Kildare participants celebrate 'My Dream Job' completion 

A total of 79 certificates were presented last week to 21 participants from the Kilcullen area in the second year of the 'My Dream Job' initiative within the Camphill Communities of Ireland. 

The project is designed to provide work experience and personal development opportunities for Camphill clients.

Careers and employment facilitator Emma Jane Meredith welcomed everybody to Camphill The Bridge in Kilcullen for an occasion that celebrated and recognised the achievements of the participants. 

"This programme was designed to open doors and to empower and support the dreams of everyone who is on the My Dream Job," she said. 

"Today we stand together to celebrate just how far everybody has come."

Emma Jane noted that the initiative during the past year had involved eight workshops, several work experience opportunities, and 12 weeks of social farming. 

The workshops included sessions on employer and employee expectations, confidence building, effective communications in the workplace, skills for successful work placement, professional boundaries in the workplace, and first aid and CPR training.

Four of the local service users of Camphill took part in work experience opportunities during the year, in JYSK in Naas, St Brigid's NS in Kildare town, An Post, and Mr Price. 

"What we usually do is find out what our participants are interested in, what they would like to do and where they'd like to go. We match that with appropriate businesses, and they go on a six to eight-week work experience. Sometimes they might get paid employment out of that, which is absolutely fantastic."

With the support of Social Farming Ireland, four of the Camphill group did a 12-week stint working at Fergal Byrne's farm in Calverstown. 

It was the second year for some of them, and in addition to the certificates presented to the participants, a special presentation was made to Fergal in appreciation of his support.

A presentation to mark the Employer of the Year was made to Russborough House & Gardens, represented at the event by Caroline Nash. 

Annie Shiffer, making the presentation, related how she had initially undertaken work experience at the popular Blessington visitor attraction, and afterwards had been offered paid employment there under the Tús community work placement programme. 

"From my very first day of work experience, Caroline and the whole team made me feel welcome," she said. 

"They took their time to get to know me and supported me every step of the way, and helped me settle into the workplace." 

She added that the transition to paid employment has made a huge difference to her life and confidence. 

On behalf of the group, Annie also thanked Emma Jane Meredith for her work on the My Dream Job programme.

Those who received certificates were Karolina Karolak, Eimear Ryan, Lukasz Cisowski, Liam Dermody, Tavian Dolan, Lynden Healy, Evan Bowes, Karen Bourke, Annie Shiffer, Stuart O’Neill, Holly Pallister, Laura Dunne, Maggie Ellison, Christine Malone, Paula Kelly, Liam Mc Donnell, Jack O’Callaghan, Michelle Hughes, Alan Beale, David Moore, and Esther Loakman.

Among those present were last year's recipients of the Employer of the Year award, David Hogan and his wife, Salima, who operate the nearby An Tearmann café, and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon TD.