Goodbody

Goodbody’s Apprenticeship Programme with An Cosán is Upskilling Adult Learners

The An Cosán Apprenticeship programme works with corporate partners to give adult learners in community education the opportunity to build their skills in a real-world paid apprenticeship.

n Cosán was established

Ain 1986 by Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan and Dr. Katherine Zappone as a community-based platform for active citizenship and transformational education. Now located in Jobstown, the centre’s threestorey building houses classrooms, a library, Open Learning Centre, Rainbow House early years’ service, and counselling. Community education, such as that provided by An Cosán, provides a vital link in the path back to education for people who need extra support to help them on the journey.

Goodbody developed the ‘An Cosán Apprenticeship’ in 2018, with a goal to give An Cosán the opportunity to upskill people and give them a new level of experience in a professional environment — whether it be exemplary students or dedicated staff, who can bring new skills and knowledge back to that organisation.

DEVELOPING SKILLS The Apprenticeship allows us to develop our candidates’ knowledge and skill sets with on the job training and mentoring. After spending three months with our corporate partner, our candidates will return to our organisation to share their newfound knowledge and help to develop and improve our core functions. The corporate funds the six-month training period and the charity gets key people upskilled and real on the job experience.

In the current economic climate, corporate organisations face major recruitment and staff challenges. These include but are not limited to; recruitment costs, high staff turnover, rising salaries, skills shortages, competing entities, and the prospect of full employment. The An Cosán Apprenticeship offers corporate partners skilled, motivated employees who are eager to take on a professional opportunity and enhance their longerterm employability. Furthermore, through developing a relationship with An Cosán, corporate organisations get an opportunity to positively impact a charity with deep roots in a local community and a fundamental focus on empowering people through education.

SUSTAINABLE TOOL In creating this initiative we offered real work experience in a LIC to people who may not necessarily get that opportunity. We gave the apprentices the skills to positively impact themselves, their charity and our business. This is a sustainable tool for the charity to go into the corporate world and build its network with a strong workable offering that delivers value to all. It improves the corporate fundraising dynamic in the charity and it gives corporates ready made programmes that deliver real positive impacts.

Over the course of the last four years Goodbody and An Cosán have been partners with different initiatives and fundraising projects being done as part of our CSR partnership, from AnCosánathon five-day skills challenge, to an iPhone Buyback Scheme with funds raised donated to An Cosán. In total, we have helped raise funds totalling over €475,000 across a number of channels. However, The An Cosán Apprenticeship remains the most impactful aspect of our partnership.