Background

The Council area is home to over 115,300 people with approximately 7340 businesses, creating 38,500 jobs. The Fermanagh & Omagh District Council area is Northern Ireland’s largest region in terms of land mass, covering 3,000km2, which equates to 20% of Northern Ireland. It is the smallest council area in terms of population with a population density of 41 people per km2.

What Fermanagh & Omagh District Council did

The Fermanagh & Omagh District Council area is home to six wards which, at the time of application, were ranked in the upper quartile of disadvantage. Almost half (43.23%) of those living in the Fermanagh & Omagh District Council area have no or low qualifications; 4.8% are unemployed, of these 47.09% are long-term unemployed, 34.05% of the population are economically inactive with 20.75% recorded as having a long-term health problem or disability limiting day-to-day activities.

Fermanagh & Omagh District Council work in partnership with the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WH&SCT), Education (EA) for the Western Region in delivery with Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative (FRCI) to run their ASPIRE Programme which stands for Access to Success, Progression, Inclusion, Recognition, Employment.

ASPIRE is an employability programme with the primary aim of moving people currently unemployed or economically inactive into paid and sustained employment. It started in April 2015 and will run for three years. ASPIRE offers each participant an individualised programme ranging from a few weeks to 12 months, dependent on need.

Impacts and Outcomes

For more information, email edel.browne@fermanaghomagh.com