Opening Doors through Job Site Visits

A Job Site Visit (JSV) is an opportunity for our participants to step inside a real workplace and experience it for themselves, guided by Careers and Employment Facilitators (CEFs) who help turn early interests into the first steps of a future career.

The aim is to give young adults the chance to see what work looks like day to day, meet people in those jobs, and begin to picture whether this is the kind of future that suits them.

We now have several companies partnering with us to provide meaningful JSVs across Ireland, in fields such as hospitality, retail, the arts, media, sports, and logistics. One example comes from Cork, where our colleague Enda Murray organised a construction site visit that brought together all the trades and roles her graduating school leavers were eager to explore.

What makes a JSV meaningful is everything that happens before the visit itself. In this case, the CEF spent time with the school to prepare the group and worked closely with the organisation to create an experience that was welcoming. Because it was a construction site, participants also needed safety passes, which were supported so everyone could arrive confident. Even the smallest details were thought of, like arranging gear sizes in advance, so that when the day came each person could step onto the site feeling safe, included, and ready to take part fully.

On the day, the group met plumbers, carpenters, plasterers, and welders, but also engineers and general labourers. They toured the site, saw work in action, asked questions, and came away with a clearer sense of what construction might mean for them. Afterwards, as is standard in our work, CEFs guide a reflection process to help each participant make sense of what they had seen and decide on next steps.

For one participant, the visit confirmed that construction was not the right path because of factors like noise. That kind of realisation is only possible when you stand on site and experience it for yourself. For others, the visit opened doors to new opportunities.

Each participant moved on to job shadowing and supported work experience in a trade that interested them. From there, different paths began to unfold. Two have since secured steady work as general labourers, one in carpentry and another in painting. Another completed a pre-apprenticeship programme and is now pursuing a career in Bespoke Kitchens.

These visits work because they are partnerships. A JSV gives as much to young adults as it does to employers, offering the chance to show leadership, to open doors to future talent, and to be recognised for inclusive practice.

They have now become a regular part of our work in schools across Ireland, with more employers joining in each year.

The reach continues to grow, and with it the stories we hope to share.