What is New Futures?
We provide the Ireland’s only bridging program, New Futures, designed uniquely for lone parents in Ireland. This programme is aimed at helping lone parents return to education or enter the workforce.
Who is New Futures for?
Programme includes:
- Personal Development: personal growth, building self-confidence, communication skills, stress management and goal setting.
- Employment Support: develop job-seeking skills, creating and updating CVs, preparing for interviews and accessing job opportunities.
- Individualised Support: regular one-to-one sessions with a support worker, individual action plan to identify your goals, explore career and education options and how to pursue them.
- Wraparound Family Support: access one-to-one parent mentoring, laptop loans and receive subsidies for childcare and travel (in-person course only)
Types of New Futures
- New Futures: in-person – We run an in-person version of the New Futures employability programme. We are currently enrolling for our next course starting September 2025 in the Carmichael Centre on Aungier Street in Dublin 2. We provide childcare and travel subsidies for those attending our in-person course.
- New Futures: online – We offer an online version of the New Futures employability programme for those who cannot attend our in-person course in Dublin. We are currently enrolling for our next course starting September 2025.This online delivery includes individual one-to-one support sessions and weekly Zoom workshops.
- New Futures: e-learning – For those who can’t commit to our in-person course or online course, we offer a self-directed, 12-week e-learning course. This includes online e-learning, wraparound family support and regular one-to-one sessions with a support worker. You will also attend workshops on key topics and have regular check-ins on Zoom with other parents completing the e-learning programme.
Next course
We are currently enrolling for our next New Futures in-person and online courses, which are starting in September 2025.
To learn more or to enroll for an upcoming programme, please contact Niamh Wynne for more information by emailing programmes@onefamily.ie or calling 01 662 9212. Alternatively, fill out our inquiry form here and a member of our Programmes team will get in contact with you
Please contact Niamh Wynne for more information.
Email: programmes@onefamily.ie
Phone: 01 662 9212
Hear from our participants
“I’m so glad that I decided to do the New Futures course. I initially received the information about the course through an email and applied on a whim. After that I doubted my decision and tried to talk myself out of doing it. The thought of doing a course became overwhelming.
Thankfully Muire called me and arranged a Zoom call (more panic) but once I got over the nerves of the Zoom call, Muire put me at ease immediately. She was so positive and gave so much encouragement that I signed up for the course. From that moment onwards the support from everyone at New Futures was amazing. They support you every step of the way and helped me through every wobble (there were a few). The thoughts of doing a course through Zoom filled me with dread but honestly it was so good.
It was lovely to be able to meet and chat with other lone parents who are going through similar struggles as me. I was feeling stuck after many years at home and not sure how to go about returning to work/education, etc. The course work not only offers practical help with those issues, writing a CV, doing a mock interview, but also focuses so much on helping you see that the years at home have provided you with invaluable skills. Lots of the course is aimed at improving self-confidence and esteem.
The course work itself is so well laid out and delivered in a very manageable way, I never found it too much. We also had 1:1 mentor sessions offered to us and Niamh was amazing every week, giving support, genuine encouragement and positivity all the time. I honestly can’t recommend the course enough. It’s really helped me take those daunting first steps to returning to work/education.”