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Our Partners

Our work is created and supported by our partner companies. They have all taken a pledge to be inclusive employers and create pathways to employment for marginalised people. Without their forward thinking and dedication to this work, many would still be facing barriers to employment, education and training.

We are honoured to work with such great companies and their employees to further our efforts to build an inclusive community of employers.

Ready to start your journey with us?

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In order to create a login account, your organisation must first be a Partner of Open Doors Initiative. If your organisation would like to Become a Partner they will receive unlimited access to all resources and toolkits in the ODI Research Hub.

If you are an employee of an existing Partner Organisation, you can create your individual Login Account below.

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how we work with our partners

ODI offers bespoke partnership models to ensure mutual benefits for both the partner and the communities we support. 

Workplace Inclusion & Diversity Initiatives

ODI helps partners create inclusive workplaces by offering support on best practices for diversity and inclusion. Our programmes Employer for Change, Towards Work and Pathways to Progress provide partners with access to toolkits and resources to foster a more inclusive culture.

Entrepreneurship Innovation Support

ODI partners with companies to provide mentorship, resources, and opportunities for entrepreneurs from marginalised backgrounds to create and scale businesses in Ireland. Partners may also sponsor entrepreneurial training or incubator programs, promoting innovation and self-sustainability.

Research & Development Collaborations

We work with academic and corporate partners to conduct research on best practices in diversity, inclusion, and workforce development. Partners can collaborate on producing reports, studies, or thought leadership pieces that influence public policy and corporate strategies.

Job Placement & Recruitment

We connect our participants to job opportunities within partner organisations, enabling partners to access a diverse talent pool of motivated individuals. Partners gain employees from a wide range of backgrounds, promoting diversity and inclusion within their workforce.

Training & Upskilling Programs

ODI provides comprehensive and research-based training programmes specifically designed for corporates and organisation to them with the necessary tools, strategies and knowledge to create and improve inclusive workplaces. Partners can engage in this process by offering mentorship, workshops, or on-the-job training, allowing them to directly impact the skills and employability of participants.

Corporate Social Justice & Community Engagement

Partners collaborate with us on Corporate Social Justice (CSJ) initiatives, supporting community-driven projects aimed at reducing inequality. By sponsoring specific programs or events, partners contribute directly to our mission of social inclusion and empowerment.

Linda Allen, Senior Manager Talent and Diversity, Bus Éireann

It was a fantastic session equipping us with the practical tools to enhance our recruitment processes. There are excellent supporting guides and toolkits. I couldn't recommend the session highly enough.

Exertis

Open Doors' Inclusive Recruitment training provided our Companys with valuable insights for fostering diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices. The training was engaging and applicable to all our participants and we would recommend this training to organisations committed to building inclusive recruiting practices

Success Stories

EY: How Mentorship Can Benefit Mentors and Mentees

At the Open Doors Initiative (ODI), our mentorship programme is designed to support individuals facing additional barriers to employment by pairing them with experienced professionals who help build the confidence, skills, and knowledge needed to move forward in their careers.

Through a structured commitment of six one-to-one sessions over three or six months, participants receive tailored guidance on essential job search skills, such as CV writing, job interview preparation, and career planning.

Since 2023, over 90 dedicated mentors from EY have joined the programme, supporting nearly 110 job seekers from diverse backgrounds. Participants have included aspiring professionals in fields like Accounting, Finance, HR, Business, Project Management, Data Analytics, IT, and Banking.

“It was a great opportunity to connect with and guide someone from a completely different background to my own. It taught me to really listen to and comprehend that different perspective and be respectful in the way I shared feedback and advice. I enjoyed learning from my mentee and was able to grow my skills as a mentor.” EY Mentor

This partnership demonstrates how mentorship can not only empower job seekers but also foster empathy, understanding, and leadership growth among mentors.

To hear directly from some of the participants about their experience, watch our short video below featuring feedback from mentees who took part in the programme.

The impact of the programme speaks for itself

60%

of mentees secured employment during the programme

100%

reported achieving the goals they set at the beginning or felt they were closer to achieving them

Break Into Transport: Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus come together to open doors to job seekers

Break Into Transport is an in-person career event designed to connect job seekers from marginalised backgrounds with employment opportunities in the transport industry.

The event took place on March 13th 2025 at the Wayfinding Centre, providing an inclusive environment for the event, with state-of-the-art facilities designed to make transport accessible to all.

Over 100 people took part in a full morning of tours, discussions and career exploration, learning about inclusive employment within the transport sector. Along with discovering more about the recruitment process of Open Doors partner companies, 27 participants took part in mock interviews on the day.

Participants had the opportunity to connect with some of the largest employers in the transport sector - Irish Rail, Bus Éireann, and Dublin Bus - who together employ over 11,000 people in Ireland.

Attendees gained insights into career paths with companies that are committed to fostering inclusive workplaces and diversifying their talent pools.

Placements for Inclusion: IDA Ireland and SIRO’s Approach

The Open Doors Initiative’s Placement Programme creates inclusive, paid placement opportunities for people who face barriers to employment, including migrants, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Travellers, and others from underrepresented backgrounds.

IDA Ireland and SIRO each partnered with ODI to develop meaningful placement roles that gave participants valuable Irish workplace experience, an important stepping stone to long-term employment. Between 2020 and 2023, both companies created nine tailored placements in fields such as Engineering, HR, Communications, UX Design, Sales, and Marketing. These served as life-changing opportunities for talented individuals who simply needed a foot in the door.

“As a non-EU citizen in Ireland, I faced numerous challenges trying to find a full-time job. Working at SIRO has been a transformative experience, I’ve gained so much valuable experience and knowledge that will serve me well in my career moving forward.” Placement Employee, SIRO

“Working within a professional setting has shown me the reality of working in an office-culture. It has given me the opportunity for networking, references, professional skills and familiarity of the corporate side.” Placement Employee, IDA Ireland 

Both IDA Ireland and SIRO embraced inclusive recruitment practices with support from ODI, writing accessible job descriptions, adapting interviews, and ensuring open communication with candidates.

“We worked so well with Open Doors during the recruitment process. I loved the collaboration during the screening process and interviews.” Manager, IDA Ireland

“I had sent my CV to over 1,000 jobs and done over 200 interviews in Ireland. This was the easiest recruitment process I had.” Placement Employee at SIRO

The positive impact extended beyond the individuals. Placement Managers and teams reported stronger team cohesion, cultural enrichment, and improved outputs. Managers shared how placement employees brought new ideas, improved internal processes, and added real value to the business. In several cases, contracts were extended or converted to permanent roles.

“The quality of the work is fantastic, we wouldn’t have had the resources or the experience to be able to pull together a whole new marketing plan for the team in less than nine months. I’m bowled over by the quality of her work. She had great experience and fantastic people skills.” Manager, IDA Ireland

“We had work that needed to get done and we were able to get through a lot more when he joined. He made a really good impression and his contract was extended.” Manager, SIRO

IDA Ireland and SIRO have shown what’s possible when companies open their doors to diverse talent. Their success illustrates how practical support, openness to inclusive practices, and a willingness to learn can lead to powerful results for individuals, teams, and businesses alike.

“A key learning was realising how to open up opportunities to a diverse candidate pool with highly skilled people and learning about the barriers that some groups face in the recruitment process and we can remove these. Realising that if we can put this in place, other employers can do it too. The placement programme is a viable option for a source of talent. Any concerns that managers had previously, have been removed.” Placement Champion at SIRO

The ODI Placement Programme continues to grow, offering companies the opportunity to fill real skills gaps while driving meaningful change.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

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who are our partners?

ODI collaborates with a diverse range of partners who share a common goal: to create pathways to employment, education and entrepreneurship for individuals from marginalised and underrepresented communities. 

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Partner's  videos

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    Open Doors Partner: Jennifer Dillon (Hays)

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    Toff Anderson (Pobal) & Natalia Mironov (ODI Participant)

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    Edel McSorley (Mr Price) & Temwachi (ODI Participant)

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    Open Doors Partner: Adrienne Martin (Arts Council)

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    Open Doors Partner: Gillian Quigley (SIRO)

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    Aoife Mulqueen (AIB) & Siún O Connor (ODI Participant)

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    Open Doors Partner: Sonia Harris Pope (Harris PR)

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    Raissa Masket (LinkedIn) & Charles J Fowler (ODI Participant)

open doors training

One of the core goals of the work we do is to raise awareness of the barriers that exist for marginalised members of our society and how these impact on their opportunity to access employment, further education and self-employment.

We create awareness through employer training sessions. These sessions cover a variety of topics but all have core objectives and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

  1. Provide education for members of your organisation on specific topics
  2. Challenge misconceptions that may exist
  3. Broaden employee’s understanding of the lived experience of marginalised groups
  4. Explore barriers that might exist for marginalised communities
  5. Identify areas of improvement, both attitudinal and structural
  6. Develop confidence of staff
  7. Provide practical and solution driven guidance
  8. Increase recruitment and retention of diverse candidates

ACCOMMODATIONS

It is important that notification about the training asks attendees if they require reasonable accommodations for the training itself. Where the training is being carried out on the Open Doors Teams account, captions will automatically be provided. PowerPoint presentation will be shared with key contact post-training to share with attendees.

Sarah Lyons, Senior Manager, Hays

Thanks to Open Doors for delivering a very informative session to our Hays Ireland DE&I Council and Senior leadership team. At Hays, we strive for inclusivity in everything we do, and we are already thinking about ways to incorporate elements of the cultural awareness session into our business.

Samual Riggs, ED&I Programme Manager, Irish Rail

Cultural Awareness training with Open Doors was a true value to our employee base; it gave us a strong understanding of how to engage and include cultural difference in a way that's natural and sustainable. Thank you!

Training Options

Inclusive Recruitment

The training is delivered by ODI team members and ODI participants with lived experience. The sessions are interactive with various discussions and activities over two hours, and can be delivered online or in-person.

Content covered includes

  • Cultural Awareness
  • Disability Awareness
  • Employment Equality Act
  • Reasonable Accommodation
  • Business Case for Inclusion
  • Inclusive Audit
  • Unconscious Bias
  • Building Equity
  • Equity & Equality
  • Six Stages of Recruitment

Contact

Please contact Claire for more information on costs or to book your session.

info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Workshops

Throughout this interactive workshop participants will explore the key concepts of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). They will gain a deeper understanding of why these concepts are crucial for your organisation.  

This workshop takes place over 90 minutes and includes

  • Definition and practical meaning of DEIB
  • DEIB principles
  • Investigating social identities and the cultural iceberg
  • Acknowledge privilege and reflecting on advantage
  • Identify bias and micro-aggressions
  • Interrupting and dismantling bias
  • Active allyship

Contact

Please contact Claire for more information on costs or to book your session.

info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

Cultural Competence

This training takes place over a 60 minute online session.

Some of the topics covered include

  • Understanding Ireland’s multi-cultural society
  • The business case for DEIB
  • Understanding cultural diversity
  • Communication across cultures
  • Qualities of culturally competent leaders
  • Strategies for supporting cultural competence
  • Cultural competence in teamwork and customer service
  • Inclusive recruitment
  • Recommendations and practical tips

Contact

Please contact Talita for more information on costs or to book your session.

info@pathwaystoprogress.ie

Inclusive Employment (People with Criminal History)

A two-hour interactive session that equips businesses, employer and recruitment teams with the knowledge and tools to develop fair and inclusive recruitment practices for people with a criminal history (PwCH).

  • Awareness & Context in Ireland
  • Legal Considerations, including Garda Vetting & GDPR
  • Positive Disclosure & Assessment
  • Fair Chance Recruitment: From Job Description to Onboarding

Contact

Please contact Claire for more information or to book your session.

info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

Design Thinking and Universal Design

In this training, we’ll explore how Universal Design embraces the full spectrum of human diversity to create more inclusive solutions. You’ll learn practical strategies for understanding user needs, generating innovative ideas, and designing products, services, or experiences that work for everyone. We’ll also examine how identifying exclusions can spark fresh ideas, turning barriers into opportunities for innovation that benefit all. 

Contact

Please contact Talita for more information or to book your session.

info@pathwaystoprogress.ie

Disability Awareness Training

Disability Inclusion related training sessions. We offer training sessions that take place from 1 hour to 1.5 hours including time for Q&A. Topics covered will be tailored to the audience. 

These can include

  • Disability Awareness: Understanding disability, diversity of disability, preferred language, bias, social model of disability, legislation
  • Creating a more disability inclusive approach to recruitment across the different stages: job spec, application, shortlisting and interviews, and reasonable accommodations during each stage
  • Guiding principles of disclosure
  • Implementing reasonable accommodations & Reasonable accommodation passport
  • Inclusive & Accessible Communications: Formats, Design & Website
  • Available Grants & Supports

Contact

Please contact the Employers for Change team on 085 157 9603 or

info@employersforchange.ie

For more details

Disability Awareness Training

Reasonable Accommodation Passport

This session is focused on Reasonable Accommodations and the Reasonable Accommodation Passport, which has been launched by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and IBEC, supported by Employers for Change. The passport system provides a confidential live record of the barriers people face and the accommodations that have been agreed to prevent or reduce its impact in the workplace. The passport is based on the social model of disability. In this session, we review what reasonable accommodations are, the social model of disability, disclosure and cover what the Reasonable Accommodation Passport is and best practices to launching it for your organisation.

Contact

Please contact the Employers for Change team on 085 157 9603 or

info@employersforchange.ie

Disability Disclosure in the Workplace

Creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing about their disability and having open conversations is key to fostering an inclusive workplace. This training helps employers understand the role of psychological safety, trust, and inclusive leadership in encouraging disclosure. It covers reasonable accommodations, relevant legislation and explores best practices for responding to disclosures with empathy and respect, and provides guidance on how to build a culture where employees feel valued and supported.

Contact

Please contact the Employers for Change team on 085 157 9603 or

info@employersforchange.ie

Disability Inclusive Recruitment

This session focuses on the aspects of disability during the different stages of recruitment and equips you with practical tools for each.

Audience HR, Talent Acquisition teams, Hiring Managers 

Topics covered will include:

  • Legislation relevant to employment
  • Reasonable Accommodations
  • Reasonable Accommodations Passport
  • Practical tips for the different stages of recruitment:
  • Job specifications
  • Application and Shortlisting
  • Interviews
  • Onboarding

Contact

Please contact the Employers for Change team on 085 157 9603 or

info@employersforchange.ie

Accessible and Inclusive Communications

This training looks at how we communicate, and the barriers it creates for employees, potential employees and customers.

Audience HR and anyone working on communications

Topics covered will include:

  • Understanding Basics of Disability
  • Barriers to Accessible Communications
  • Basics of Inclusive Design
  • Accessible Formats (websites, social media, videos, documents, PDF, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)

Contact

Please contact Jess for more information or to book your session.

info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

Trans and Non-Binary Inclusion

Trans and nonbinary training in the workplace is designed to promote inclusivity, understanding, and respect for employees and potential employees who identify as transgender, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming. The goal is to create a safer and more supportive environment for everyone, regardless of gender identity, while educating staff on best practices for interacting with colleagues, clients, and customers.

The training includes

  • understanding gender identity;
  • inclusive language and communication;
  • creating a safe and respectful environment;
  • trans and nonbinary experiences of employment and the recruitment process;
  • legal protections and rights;
  • addressing challenges and misunderstandings;
  • allyship and creating a sense of belonging.

Contact

Please contact us for more information or to book your session.

info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

LGBTQ+ in the Workplace

LGBTQ+ training for employers is a program designed to increase awareness, understanding, and inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace. It helps create a supportive, respectful, and equitable environment by educating managers, team leaders, and staff on various aspects of LGBTQ+ identity, rights, and issues.

The training includes

  • LGBTQ+ identities;
  • inclusive and respectful terminology and communication;
  • creating a safe and welcoming environment;
  • intersectionality;
  • legal protections and rights;
  • allyship and creating a sense of belonging in the workplace.

Contact

Please contact us for more information or to book your session.

info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

Speaking & Lecture Engagements

Members of the Open Doors team are available to speak on a range of topics at
conferences, networking, teambuilding sessions, and other events. 

Some suggested topics include

  • Corporate Social Justice
  • Reaffirming commitment to DEI
  • Remote Working
  • Mental Health
  • Inclusive Recruitment
  • And we are open to discussing other relevant areas

Please contact us for more information

info@opendoorsinitiative.ie

What people say about us

  • Jennifer Dillon, Hays
    This year I got involved in the mentorship programme, which was hugely rewarding. I was supported by Open Doors by giving training, there were various drop-in sessions throughout the mentorship programme, so at every stage I felt that I was given the guidance and advice I needed, so I would recommend anyone to get involved in that.
  • Adrienne Martin, the Arts Council
    We started to work with the Open Doors Initiative to help us reach more diverse sectors of the community, so minority sectors within the community. The resources that Open Doors have are amazing, the toolkits that they have are amazing. When we were reviewing our recruitment policy, we found the toolkits invaluable.
  • Gillian Quigley, SIRO
    We do a lot of surveys, and what came through was our staff’s appreciation of what we were doing from a DEI perspective. They were really proud of what we were doing, and they saw it as valuable and they brought it up with the people they meet on a daily basis. I’m really proud of what we do with ODI and to be honest, I’d invite everybody to do it.
  • Raissa Masket, LinkedIn
    There have been a few of the candidates I’ve worked with over the years that have actually been able to find a role after working with us. That has been, on a personal level, really impactful. We get so caught up in our day to day, and working with a non-profit like Open Doors, it shows that there is more going on in the world than just your job and coming to work every day. It also gives you that gratitude in regard to being able to give back to the community.

supporting community

The Open Doors Initiative collaborates with over 50 national organisations to expand our knowledge, increase our reach, and better support participants and partners.

Supporting Community Commitment

As a part of the Open Doors Initiative supporting community, and experts in our respective fields, we pledge to collaborate closely with The Open Doors Initiative (ODI), sharing our knowledge and experiences to extend the impact of this initiative. Our key objectives are to:

  1. Collaborate with ODI to create and promote in programmes, webinars, events, and others that address gaps presented by our participants.
  2. Actively encourage and guide our participants to engage with the resources and opportunities provided by ODI.
  3. Assist ODI partner companies in creating pathways to employment for marginalised groups within their communities, as well as inclusive and accessible workplaces.

We will create strong connections between the individuals we support and the Open Doors Initiative, ensuring that our shared commitment translates into tangible benefits for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including:

  1. Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants 
  2. People with disabilities
  3. Travellers & Roma
  4. LGBTQIA+ community
  5. People with a criminal history

Together with Open Doors, we will address barriers to employment, whatever they may be, striving to ensure equal opportunities for all.

Hover over logo for more info.

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cairde
the open community allies network

Community Sponsorship

Community Sponsorship was pioneered in Canada in the 1970s. After four decades of the programme’s success, we know that this is hugely positive for the lives of both refugees and local communities.

Refugees referred to the Community Sponsorship programme go directly to the community where they will reside and immediately begin the process of settlement. Under community sponsorship, private citizens and community organisations, rather than government officials, become the face of welcome for resettled refugees arriving to their country; supporting them through the process by providing a range of social and emotional supports, as well as providing accommodation, assisting in learning the language and seeking employment, enrolling in schools and any other necessary assistance. 

With Community Sponsorship programme in Ireland, communities will be supported to provide direct assistance to refugees settling in their locality though a structured programme backed by a unique collaboration between government, UNHCR, NGOs and civil society.

Cairde

Cairde: Allies Network is coordinated in close collaboration between The Open Community and Open Doors Initiative. It seeks to engage key areas of Irish society from  business, education and sport to religious, community and other groups. Allies partners commit via a Pledge to promote sponsorship across their networks, provide industry or sector expertise and provide training or employment opportunities wherever possible.

The Open Community

The Open Community is the national support organisation for Ireland’s Community Sponsorship programme. The Open Community represents a collaborative partnership between the programme’s key partners, who work collectively to develop supports and resources that help to scale the programme. The Open Community provides three primary functions including the national promotion of the programme, the ongoing coordination of discussions between key stakeholders, and the development of a range of programme resources.

  1. Promote Community Sponsorship across employee and/or community networks to encourage and support the formation of new CSGs.
  2. Provide industry or sector expertise and funding (on a pro bono basis wherever possible)
  3. Include Community Sponsorship as part of CSR commitments: e.g., Commit volunteer days to community sponsorship activities or provide employment opportunities

Benefits to Cairde Partners

  1. Development of team building.
  2. New skills imbued in the workforce at all levels - leadership, coordination, communication, fundraising, social marketing and budgeting skills.  
  3. An enhanced sense of social purpose and CSR opportunities.
  4. A new collaborative approach to community engagement.
  5. Growth of multigenerational networks both in and outside of the organisation.
  6. Possible new employees from diverse backgrounds with lateral thinking, creativity and resilience.

The Open Community FAQ

More information