Minister Roches launches ELLE Project in Wicklow

Dick Roche TD, Minister for European Affairs, launched the ELLE (Education and Lifelong Learning for Employment) Project for Bray on Monday 14th December 2009, at the Little Flower Hall, Bray on behalf of the consortium that will run the project which is made up of representatives from the Wicklow Trade Union Centre for the Unemployed, FAS, the Resource Centres in Little Bray and Ballywaltrim, Co Wicklow VEC and Bray Travellers Community Development Group, with support from Bray Partnership.

“I am delighted that this initiative in Bray is one of 37 projects which the Government is supporting with the assistance of the European Social Funds under the Equality for Women Measure. ELLE has secured funding as part of the Access to Employment Strand of the Equality for Women Measure. This positive action measure is providing a total of €1.14m to 37 projects (including this one). The Measure is providing self-development and confidence building opportunities for women all around Ireland.

Half of the funding for this Measure comes from the European Social Fund (ESF). The ESF has two main purposes across Europe: to help people into employment, and to break the cycle of disadvantage. The Irish Government is very much committed to these objectives and as such welcomes wholeheartedly the financial support from the EU to the nationwide programme. The Government remains fully committed to the achievement of Gender Equality and published the ten-year National Women's Strategy in 2007. Improving economic opportunities for women is the first theme of the Strategy and this project links also with that aim. We hope that this project will enable the participants to build their skills with a view to participating in further mainstream learning or education or returning to work.

Increasing the proportion of women in the labour market has been shown to be one of the best ways to improve gender equality. That is why it is one of the main objectives of the National Women’s Strategy. Taking part in a course like this helps not just the participants, but also their families and this also brings a sense of job satisfaction for the course providers and organisers. I hope that those who will participate in ELLE will continue acquire new skills and talents and with this achieve greater participation in the local workforce, increase prosperity for families and to help to achieve greater gender equality” said Minister Roche.