Championing inclusive employment for over 25 years, the NOW Group has marked a major milestone in its mission to support neurodivergent and autistic individuals into meaningful work. The social enterprise has just released its 2024/25 Impact Report, announcing a record-breaking achievement securing nearly 400 paid jobs for participants across the island of Ireland.
Not only is this the highest number of paid job outcomes in the organisation’s history, but in the past year alone, 2,168 participants were supported in gaining 1,824 qualifications, a testament to NOW Group’s impactful service offering of tailored training, coaching, and employer partnerships.
Following a successful expansion into Ireland, NOW Group has already made a mark— 27 participants secured paid employment in Dublin and Galway within the first year. This is just the beginning of an ambitious plan to support 700 people into paid work across the country in the next three years.
Local employer partnerships have played a key role in this success, with businesses such as Galgorm Collection, Musgrave Group, Lidl, Essence Vault, and Mount Charles creating inclusive opportunities.
“We want to be the Inclusion Partner of Choice for business so that we can significantly increase the number of people with disabilities in paid employment across this island. We work with employers every day who are making a real difference in people’s lives. They’re they are working with us to think differently about how they fill roles while nurturing diverse talent to create truly inclusive workplaces in Northern Ireland and Dublin” comments Maeve Monaghan, CEO of NOW Group.
Maeve continues: “Our team’s efforts are fundamental to our success, but to create ‘jobs with a future’ across Ireland, we also need open-minded and progressive businesses. We’re so thankful to our partner businesses who have played an enormous role in helping us to achieve almost 400 paid jobs for our participants.
“We see this as a win – win for business and for the amazing people we support. I will always champion inclusion and as businesses look to the future, our team can demonstrate how inclusion is not just a social responsibility – it’s a business advantage that drives innovation, performance and long-term success, and makes a huge difference to society.”
Over the past five years, NOW Group has supported over 1,000 individuals into paid work in Northern Ireland, with ambitious growth underway across Ireland.
Shaping a skilled, diverse workforce for the future of manufacturing
With increasing participant interest in the manufacturing sector, NOW Group has collaborated with leading companies to create job placements and employment opportunities.
Employers like Modern Tyres, Manook, Thompson Aero Seating, Wrightbus, and Terex have been instrumental in supporting this work.
Participant Conor McAteer for example, completed a placement with Wrightbus last summer before starting a PhD in October. The company’s partnership with NOW Group resulted in both a paid job and a skills-building placement opportunity. Conor gained valuable workplace training in areas such as manual handling and health and safety.
“What the NOW Group are all about is fantastic,” said Laura Adams, P&D Development Business Partner at Wrightbus. “They offer tailored support, no matter how much or little is needed. We’re excited to continue working with them. Everyone deserves the opportunity to show what they’re capable of.”
NOW Group’s first strategic manufacturing partner across Ireland is Terex, a global leader in material handling equipment. Their collaboration aims to grow employment opportunities for individuals with learning difficulties, autism, or communication barriers.
Through the partnership, Terex have placed its full team through e-Learning training to become a JAM Card friendly Business. The JAM Card signifies requesting ‘Just A Minute’ of patience for those customers and colleagues with invisible disabilities. The online training has been completed by senior managers to shop floor staff and is designed to raise awareness of how best to support colleagues and customers with invisible disabilities and communication barriers within the workforce. The JAM Card is a simple tool initiated and designed by NOW Group participants to discreetly ask for help in customer facing environments and during social and professional interactions. Why not join over 3, 000 other leading international brands and choose JAM Card as your trusted Disability Inclusion Partner – visit www.jamcard.org/for-business to find out more.
Terex has also committed to welcoming all abilities for their variety of roles across the company for people living with intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities & autism, and enrolled with NOW Group’s employment service to provide equal opportunities for participants to apply for open vacancies.
According to Lindsay Colton, Digital Transformation Manager at Terex, the partnership aligns with Terex’s purpose of improving the lives of people around the world and our strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion. “At Terex, we believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential for our success,” she said. “As a major local employer, Terex is deeply committed to excellence and inclusivity which is firmly embedded within our business. We’re thrilled to be the first manufacturing Strategic Partner on the island of Ireland and affirm our commitment to supporting our communities, and to really drive our credentials in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion and to provide new employment opportunities to those living with autism or learning difficulties, which we hope to build on throughout our continued partnership.”
Supporting Inclusive Growth Across Ireland
NOW Group is now operating across Northern Ireland, Dublin, Monaghan, Cavan, Louth, and Meath, with a pilot programme running in Galway.
“This level of impact is only possible because of the hard work and dedication of our incredible team,” said Sean Hanna, Director of Services at NOW Group. “But it’s also thanks to the strategic partners, funders, and businesses that share our vision for inclusive growth. Together, we’re building a more diverse society—one job at a time.”
For businesses that want to build more inclusive teams but don’t know where to start, NOW Group is ready to help. The organisation partners with forward-thinking businesses across hospitality, manufacturing, retail, digital, and beyond.
To learn how your business can get involved and make a lasting impact, visit www.nowgroup.org
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