Home•Employment Programmes•Traveller Employment Programme

Traveller Employment Programme

The Traveller Employment Programme supports members of the Irish Traveller community to gain and sustain meaningful employment. The programme offers a flexible and supportive approach, shaped by the goals and circumstances of individual participants.

This tailor-made programme can help participants identify their career plans and achieve employment goals through one-to-one coaching and employment supports.

How the programme works

We partner with local Traveller organisations and businesses. In line with our Elevate, Inclusive Workplace, Pledge, we encourage businesses to increase the diversity in their workplaces and to create long-term connections between the business and Traveller communities.

Services for participants:

Improve your job applications, including CV writing, interviews, LinkedIn profile etc.
Support to progress into education, training, enterprise or volunteering.
Access different services and supports (revenue, employment rights, social welfare and much more).
Tailored group sessions and career workshops – often delivered by business partners.
Support in linking with employers and network building.
Upon securing employment, support with paperwork, developing a routine and communicating with your employer.

Services for business:

Access to a diverse panel of jobseekers.
Guidance on including and promoting the recruitment and retention of Travellers.
Invitations to specialised training events.
In-employment support for staff where needed.

Who is eligible for this programme?

This programme is open to those who are a member of the Irish Traveller Community and:

Interested in work or would like support around training or education.
Open to all including those on Social Welfare payments or Community Employment (CE) Allowance. Your payments are not affected.

What is the Traveller Employment Programme?

Brian's Story

Brian is an Irish Traveller and, like most of his family, is an early school leaver. The TEP has worked with Brian over the last two years to support him, creating a CV, identifying his employment goals, and how best to achieve them.

He is keen to obtain employment in the security industry but had no security experience, training, or licence. With BITCI support, he applied for his security licence, which can be lengthy as Garda vetting and application forms had to be completed, and he undertook door guarding skills training which he excelled at.

Through his determination, Brian received his professional licence, which he is thrilled about, and is now in the process of applying for full-time security roles. This has sparked more interest in other Traveller men looking for the same training and keen to get security employment.

Through engaging with TEP, Brian also gained confidence and skills and a professional licence needed to apply for the positions in security that he is interested in. He is currently on a community employment scheme, and we hope he will progress into full-time Community Employment in the near future with continuous support from the TEP.