Using the Women’s Community Education Approach to Deliver Community Employment Training - a case study from Longford Women’sLink

Oct 15, 2026

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An education and training case study examines how Longford Women’s Link delivers the FÁS-funded Community Employment Scheme through the Women’s Community Education approach in Co Longford. Against a backdrop of Ireland’s economic downturn and rising unemployment, the work shows effectiveness in building personal, career, and community capacity while supporting labour-market activation for long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged women.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Context: Women and Disadvantage

Longford Women’s Link Programmes

The Community Employment Scheme

Women’s Community Education

Using the Women’s Community Education Approach to Deliver Community Employment Training: a case study from Longford Women’sLink lorne patterson & kathleen dowd Abstract The recent economic downturn and surge in unemployment has focused attention on education and training as a strategic response to Ireland’s socio-economic crisis. However, that attention has been concentrated on training through statutory institutions, particularly FÁS and the VECs. Longford Women’s Link, a Women’s Community Education centre in Co Longford, presents a case study of delivery of the FÁS-funded Community Employment Scheme using the Women’s Community Education approach. Evidence is presented that demonstrates effectiveness in personal, career and community capacity-building in addition to achieving labourmarket activation with long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups of women. These outcomes argue that the Women’s Community Education approach has a significant role to play in any education and training strategy. Context: Women and Disadvantage As noted in the National Women’s Strategy 2007, socio-economic opportunity and economic independence are key factors in ensuring women’s full participation at all levels of society. For women who experience disadvantage through being a full or part-time carer, a lone parent, living in a rural area, or experiencing domestic violence, for example, lack of opportunities to engage in economic activity – whether through employment or self-employment – means that they frequently become trapped in a cycle of welfare dependency and isolation. This in turn impacts negativelyon educational, economic and social outcomes for their children, families and communities. The compound positive effect of specifically supporting women has thus been described by UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report (2007) as the ‘double dividend’. Longford Women’s Link (LWL), a women’s resource centre based in Co Longford, has delivered a number of effective labour-market programmes to women within the County over the last decade. LWL’s three core programmes have focused on the areas of employment, particularly through the Community Employment (‘CE’) Scheme, the ‘Gateway’ (return to employment) programme12, and also self-employment initiatives. Longford Women’s Link offers its CE scheme particularly through its ‘Catkin’s Nursery’ childcare service, but also in administration through its Reception section. In addition to being a CE employer, LWL is also an ECDL and FETAC Quality-Assured and registered education centre, and thus able to offer ‘in house’ certified training to CE participants. The Women’s Link does this using the Women’s Community Education approach, a participant-led approach that focuses on women learning from, as well as with, other women. Figure 1. The process of individual and collective capacity-building at Longford Women’s Link Manifesto Project, Women’s Studies, Global Harmonies etc Individual capacity building Collective capacity building Programme (eg CE Scheme) +courses (eg Start Your Own Business) Other individual capacity courses 12 The FÁS-funded ‘Gateway’programme was discontinued nationally in early 2009. 122 The Community Employment Scheme The Community Employment Scheme is designed to help long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups get back into work by offering part-time and temporary placementsin jobs based within local communities, namely voluntary organisations and public bodies involved in not-for-profit activities. The criteria for participating in the Scheme are based on age (minimum 25 years old) and length of time in receipt of various social welfare payments. Placement is for at least one year and up to three to five years depending on age and circumstance, with specific criteria for Travellers, ex-offenders, refugees, people with disabilities and those referred by a Drugs Task Force. The Scheme is financed and delivered through FÁS,

FAQs

Why is education and training emphasized during Ireland’s economic downturn?

The document links rising unemployment to a need for education and training as a strategic response to Ireland’s socio-economic crisis.

What does the Community Employment Scheme aim to do?

It helps long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups return to work via part-time and temporary placements in local community-based jobs.

How does the Women’s Community Education approach work at Longford Women’s Link?

It is a participant-led, women-centred and participative process where women learn with and from other women, supporting empowerment and addressing gender equality and inclusion issues.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Đào