National Minimum Wage from January 2022

The national minimum hourly rate is €10.50 from 1 January 2022.

Category of Employee Hourly Rate:

Aged 20 and over €10.50

Under 18 €7.35

Aged 18 €8.40

Aged 19 €9.45

Since 4 March 2019 trainee rates have been abolished.

For the purposes of the National Minimum Wage your gross wage includes, for example, the basic salary and any shift premium, bonus or service charge.

If you receive board or lodgings, that is food or accommodation from your employer, the maximum amounts that can be included are:

• for board only €0.94 per hour worked

• for accommodation only €24.81 per week or €3.55 per day

From 1 January 2022 the following categories of employees are excluded from the National Minimum Wage:

• employees who are close relatives of the employer, where the employer is a Sole Trader

• a craft apprentice within the meaning of the Industrial Training Act, 1967, or the Labour of Services Act, 1987

Note for Employers:

In order to ensure that the increase in the minimum wage does not result in employers attracting a higher level of PRSI charge solely due to this increase, the employer PRSI threshold will increase from €398 currently to €410 from 1 January 2022.

Office Move

We’re delighted to announce our new location - the SCCUL Enterprise Centre, Ballybane. After starting off in Ballybane 21 years ago, we have now come back - albeit further up the road.

For a great number of years we have been proud to be part of the SCCUL community having collaborated on different projects, participated in events, used the great meeting facilities and quite importantly we have referred many clients undertaking self employment to Bizmentors for invaluable advice and guidance. Not only that but SCCUL have supported us over the years by employing people via EmployAbility, as have some of the companies based in the SCCUL Enterprise Centre. So we are extremely delighted to now be based in the heart of the SCCUL community!

We are in the transition period with the landline still out of action - therefore mobile numbers and email addresses are the best way to make contact. Full services continue.

After eight years in the Galway Technology Centre we were sad to say goodbye, but would like to thank everyone in Galway Technology Centre for the support, friendships and laughter over the years, the employment opportunities, the connections, the collaborations and getting behind our initiatives. We will miss you all, but we are sure our paths will cross again in future.

New Coordinator Apppointment

EmployAbility Galway are delighted to announce the appointment of Coordinator Peter McWilliams (pictured centre front row) effective from Monday 27 May 2019. Peter has a varied career in organisational development, and people management combined with a number of years working in training and education for people with disabilities. He has worked as a private consultant in manufacturing engineering, and production management which has involved him working with teams of people at all levels within organisations. He holds an M.Ed Degree in Adult Education, Training and Development from the University of Sheffield as well as various other Professional and Graduate Qualifications.

Peter has always been interested in working with people both as individuals and teams, and understands the positive impact diversity can make to your workplace.

You can contact Peter at 086 3800444 | peter@employabilitygalway.ie effective from Monday 27 May 2019.

Exciting new assistive technology project looking for your help

EmployAbility Galway are partnering with ICAN at NUIG, Ability West and Avail Support as part of the EIDEAS project, where we aim to test the viability of Avail Software as a support mechanism for integrating people with disabilities into the workplace

The goal of Avail software is to “revolutionize the way we support people with disabilities, and promote independence for people with Autism, Down Syndrome and other special needs”.

EmployAbility Galway are asking employers in Galway City to contact us if you have an interest in providing an 8 week work experience placement for one of our EIDEAS candidates. This work setting will give our clients the opportunity to trial the Avail software in a real work setting.

We are looking for the following for part time placements of approximately 8 hours per week, in a Hair Salon, Barbers, Retail outlet, Hospitality setting.

If you are an employer that would interested in providing an opportunity for one of our candidates please contact Pauline at 086 3800444 or pauline@employabilitygalway.ie

Christmas Opening Hours

On behalf of the team at EmployAbility Galway we would to wish everyone and Happy and Peaceful Christmas and best wishes for 2019.

Our offices will close at 5pm on Friday 21 December 2018 and will reopen at 9am on Wednesday 02 January 2019.

Our gratitude goes out to all the clients who chose to seek our assistance throughout the year and include us in their journey towards employment, and to the employers who recongnised the value or clients could bring to their companies and organisations.

Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise díobh go léir

NUI Galway Research Survey

Research Survey

Researchers from NUI Galway are looking for employers (e.g., supervisors, managers etc.) and co-workers with and without experience with adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Asperger’s (ASD/AS) to complete a 15-minute online survey on their knowledge, understanding, and attitudes towards adults with ASD/AS at work. Participation is completely voluntary and answers will be anonymous.

To complete the Employers and Co-workers Online National Survey, please click here

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dr Keeley White at keeley.white@nuigalway.ie

Research Background

Hello! My name is Dr Keeley White and I am a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at the National University of Ireland Galway. I am conducting a research study to investigate employers’ and co-workers’ knowledge, understanding, and attitudes towards adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Asperger’s (ASD/AS) at work.

There is a lack of understanding of the needs of employers and co-workers working together with and supporting adults with ASD/AS in the workplace. This ranges from hiring adults with ASD/AS to offering (formal and informal) supports to maintain employment. The information gained from this study will help us to create online toolkits and training for employers and co-workers in Ireland, while also promoting the employability of adults with ASD/AS in Ireland.

One of our most important allies in conducting this research will be community agencies such as yours. I am contacting you to ask if you could circulate the following information, including our flyer to employers and co-workers working with your clients. We are looking for Irish employers (e.g., supervisors, managers etc) and co-workers with and without experience working with adults with ASD/AS to complete a 15-minute online survey.

In the future, we will be pleased to inform all participating agencies about our results (in a summary fashion). Our study has the ethical approval of the NUI Galway Research Ethics Board.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Kind regards,

Keeley White, Ph.D.

Marie Curie and ASSISTID postdoctoral fellow

Irish Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Research

National University of Ireland Galway

BA in Business, Enterprise and Community Development

On Saturday 17th November Equal Ireland are holding an Information and Induction Session for people who are or might be interested in obtaining a BA in Business Enterprise and Community Development accredited by Athlone Institute of Technology. It will start at 9.30 am and finish by 12.30. The Maldron Hotel, Terryland in Galway City is the venue.

They are now recruiting people living in or near Athlone, Ballinasloe, Galway and Tuam. Delivery Workshops for the Degree Programme, of which there are two per month, will be held in some or all of the above depending on the numbers involved in each area.

WHERE PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED BUT CAN’T MAKE THE 17TH NOVEMBER, NO WORRIES, ALL THEY NEED DO IS TEXT ‘BA’ AND THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS TO 0872237231 AND EQUAL Ireland WILL DO THE REST

Further Education and Training

Further Education and Training or FET, offers a wide variety of life-long education options to anyone over 16. FET includes apprenticeships, traineeships, Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses, community and adult education as well as core literacy and numeracy services. FET courses and programmes are provided through the Education and Training Board network throughout the country as well as through other local providers including online through SOLAS’ eCollege. FET courses are provided at levels one to six on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

FET is for anyone who is over 16 who wants to learn new skills or enhance existing skills to get the right job, progress to third-level or to support the achievement of personal goals.

Further information on FET is available on https://www.fetchcourses.ie/courses

Employers are you looking for an ASSET for your business?

We are seeking support from employers in the Galway area to provide a 10-week work placement opportunity in some of the following areas; computer science, heritage, elderly & child care, data entry, theatre/acting, cleaning, and software engineering for these 7 participants.

If your company is looking to develop inclusive recruitment practices and you are  interested in supporting our ASSET participants, please contact Pauline or Susan  at EmployAbility Galway  

091 755 235 |  pauline@employabilitygalway.ie | susan@employabilitygalway.ie

ASSET

Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Asperger Syndrome (ASD/AS) are an ASSET to your Company! 

EmployAbility Galway were recently contacted by Dr’s. Keeley White and Geraldine Leader from the Irish Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Research (ICAN) at NUI Galway. They were interested in partnering with us regarding their current work on the Assistive Social Skills and Employment Training (ASSET) program, which has been supported by funding from the charity RESPECT and the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions).  Their goal is to support adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder / Asperger’s Syndrome (ASD/AS) (with no intellectual disability) by evaluating the Assistive Social Skills and Employment Training (ASSET) program, 

Through the ASSET program, participants will learn to develop their soft skills, or work-related social skills and social self-confidence by attending weekly trainings and participating on a 10-week work placement. The ASSET program has been successful in the U.S. as Dr. Connie Sung and her research team at Michigan State University reported improvements in social skills, social self-confidence, daily living skills, and self-reported levels of anxiety.

We have agreed to partner with Keeley and Geraldine regarding the ASSET programme on behalf of 7 of our current clients who meet the programme criteria.  We are currently job searching for these clients and are looking for employment opportunities in Galway on their behalf.  We are seeking support from employers in the Galway area to provide a 10-week work placement opportunity in some of the following areas; computer science, heritage, elderly & child care, data entry, theatre/acting, cleaning, and software engineering for these 7 participants.

If your company is looking to develop inclusive recruitment practices and you are  interested in supporting our ASSET participants, please contact Pauline or Susan  at EmployAbility Galway  

091 755 235 |  pauline@employabilitygalway.ie | susan@employabilitygalway.ie

We would like to note that EmployAbility Galway cannot support any further participants on this programme, but please contact Dr. White at Keeley.white@nuigalway.ie for more information about the programme.