What is TÚS?
TÚS a Government initiative which provides meaningful jobs in local communities throughout County Wexford. It does this by using Local Development Companies to match up available placements within community and voluntary groups with eligible individuals identified by the Department of Social Protection. There is little or no cost to the group and the person works for 19.5 hours per week with a top up on their existing rate of pay.
How does it help your community?
Do you represent a community or voluntary group? Are you and your volunteers always struggling to find the time to get everything done and would like some extra help? The TÚS Programme might be just what you are looking for! TÚS can find that extra person your community group needs. It can give you an additional worker to help take the pressure off your existing volunteer team, so that your group can continue to provide the beneficial services within your community. This additional worker is provided with little or no cost to the group. Over 300 groups to date have benefitted from this programme throughout County Wexford.
TÚS also delivers a Social Enterprise project called the Little Jobs Service which provides small maintenance jobs in the homes of older people.
How does it help the Participant?
TÚS provides employment for individuals who have been unemployed for over a year, to help them get back into a regular working routine and regain a work focus. It also provides them with the opportunity to learn new skills, build self-confidence and help their local community at the same time. They are part-time employed for 19.5 hours per week for a year and are also given the opportunity to engage in training to improve their existing skills or learn new skills that may help them to progress into employment. Over 1500 individuals to date have benefitted from this programme throughout County Wexford.
Is my group eligible for TÚS?
There are set criteria but if you are a community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisation then you are most likely eligible. If you want to find out whether your group is eligible for TÚS, please contact Sheena Bolger, TÚS/RSS Co-ordinator on 053 9155847 or 087 907 3963
If you represent an eligible community group that is interested in becoming involved in the programme, then simply fill in the TÚS Group application form, return it to the address provided and a member of the team will be in touch with you in due course.
Follow this link to see work carried out by TÚS Participants: https://askamorecommunity.wordpress.com/tag/tus/
I am unemployed, how do I get on the scheme?
If you are currently unemployed and are wondering how to get onto the programme, this is how it works. An individual cannot be considered for TÚS unless they are referred by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
The Department randomly selects names from the live register of individuals unemployed for over a year. They make contact with those selected to ask if they are interested in the TÚS Programme and forwards the details of those who are interested to the TÚS Team at Wexford Local Development. Everyone on that list is invited to a one-to-one meeting to assess whether we have a suitable placement which matches their skills.
In 2015 the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection introduced an Assisted Self-Referral method, whereby a Social Protection or Employment Services Intreo case officer could also put an individual’s name forward for the programme.
Where can I get more details about the scheme?
The TÚS Programme Community/Voluntary Group Application Form 2018/2019 can be downloaded on our Forms & Publications page.
The TÚS Team:
