A local election candidate is calling for a volunteer centre to be established in Kilkenny city that would assist the unemployed in gaining new skills while also volunteering for the benefit of others.
Fianna Fail candidate Anna Michalska is calling for a multi agency approach to establish a centre that will help people interested in volunteering to find a volunteer role so they can use their existing skills while also learning new ones. She believes it would give the unemployed an opportunity to use their time to help others while also learning new skills themselves that could benefit them in their search for employment.
“I have seen this idea in operation in Carlow and I believe that it is a positive way to use your spare time while trying to find a job while also helping others,” said Ms Michalska.
"There are 90 organisations that co-operate with the Carlow centre and I would expect a larger interest in Kilkenny. They help people responsible for involving volunteers in their organisations, highlighting volunteering through the media, and recognise the personal benefits that volunteering can bring. The centre was established in 2006 and the number of people wanting to work as a volunteer has doubled in the last year," she said.
"I believe there is an opportunity there for local organisations like Kilkenny County and Borough councils, Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, FÁS, and Kilkenny Leadership Programme to link together and use their expertise to establish a centre that could benefit those who are unemployed in Kilkenny and local businesses who are struggling through the recession," concluded Ms Michalska.
