Triest Press

Inclusive Hiring

Roscommon print and design company Triest Press is bridging the gap of barriers to employment for people with intellectual disabilities

TRIEST PRESS

Triest Press are a print and design company with a difference—a non-profit or more specifically a ‘profit for purpose’ enterprise with a growing social impact that is making a real difference in people’s lives. Namely, people with intellectual disabilities that have faced barriers to access employment. Triest Press pride themselves on their diversity and dedication to equity and social inclusion along with their commitment to keeping traditional print methods alive.

Unlike other commercial printers, Triest Press are romantics when it comes to tradition and believe

that the creativity involved in old style print methods such as hand finishing, screen printing and letterpress are what makes them stand out from the crowd. These original print processes are then blended with the latest and most environmentally sustainable modern print technology on the market to create a unique finished product that when purchased goes directly toward meaningful employment opportunities.

The employment model adopted by the Roscommon print and design company is that of tiered support. Staff members are assigned a support person and mentor when they join the team and following a period of training and work experience, they themselves can become mentors to new employees. The level of responsibility and autonomy given to each employee lends greatly to a sense of ownership and investment in the company.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE Although Triest Press has done a lot to bridge the gap of barriers to employment for people with intellectual disabilities, the passionate drivers behind the businesses’ success believe that there is still a lot of work to be done.

Ireland’s rate of employment among people with disabilities is half that of the European average and people still face discrimination in the workplace to a worrying degree.

In a bid to help combat some of these barriers, the company launched an integrated training and work experience program whereby participants gain a solid block of real work experience and transferable skills training over a two-year period. Participants are paid and given access to the same employee benefits as existing staff members and are exposed to all the regular

THE HOPE IS THAT PARTICIPANTS CAN CHALLENGE MAINSTREAM EMPLOYERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND MAYBE EVEN MISCONCEPTIONS IN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE WHOLLY INCLUSIVE IN THEIR HIRING PRACTICES

Deborah, Business Development Officer, Project Lead, Triest Press

ins and outs of a busy and vibrant workplace. At the end of the program Triest Press support participants into competitive employment that meet their work goals. From potential employer’s perspective, candidates are fully trained in digital skills, customers service and general office duties with two years’ experience and

a portfolio of proven skills learned.

“The hope is that participants can challenge mainstream employers’ perceptions and maybe even misconceptions in what it means to be wholly inclusive in their hiring practices and in doing so can pave the way for others to be accepted more easily into our labour market – and maybe in time, making the Irish labour market a forerunner in Europe as an equal opportunity landscape to aspire to be like,” explains Deborah Tierney, Business Development officer with Triest Press.