Race in the Workplace on
Wednesday 12th November, 2008,
The Radisson SAS Hotel, Athlone,
9.00am - 11.30am
Download invitation in PDF format.
Easy Access Seminar on
Thursday 30th October, 2008,
Athlone Springs Hotel,
6.00pm to 8.30pm
Download invitation in PDF format.
Athlone Companies Show Racism the RED CARD
Twenty children representing fourteen businesses will take part in a penalty shoot-out in Athlone Town Football Stadium on Friday evening 5th September at the Athlone versus Dundalk fixture. The aim of the event is to create awareness and stimulate greater interest in the importance of equality in our lives—in the businesses providing our goods and services, in our employment and workplaces and in our sports. The game is sponsored for the Athlone Promoting Workplace Equality project by Collane, a Cavan based consultancy supporting the project.
In 2005, Forfás estimated that, in addition to indigenous skilled workers, Ireland would require up to 30,000 skilled immigrants per annum to fulfill our labour shortages over the next decade (Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, 2005). Since the beginning of the Celtic Tiger immigrant workers have made a tremendously positive impact on Athlone and have proved to everyone that there are clear benefits in having a multicultural city, communities and workplaces. The project has discovered that many merchants, employers, sports club as well as community groups in and around Athlone are very interested in capitalising on these benefits and are showing an increased interest in learning how to adapt to this new reality and to manage cultural diversity.
The event also provides an opportunity for the 14 companies involved in the Athlone Chamber Equality Network the opportunity to showcase their own support for Equal Opportunities in the Workplace.
Over the past year the 14 companies have appointed “equality officers” and have undertaken a review of their current work practices and policies in terms of equality. They have supported one another in the process of implementing a range of measures ensuring they are not only compliant with existing legislation but also have best practice in place to truly provide an “Equal Opportunities Workplace.” The network will continue to focus on improving their businesses, ensuring open and flexibile workplaces, encouraging communication, demonstrating the value of their staff providing the kind of employment that makes Athlone such an attractive place to work and live. In addition to supporting these needs the project is also working with AIT to develop ways to measure and prove the impact of diversity on our businesses and in our workplaces.
Over the next nine months working with Athlone Chamber and the Equality Authority the chamber will organise nine two-hour training sessions on each of the nine grounds in the equality legislation. In the first of these events on Wednesday 10th September, 9am to 11am, a Solicitor from Equality Authority will explain how to avoid the pitfalls that lead to complaints and how to develop and implement practical approaches to equality in the workplace. The second is a focus on Ageism, on Wednesday 15th October, 9am to 11.30, with Eilish Redmond from Age and Opportunity.
Anyone interested in this programme or interested in attending the 2 hour workshops may contact the chamber office on 0909 6498838 or email athcci@iol.ie.
The companies participating in the Athlone Promoting Workplace Equality are
Athlone Extrusions
One Direct
IO Systems
Vitabond
Alienware
Hodson Bay Hotel
Prince of Wales Hotel
Radisson SAS
Olive Grove
Right Price Tiles
Stella Maris
Athlone Town Football Club
Ganlys Hardware
Athlone Credit Union
Athlone Promoting Workplace Equality project which is a joint venture of the Athlone Chamber, the National Framework Committee and the Equality Authority. The Athlone Promoting Workplace Equality project will make use of research, training, business networking, business consultation, and enterprise level innovation in assisting businesses implement workplace equality.
The members of the steering committee of the APWE are Susan Coughlan Corporate Community, Andy Pierce, Collane HR, Noleen Geraghty, Anthony Barry & Co Solicitors, Shane Lyons, Lionra and AIT, Noel Connolly Roscommon Partnership, Brenda Flynn RBK, Siobhan Bigley, Athlone Chamber, Mark Cooney, Fair & Murtagh, Linda Tiley, Athlone Refuge, Alex Alvero, Infor, Joe Le Cumbre, Athlone Trades Unions and IO Systems
Any companies interested in taking part in the project can contact Siobhan Bigley at athcci@iol.ie or ring 090 6498838.
