Youth2Work, an initiative providing young people with training in technical skills, is launching a pilot programme for rural communities in Cavan and Monaghan in conjunction with the GAA and Microsoft Ireland.

The scheme will mean 200 places opened to youth aged 18 to 25 for training in areas including cloud computing, mobility, business administration and software development. The courses will be offered by further education centres in Cavan and Monaghan, with Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board serving as a partner in the programme.

Youth2Work was established in 2013 in a partnership between Microsoft Ireland and FIT, an industry body promoting technical skills training in Ireland. Microsoft invested €3 million in the project, which set an initial target of providing training to 10,000 young people. To date, 7,800 people have received training or are in further education or employment as part of the programme.

Cathriona O’Hallahan, managing director of Microsoft, said that collaboration with the GAA fits in with Youth2Work’s aim to create healthy and sustainable communities.

“The GAA have a strong connection to local communities,” said Ms O’Hallahan. “They want to keep people in those communities.”

GAA chief

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail said his organisation “will liaise with young people and local employers to drive participation here in Cavan and Monaghan”.

Ms O’Hallahan said that she hopes that the programme will create jobs in rural communities, as small businesses increasingly rely on technology.” These skills are not just relevant to the IT industry,” said Ms O’Hallahan, “but to any business in this day and age”.

Martin O’Brien, chief executive of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board, said: “Youth unemployment is a problem across the country particularly in rural Ireland and we’re looking forward to evaluating the impact of Youth2Work in this region.”

Ireland’s youth unemployment rate is 20.2 per cent, down from a peak of 31 per cent in June of 2012.