“When I took the FIT course it set me off in a completely new direction. Working for a big company like Siemens is way above anything I ever imagined when I started the Business Through Computers course. It really has changed my life, literally.”
— Paul Murray, User Account Manager, Siemens
Our Work
Employment Learning
Ireland’s population and employment landscape is rapidly changing, and the Partnership is committed to keeping the workforce up to speed with it.
Employment Learning provides a suitable alternative to third level education for many of Ireland’s youth.
Fastrack Into IT (FIT)
Since its founding in 1999, FIT (Fastrack into Information Technology) has been on a mission to empower people with the skills needed to thrive in Ireland’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
With inclusion and diversity at its core, FIT believes that providing accessible training opens up exciting career avenues and quality job opportunities for anyone with a spark of curiosity and passion for technology.
The Partnership is proud to support FIT’s Gizmo Labs initiative, which immerses students in their Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways program. Students who complete this program will have an appreciation of the new technologies reforming and revolutionizing the workplace, and will be informed on how to access top-tier technology training, work-based technology initiatives, and career guidance.
The Gizmo Labs program offers Transition Year (age 15-16) students the chance to be introduced to advanced manufacturing work practices, including robotics, 3-D printing, and virtual/augmented reality environments.
SparkStart Digital
SparkStart Digital, in partnership with FIT, is an educational program which launched in May 2024 to support 350 participants in Belfast.
“We are proud to invest in Northern Ireland’s future through the support of the FIT SparkStart Digital initiative. Continuing our work of the past 38 years, we are committed to bolstering the economic development and educational opportunities afforded to young people in Belfast.”
– Mary Sugrue, CEO and President, Irish American Partnership
SparkStart Digital was designed in honor of Special Envoy Kennedy to further support the economic development work he has achieved across Northern Ireland. With a goal of creating job training in IT for unemployed marginalized young people, SparkStart is customized to provide targeted support and
opportunities to acquire digital skills, build confidence, and access pathways to further learning and quality employment.
“Our journey began in 1989 with the Irish American Partnership as our first funder at the Ballymun Job Centre in North Dublin. I look forward to witnessing the success of SparkStart Digital here in Belfast.”
– Peter Davitt, FIT, Chief Executive Officer
SparkStart Digital will facilitate the class of particants for three years. The program prioritizes job seekers facing challenges, including young people who left school early, women returning to work after a hiatus, newly arrived migrant communities, and special educational needs learners.
“There are hundreds of people who will be helped by this investment, and I’m so moved that the Irish American Partnership would think to do so in collaboration with our efforts.”
– U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, Joseph P. Kennedy III