Tag: Google.org

Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces €750,000 funding from Google.org for Docklands upskilling initiatives

Taoiseach, Micheál Martin joined Google’s Vanessa Hartley at the Fair Play Cafe in Ringsend today to announce €750,000 in funding from Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, to St Andrews Resource Centre. This project will deliver comprehensive wrap-around training and support to 1,000+ unemployed individuals and early school leavers in Dublin Docklands communities, aiming for at least 50% of beneficiaries to access further education or employment opportunities.

The funding will help future-proof Dublin’s Docklands communities through hyperlocal training initiatives that will strengthen essential skills and provide support to help people access jobs, education, and long-term employment opportunities.

Google.org provided the funding to St Andrews Resource Centre who will use the funds to support the work of This City Works, a platform between Dublin city-based community employment services, helping job seekers in Dublin find the right job for them. The training will be delivered through several vital programmes. These include a certified Train-the-Trainer programme for unemployed adults, an expanded community-based digital support for early school leavers and long-term unemployed, and a Level 5 Homecare Assistant course for 20 learners aimed at bridging local employment gaps and preparing students for AI-linked apprenticeships.

The grant will also fund wraparound support across multiple partner organisations such as LIR, Lets Go, FAACT, Fair Play Digital Hub, and others to ensure learners can access coaching, mentoring, and practical assistance. The initiative will support 100 learners through career development programmes, upskill students in ten local schools, and enable 15 learners with additional support needs to complete a modular employment programme.

Speaking at today’s event Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:

“The strength of Ireland’s digital future lies in our people. This initiative directly supports our national ambition to make Ireland a global leader in applied AI. It is vital that early school leavers and those seeking new career paths have direct access to AI and digital literacy. This project shows that when we align community needs with the right training, we create a more inclusive, resilient, and future-proof workforce for the Dublin Docklands and beyond. I want to thank Google.org for its continued commitment to this invaluable work.”

Vanessa Hartley, Head of Google Ireland, said:

“The Docklands has been our home for over twenty years and we are dedicated to working in partnership with our neighbours to identify the skills and support they need to succeed. In today’s world, fluency in digital tools and AI is no longer optional, it’s essential.  The success of our programmes in recent years is why we remain committed to ensuring people from all backgrounds have access to the skills needed to thrive in an ever-evolving society and work environment.”

Jim Hargis  St Andrews Resource Centre and member of This City Works, said:

“Support like this is the lifeblood of community development. It means we can immediately scale up our operations to meet the rising demand for vocational and AI and digital skills training in the Docklands community. We are grateful to Google.org for its ongoing support on this initiative, which will have a tangible, lasting impact on the lives of our learners and their families.”

The goal of This City Works is to empower vulnerable and at-risk school leavers and unemployed people in the local community of Ringsend and Pearse Street by providing training and skill enhancement opportunities, complemented by support services, with the aim of increasing their employability and promoting social inclusion.

For more information visit This City Works.

Taoiseach welcomes €750,000 funding from Google.org for nonprofits supporting local employment opportunities in Dublin

An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD was at Google’s Bolands Mills campus this afternoon to address a group of graduates from the Ringsend, Irishtown, and Pearse Street areas.

An Taoiseach presented the fourteen graduates with certificates for qualifications across a diverse range of disciplines including nautical skills, training and development, and teacher training education. These programmes were delivered as part of the This City Works strategic plan, a local employment task force established by Google.

Taoiseach Simon Harris TD was joined by Vanessa Hartley, Head of Google Ireland, at the ceremony to announce further funding of €750,000 by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google.

The grant will enable training opportunities in the domains of digital support, AI prospects, nautical skills, teacher training education, enterprise development, career guidance, and personal growth. This is part of a strategic plan developed by This City Works and their local partners St Andrews Resource Centre, the Irish Nautical Trust and the Fair Play Anchorage Project.

Speaking at the event Taoiseach Simon Harris TD said:

“I am delighted to be here to see the continued impact that is being made by This City Works with Google and their local community partners. I have had the pleasure of visiting St Andrews Resource Centre [one of the partners we are recognising today]  a number of times in the past and it is heartening to see the results that these initiatives are having here in the local area.

Programmes like these embody the essence of what a community is,  being delivered and led by those in the community for those who live here. I want to thank Google for its further commitment to this important work.”

Vanessa Hartley, Head of Google Ireland said:

“I am proud that Google has been a part of the Ringsend and Pearse Street community for over 20 years now, and we remain committed to helping create meaningful, sustainable and long-term employment opportunities for people that live here. The inspiring stories of today’s graduates are testament to the positive impact of these initiatives.

The community skills projects that this Google.org grant will enable are specifically targeted to address development areas identified by local experts and we are honoured to continue the incredible work being delivered by the This City Works programme.”

Today’s grant by Google.org will enable over 600 people in the local community to receive training including school leavers, the long term unemployed and asylum seekers.

Jim Hargis, Manager St Andrews Resource Centre and Representative to This City Works, said,

“This City Works is an important initiative, one that brings together people, businesses and community groups to provide support like mentoring and skills training to local unemployed people. I am delighted to be here to see fourteen new graduates receive their commendations, and to welcome the additional €750,000 in funding by Google.org.

This grant will help us to reach those in our local community who need it most, providing them with the opportunity to gain qualifications, sustainable employment and oftentimes, a much needed boost to their self worth.”

This City Works is a  group made up of Google representatives, community based training employment and education services, local businesses, Dublin City Council and the Department of Social Protection which aims to find sustainable employment solutions for long-term unemployed people.

The goal of This City Works is to empower vulnerable and at-risk school leavers and unemployed people in the local community of Ringsend and Pearse Street  by providing training and skill enhancement opportunities, complemented by support services, with the aim of increasing their employability and promoting social inclusion.

Attendees at this morning’s event had the opportunity to hear from community representatives and participants in the current programmes. For more information visit This City Works .

Google.org announces €500,000 in funding to improve access to AI in Ireland

Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google is today making €500,000 in grants available to help improve access to AI in Ireland – with a focus on those in vulnerable and underserved communities. As part of the AI Opportunity Initiative, funding from Google.org will support training and skills for workers who are most likely to be impacted by workplace transitions brought on by AI.

Developed in collaboration with the Centre for Public Impact, Google.org’s AI Opportunity Fund, is making up to €500,000  in grants and sub-grants available in Ireland. Google is seeking applications through an open call from social enterprises and nonprofits in Ireland who can help reach those people most likely to benefit from this training – equipping workers here with the skills they need to avoid being left behind.

Selected organisations will receive bespoke training for their beneficiaries on foundational AI with extensive guidance and wraparound support. In addition, cash grants will be offered to support successful applicants, ensuring workers can attend the training.

Cera Ward, Managing Director, Large Customer Sales, Google Ireland, said:

“AI has the potential to improve people’s  lives, and to help solve some of our most pressing societal challenges. We’re pursuing AI boldly and responsibly to ensure its benefits are available to everyone and that accessibility enhances our society – not exacerbates existing inequalities.  The AI Opportunity Fund will help people in Ireland to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind.”

The application window is open. Information and details on the Google.org landing page: https://aiopportunityfund.withgoogle.com/

Google.org provides €500,000 to support Ireland’s social entrepreneurs

Google Ireland has today announced that its philanthropic arm, Google.org, is providing €500,000 in funding to Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) and INCO. The grants will support social entrepreneur-led organisations in Ireland to grow their impact and those interested in being considered can submit an expression of interest from today, 5 December.

Leveraging the funds from Google.org, SEI and INCO will support underserved social entrepreneurs to scale their organisations. SEI will use the funding to run the Changing Ireland Accelerator Programme (CIAP), a twelve-month initiative for underserved social entrepreneurs needing support to accelerate their impact. Running in parallel to the CIAP, INCO will disperse the funding as cash sub-grants administered to the participants.

Speaking at the announcement in Google’s EMEA HQ, Dublin, Adaire Fox-Martin, President of Google Cloud International and Head of Google Ireland said:

“Social enterprise is an increasingly crucial component of a resilient, equitable, and sustainable economy. By providing the sector better access to capital, talent, markets, and technology, businesses such as Google have the opportunity to meaningfully serve the communities they operate in and advance impactful humanitarian and environmental causes.  These grants reflect Google’s continued commitment to supporting social entrepreneurs around the world and to the principle that entrepreneurship can be the best way to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. 

“We want to encourage ambitious change-makers to submit their expression of interest in the Changing Ireland Accelerator programme today.”

Tim Griffiths, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland said:

“Social Entrepreneurs Ireland is thrilled to work with INCO and believe that this catalytic funding will help brilliant, social entrepreneur-led organisations to scale up and accelerate the impact they are having across Ireland reaching the most underserved communities.”

Mathieu Planchard, Global Head of Development at INCO said:

“This initiative represents a concrete step towards building a more diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. The combination of capacity building support and strategic grant funding is the right recipe to break down the barriers faced by underserved founders in Ireland today. It’s a real privilege for INCO to work alongside SEI and to receive support from Google.org.”

Social Entrepreneurs Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation committed to the vision of accelerated social change through the power of people. Its mission is to harness the cumulative power of people through programmes, direct funding and an experienced community of alumni, funders, and sector leaders. Since its foundation in 2004, SEI has supported more than 550 social entrepreneurs across the country. Alumni of SEI programmes include Pieta House, AsIAm, Irish Community Air Ambulance, GIY, FoodCloud and the Irish Men’s Sheds Association.

INCO is a global nonprofit on a mission to create a more socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable economy. Across 40+ countries around the world, INCO  accelerates the growth of impact-driven businesses, and offers free education programs to the workforce of tomorrow. Since 2021, INCO has been leading StartSocial, an initiative supported by Google.org, to provide funding and capacity-building to over 400 social enterprises across Europe.

Today’s announcement by Google is an integral part of its European-wide commitment to supporting Social Entrepreneurs building on a pledge of €20 million cash funding through the Google.org Social Innovation Fund to support underserved social innovators across Europe.

Expressions of interest in the Changing Ireland Accelerator Programme are welcome via the dedicated page on the SEI website from 5 December 2022. The selection process will launch in February 2023 with successful applicants appointed to the programme from June 2023.

Google.org will be fully funding the costs of this programme in 2023 with a grant of €500,000.