Young people are disproportionately represented in homelessness and are too often overlooked when it comes to housing and support. An essential component of the aftercare program and our work with young people consists in engaging with the PETE service.
Focus Ireland's Preparation for Education, Training, and Employment is a preventative service that offers those affected by marginalisation and experience of long-term homelessness access to mainstream education or employment. The program developed out of an identified need to address the gap in the training, education, and employment pathway through homelessness into independent living. PETE provides a flexible, customer-centered service that supports participants to grow in confidence and promotes empowerment, self-confidence, and personal development.
PETE helps their clients complete their second-level education, apply for third-level education, and secure the necessary support for customers to become settled and independent in their lives. Focus Ireland delivers the PETE programme in three locations; Dublin, Limerick & Waterford.
In 2021, the PETE Dublin service was vital in helping to tackle isolation and to support customers to recover from the trauma of homelessness by providing support to 169 people through a range of classes and initiatives in a variety of subjects and vocational skills.
PETE Dublin also supported 48 referrals to employment in a variety of sectors including in the retail, healthcare, warehouse, construction, childcare and customer care sectors. 120 certificates or qualifications were secured by PETE customers last year, which helped them gain in self-confidence, as well as secure employment or pursue further education.
To learn more about this program, contact our team at corporate@focusireland.ie
