A Model of Best Practice

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A Model of Best Practice
FASTRACK INTO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIT

• The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern 27th of June 2002

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Presented at the Special European Summit at
Lisbon in March, 2000 by the British and Irish
governments in a joint paper as an example of .

• .a weapon to combat social exclusion

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Introductions

• Patrick Nolan Businessman turned Social
  Entrepreneur
• Former Chairman of the Marketing Institute
• CEO, Twinings Tea CEO Goldstar Meats
• M.Sc. on conept of FIT, 1995 1997
• Ph.D. on unfolding story of FIT, 2004

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Introductions

• Peter Davitt Social Entrepreneur for over 20
  years.
• Member of the Government Task Force On Long-term
  Unemployment
• Founding Member of the Ballymun Job Centre
• Director of BRL the largest regeneration
  project in Europe
• CEO FIT Ltd.

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WHAT IS FIT?HOW DID IT GET HERE?WHAT DOES IT
DO?
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WHAT IS FIT?

• FIT is.
• Focused on the long-term unemployed in
  disadvantaged communities
• Industry-led and state supported
• A system of training and placing the target group
  in jobs
• An independent company adopting best business
  practice
• A good example of CSR in Action
• A learning organisation

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HOW FIT CAME TO BE HERE?

• Gestation Years 1987 to - 1995
• Ballymun Job Centre
• Workmate
• Greencaps
• Tramlines

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HOW FIT CAME TO BE HERE?

• GATHERING THE FRUITS OF EXPERIENCE-
• Developing the Concept (M.Sc. 1995 1997)
• Employer Focus Groups
• 1997 / 1998 A Year of Reflection
• FIT Action Plan Preparation and Launch

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Blending Research And Action

• Reflecting On Experience
• Continually Reshaping the Project
• Current Strategy Implementation Group

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Not A
One Way Street!

• Challenging the Status Quo
• Potential for Transformation
• Boundaryless and Ideologically-free

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Companies surviving to longevity
• .sensitivity to the world around.
• Arie de Geus The Living Company
  (1997)

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• FIT is a catalyst for
• new types of co-operation to address disadvantage
• social integration through the acquisition of ICT
  skills
• the advancement of digital inclusion
  interventions.

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The success of FIT is built on wide
collaboration, co-operation and mutual trust.
The FIT Initiative has enabled industry,
government local communities to develop new
ways of working together and to pursue new ideas
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Vision to make it happen
Dell Eircom Esat BT Hewlett Packard IBM Alche
my AIB Connect Global Solutions Creative
Labs Computer Sciences Danone
Microsoft Modus Media AOL Oracle Pivotal Pric
eWaterhouseCoopers SkillSoft Symantec Vistatec
IBEC
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Exploiting Emerging Skills Needs in ICT

• Creating new market led
• Broadband Communication
• IT Office Admin Design
• Business Through Computers
• IT Reception Skills
• Insights Programme
• IT Retail Sales and Support
• Data-based Management Systems

• courses
• Certified Professional
• PC Maintenance Servicing
• Quality Assurance
• Localisation
• Internet / E-commerce
• Programming

Combing technical requirements with soft skills
development needs (16 global companies involved)
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Upskilling for Employment Progression
Number of Participants 3385 Placements to
date 1589 Further Education and Training
378 Progression to date 1967
Placements by sector
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We have found our FIT graduates to be highly
enthusiastic, good team workers who have
delivered a quality service and added value to
the Eircom IT Service Desk.
FIT is a win-win initiative benefitting employers
FIT graduates.
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Digital Inclusion
FIT is pioneering new ways of introducing people
to the socio-economic benefits of ICT.
From bringing IT into the homes and lives of
people, to creating a new style of assessment
which focus on peoples abilities rather than
their formal education.
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Upskilling a Community
Digital Inclusion initiative under URBAN II

• Bringing the benefits of the information society
  to all the citizens a disadvantaged community in
  Dublin.
• doIT! Outreach
• e-Citizen
• Resource Kits Web Sites
• Community Access Points
• Community Support
• doIT! Classroom Initiative
• Promotion
• It is a pilot project for a broader action ICT
  Integrated Area Action Plans.

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ICT Career Compass
Developing a career progression framework for ICT
trainees from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure
sustained employability and career progression.

• Career Progression Pathways
• Benchmarking of ICT Industry Certification
• Access Programmes to National Certification
• ICT Career Guidance Manual
• Career Development Resources
• Vitrual Career Information Centre - Online

Funded under Leonardo da Vinci Programme.
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FIT participating in a number of Leonardo da
Vinci projects
ICTEM - Integrated Counselling, Training
Employment Method (Slovenia) Enhancing the
employability of disadvantaged youth in the
labour market. Developing Youth Career Service
(Bulgaria) Emphasising youth integration into the
labour Market using online career guidance.
CHOICES (Ireland) Developing assessment tools
to facilitate the effective guidance and
integration of disadvantaged job seekers into ICT
training and employment opportunities.
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FIT Napoli Aims to meet the challenges of
unemployment and social exclusion in Naples
through the acquisition of ICT Skills.
(EQUAL) Based on the principles of FIT, it aims
to provide an integrated system for recruitment
selection guidance ICT training assessment and
support. FIT provides technical support.
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• What next?
• PADD - designing proficiency based ICT
  certification - new project under Leonardo da
  Vinci programme - October 2004.
• e-NGAGE an eContent consortiumseeking localise
  initiatives and materials already developed.
• Promoting the concept of ICT Integrated Area
  Action Plans to bridge the digital divide in
  Dublin.
• Going to Africa collaborating on computer in
  schools Initiatives in Uganda.

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Demonstrating of CSR as a medium for labour
market integration social inclusion - as Europe
strives to become the most knowledge-based
economy by 2010
FIT focuses on the future potential, rather than
the past history of participants
Wide industry collaboration and leadership has
made FIT into one of the most effective CSR
interventions in Europe