What is special about this project?
The foundation of the Gasworks Employment Matching Service created
an organisation that was unique in a number of respects, not least its
objective of forging links to local communities and improving their access to
the labour market.
Due to its profound knowledge of the local communities it
was working with, GEMS was able to reach many inhabitants of South and East
Belfast that had been long excluded from the labour market. The
in-depth knowledge of their clientele enabled the organisation to design
specific programmes directly tailored to the needs of local communities, such as
the more recent focus on minority ethnic unemployed). Measured in numbers, its
activities have been successful so far.
The riverside
is now a nice
place to live
and work
What can be learned?
GEMS has been successful because it has designed its
services around the particular needs of individuals, specific communities and
employers, rather than following mainstream solutions. For the unemployed, their
approach extends from helping jobseekers achieve basic work-readiness, through
training to job applications. For employers, GEMS works to understand their
primary needs and to develop candidates’ skills in an appropriate direction.
The regeneration
has helped to attract
business into the area
The success of the program can be summarised by the following
strategies:
• Provision of advice and support in career planning
• Assistance with job applications (e.g. interview
preparation, job search)
• Linking candidates with appropriate training,
education and employment opportunities
• Developing linkages between employers, local
communities and support agencies
• Enhancing the capacity of the local communities to
participate fully in the economy and local
development and to counter social exclusion
• Promotion of corporate social responsibility among
companies
This last point is extremely important in the context of Northern
Ireland, where many companies see barriers
to investment in the difficult social conditions.