Personal Development and Career Planning with Support
The New Futures Employability Programme is a free 17 week, part-time personal & career development programme specifically designed for those parenting alone or sharing parenting and explores both Personal & Interpersonal Development and Career Planning. It is a unique employability programme with three central parts- group training delivered two mornings per week, wraparound family supports and individual 1:1 keyworking. The programme is delivered online through weekly facilitated Zoom classes and our purpose-built online learning platform.
Classes are delivered online two mornings per week from 10am-12.30pm. There are no classes during school holidays. Participants may be offered a laptop loan or help with broadband costs if needed.
At least 80% of New Futures participants progress to further education and employment after course completion each year.
Who is currently eligible to participate in New Futures?
Currently the New Futures Employability Programme is only available to selected customers of the Department of Social Protection who are parenting alone and living in the North East of Ireland. You will be contacted directly if you are eligible.
The New Futures programme is currently supported through funding received under the Employment & Social Innovation Programme (EaSI) 2014-2020. From 2022-2024 we will deliver New Futures to sixty lone parents under this project, in partnership with the Department of Social Protection.
The sixth and final group of parents completing New Futures under the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020 ended in June 2022 and there will be no further delivery under this project. We have supported 142 lone parents since 2017 with the support of this funding.
What are our future plans?
We plan to secure further funding that will allow us to offer the New Futures Employability Programme to lone parents nationwide. Please keep an eye on our website and social media channels for further updates.
Parents interested in participating in the programme in the future can contact Niamh Wynne directly for updates at nwynne@onefamily.ie or call reception on 01 662 9212.
One Family New Futures Stories are the experiences of some of the lone parents who took part in our courses, in their own words.