Ahead programme partners with Mayo County Council to offer HR position
The Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) Programme at AHEAD is partnering with local authorities to offer 23 paid graduate-level jobs exclusively for graduates with disabilities nationwide, including Mayo County Council. Mayo County Council is advertising a HR role and the closing date for applications is February 4. Those wishing to apply can do so by visiting here.
The employment rate of disabled people in Ireland stands at half the European average according to a recent IBEC report. As the 2022 census found that 22% of the Irish population reported having a disability, this figure highlights an employment gap for a significant number of people.
The WAM programme celebrated its 20-year anniversary in 2025, the programme aims to address this employment gap through promoting access to the labour market for graduates with disabilities and building the capacity of employers to integrate disability into mainstream workplaces.
To date 800 disabled graduates have secured paid work with both private and public sector employers. Over the past 4 years, WAM have partnered with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and participating local authorities to offer 41 placements to date.
In 2026, the partnership offers 23 positions across a national spread of 10 county councils, with opportunities ranging from open roles built around the individual’s previous experience or education history, to more defined roles within areas such as communications, community, climate, environment, facilities, finance, HR, housing, library data analysis, local enterprise and smart cities.
A former WAM graduate, Colman, had this to say about the programme: “I found it difficult finding work, and the main problem was I had the academics, but I didn't have the practical experience. And that's an important thing to have, but the WAM programme was brilliant, and they provided me with that opportunity. Getting work experience, building relationships, it set me a foundation for my career to move forward. Because the WAM programme gave me work opportunities, more jobs and more interviews came up. When I finished my WAM placements, I was never out of a job. I've always been in employment since.”
Data from 2023 found that 81% of WAM graduates secured full-time employment as a direct result of their work placements.
Emma, another WAM graduate, felt the programme grew her confidence: “I suppose there was always this big issue of this large gap in my CV. I wanted to get a WAM placement, get confidence in the workplace because after failing a probation, I had no confidence. However, when I did the WAM placement - I knew that they would understand that I had a disability. Everyone was so kind, and it just raised my confidence. So, after the WAM placement, I suppose I felt that I really developed confidence to go out and apply for the roles that I always wanted to apply for.”
AHEAD reports that 92% of WAM graduates gained confidence in their ability to work in a mainstream environment following their placements.
The NDA recently released a report examining employment of persons with disabilities in the public sector, and they found that 56% of the public bodies that engaged in AHEAD’s WAM programme in 2024 resulted in all participants transition into permanent employment. For the first time, the percentage of public sector employees reporting a disability is higher than 5% which reflects the importance and success of disability employment programmes. However, this figure is still small in comparison to the almost quarter of the Irish population who identify as disabled, and there is still road to travel to close the disability employment gap in both the public and private sectors.
WAM placements offer real life work settings to identify the issues facing both employers and graduates in the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities. Through WAM, both the employer and graduate are supported to ensure practical work-oriented solutions with a focus on inclusive work practices. AHEAD reports that 92% of WAM graduates gained confidence in their ability to work in a mainstream environment following their placements.
Applying for the job roles at participating local authorities
To apply for these ring-fenced roles, graduates must have a disability, hold a minimum level 6 on the NFQ, be ready for full time work and have the right to work full time in Ireland.
Successful applicants receive ongoing support from the WAM team, including a needs assessment to discuss any work place supports they may need to carry out in their new position, pre-placement training and an assigned in-house mentor.
Disabled people interested in applying can register and apply through the WAMWorks database here.