3. How We Work with Government and State Funded Agencies

Find out more about how we are contracted by and work with Government and State funded agencies to deliver services locally.

How We Turn Opportunity into Employment

At Speedpak Group, we believe that work and training transforms lives. That’s why we harness the power of Government wage subsidy schemes like the Community Services Programme (CSP) and labour market programmes like Community Employment (CE) to create real, sustainable jobs alongside work experience and training opportunities for people who have experienced long-term unemployment.

A Proven Model: Trading, Training, Transforming®

Our commercial businesses, Speedpak Contract Services & e-Fulfilment and Shamrock Rosettes, are more than just successful enterprises. They are platforms for practical, industry-led training in a live working environment. By combining real work with structured supports, mentoring and accredited training, we empower our trainees to gain the confidence, skills and resilience needed to re-enter the workforce, many for the first time.

Since our foundation, we’ve supported over 1,650 people take that critical step back into training and employment.

Backed by the Government

Our impact is made possible by strategic use of Government programmes such as:

Community Services Programme (CSP): A vital backbone to our social enterprise, CSP enables us to fund core staff roles that support both our commercial delivery and trainee development. These posts also provide essential on the job mentoring, supervision, and continuity, supporting every trainee on their employment journey. 70% of the people we employ that are supported through this wage subsidy are required to have been previously long term unemployed. CSP is funded by the Department of Rural & Community Development operating under the auspices of POBAL. Speedpak Group is contracted by POBAL to operate this programme.
Community Employment (CE): CE placements allow us to recruit and train people who are more distanced from the labour market. Our model converts these trainee placements into opportunities for future employment in the open labour market through hands-on real commercial work experience, targeted industry led training, and improved people and team skills. CE is funded by the Department of Social Protection. Speedpak Group is contracted by the Department to operate this programme.

TÚS Placements

TÚS labour activation programme: Providing TÚS placements complements our core model by broadening the reach of our training programmes, giving more people the chance to engage with work in a supportive, structured environment. We work with local development company Northside Partnership (NSP) to provide trainee placements for their TÚS participants. TÚS is funded by the Department of Social Protection and the NSP are contracted as the local managing agent.
Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme: Leveraging the NSP’s community connections, we work collaboratively to provide International Protection Applicants (IPA’s) with work experience opportunities, basic industry certification and English language skills support. These are voluntary unpaid opportunities that support IPA’s to integrate locally while also preparing for employment in Ireland. Subject to performance, we supply a work reference which is very beneficial to IPA’s when they become eligible to seek work here for the first time.

Developing Innovative Programmes

With corporate and philanthropic investment overlaid on Government funded programmes we’ve developed and delivered pioneering programmes such as:

Enhanced Skills Programme – A 16-week, industry-led training initiative for the logistics sector, resulting in an 80% employment rate post programme. Investors were JP Morgan Chase Foundation under their New Skills at Work global initiative.
National Traineeship in Manufacturing & Logistics – built on the success of the Enhanced Skills Programme, and co-produced with education partner Coláiste Dhulaigh CFE and local industry, this nationally certified programme opened the doors to sustainable careers for people previously long term unemployed. Investors were The Ireland Funds, Rethink Ireland and AbbVie. .

Government funded programmes don’t just support us, they amplify our capacity to drive social and economic change in our community. They support our capacity to act as a bridge between sectors and attract diverse investment streams to deliver measurable social impact.