprise Development Fund and long term Corporate Social Responsibility supporters Allergan PLC.  

Over the past year, while challenging, we have responded positively and shown our agility and resilience and continued value. Our experience of operating during the pandemic coupled with our 25 year history has strengthened our skills, outlook and resolve to continue helping local unemployed people to transform their lives, and the welfare of their communities, for the better.

Speedpak Group features in Social Enterprise Development Fund Showcase

26 Jan 2021 | News & Events

We were delighted to feature in the 2021 Social Enterprise Development Fund Showcase that took place on Thursday 21st of January 2021 celebrating the impact achieved by the Fund’s 2020 Awardees.

Speedpak Group was one of 16 social enterprises to receive cash grants and business supports from the Fund in 2020. Watching the presentations of our co-awardees made us proud to be part of a group of organisations that are so enterprising, innovative and inclusive.

The online event was hosted by Alan Shortt and featured contributions from Deputy Joe O’Brien TD, Minister of State for Community Development and Charities, Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland and George Jones, Chairman of IPB Insurance.

The Social Enterprise Development Fund is a €3.2 million fund that has been created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland and funded by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Dormant Accounts Fund. 

A recording of the event can be seen at https://vimeo.com/504299844