Fingal Creative Ability Hub

Funded by DRCD Digital Innovation Fund 2018
Funding awarded: €40,000

Contact details:
Fingal County Council
E: customercareunit@fingal.ie
P: (01) 890 5000

Who: Fingal County Council

Deriving its name from the Gaelic words ‘Fine Gall’ and its viking-not to the past ‘land of the fair-haired stranger’, Fingal Dublin is an area of rich local heritage, affluent economy, and scenic coastline. This 450sq.km region is home to Dublin Airport, enroute to Dublin Port and the Dublin-Belfast corridor, with rail, road, and highly developed telecommunications infrastructure. At nearly full employment, the area seeks to finance a ‘Creative Ability Hub’ supporting equality of opportunity for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to realise their full potential through education and employment.

Objectives are to:

• use digital technology to enhance equality of opportunity in the area
• create an employability hub for use by people with ASD
• facilitate hub users to undertake enterprise readiness training
• organise seminars and workshops on social and life skills
• enable hub users to participate in an industry mentoring program with employers
• enhance opportunities for hub users to be considered for internships or work experience assignments
• work with employment support teams on feedback from work experience opportunities availed of by hub users

What: The funding will provide 13 creative digital workstations comprising high-spec graphic PCs, laptops, hard drives, creative suite software, wired fit-out and installation. The Not So Different Creative Ability Hub celebrates diversity and promotes inclusion of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder to realise their full potential through education and employment. The hub will operate as a social enterprise comprising a local authority, local development company, and second level and third level educators that work with the neuro-diversity speciailsts Not So Different.

Why: The hub will provide employability skills training and support talented creative individuals to become work-ready. A focus on digital skills and connectivity will provide a platform for hub users to build connections with employers that value their particular talents in logic and pattern thinking, thinking in pictures, problem solving, analytical abilities, creative and innovative abilities and more. In short, the hub will enhance equality of employment opportunities for those living with neuro-diversity.

UN Sustainable Development Goals: