My Department assists and encourages long-term unemployed, and other welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education through a range of measures administered by my Department's social and family support service. In addition, my Department's locally based facilitators operate the technical assistance and training grants, TATS, and special projects fund to provide enhanced support to people who need additional help to progress to further training and employment.
The technical assistance and training grants fund was originally established for self-employed participants in the back to work allowance scheme to provide them with training in the areas of start your own business, book-keeping-accounts, preparation of business plans, marketing, literacy and computer training and assistance with the purchase of small items of equipment. It also provides assistance with the cost of HGV training and licence to individuals where appropriate. Since 2003, the fund has been extended to support other welfare customers. In 2005, over 4,000 grants were provided at a cost of €1.879 million. The amount allocated for 2006 is €2.55 million.
My Department's special projects fund also enables facilitators to assist more marginalised groups and demonstrates the positive results of a partnership approach between my Department, the voluntary and community sector and other local players in identifying and addressing local needs in terms of training and development. Some of the projects supported include personal development, computer training, literacy-numeracy and life skills. HGV driving lessons for welfare recipients may also be supported from this fund. In 2005, a total of 198 special projects were funded, co-funded or part-funded at a cost of €2.8 million. The budget for 2006 is €2.5 million.