Minister Michael McGrath TD was joined by Adaire Fox-Martin, Head of Google Ireland in St Andrews Resource Centre, Pearse Street in Dublin to announce the launch of This City Works, a newly expanded programme that helps long-term unemployed people to find sustainable employment solutions.
The launch of This City Works represents the next stage in the evolution of Google’s Local Employment Task Force. Established in 2020 by Google’s Community Affairs team in collaboration with local community employment, training and education services, the Employment Task Force aims to find sustainable employment solutions for long-term unemployed people and provide them with training, education and development opportunities.
The task force is made up of a diverse coalition of community experts who are identifying ways to drive inclusive economic growth in Dublin. Members include St Andrews Resource Centre Employment and Training Hubs, Ringsend Community Services Forum, Inner City Renewal Group, The Anchorage Project, Ringsend & District Response to Drugs, Irish Nautical Trust, Department of Social protection, Dublin City Council, the Fair Play project, City of Dublin Education Training Board and Google Ireland. This year, the task force welcomed two new members; the Dublin Port Company and Dublin Waste to Energy. In recognition of the expanding partnership the Employment Task Force is today rebranding to the name – This City Works.
Attendees at the event had the opportunity to meet community representatives and participants in the current Employment Task Force as well as seeing a video showcase of programme case studies.
Speaking at the event, Michael McGrath TD, Minister for Finance said:
“The impact that has been made by Google’s Employment Task Force is truly commendable. This is a unique programme, one that has been driven by the local community for those who live there. I am delighted to officially announce the launch of This City Works today, representing the expansion of the Task Force. I want to thank Google and all of the expert partners for their continued commitment to this important work.”
Adaire Fox-Martin Head of Google Ireland said:
“I am proud to be here today as we expand the Employment Task Force and see it evolve to This City Works. Google has been 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 for members of our local community. Today’s announcement is testament to the positive impact that this programme has, and I want to commend those involved, our community partners, those in Government and most importantly our participants – it is a joy to recognise the potential and to celebrate the achievements of this group.”
Also announced today was the creation of a dedicated website for This City Works at this cityworks.withgoogle.com. Created by Google, the site is a one stop shop for job seekers and those seeking to enhance their skills or change career path. The site also provides information for businesses seeking staff or for those curious about training and support services in their community.
Blake Hodkinson Director of Further Education – City of Dublin Education Training Board and Employment task force representative, 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 as we mark the expansion of the programme and would like to officially welcome our two newest members, the Dublin Port Company and Dublin Waste to Energy. This City Works is a fitting new name for this programme, the positive impact we see in the local community is remarkable, this initiative works!”
Created and enabled by Google, This City Works is an initiative that is driven by the local community and made up of Google representatives, community based training employment and education services, local businesses, Dublin City Council and the Department of Social Protection. Today’s announcement follows a commitment of over €500,000 by Google in 2021 at the launch of the Employment Task Force and a further €300,000 funding provided by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google in 2022.