What is CCJ?

Community Creating Jobs, CCJ, is a national collective of like-minded individuals who came together to answer the challenges born from the decline in their communities; founded by Dunhill Rural Enterprises Ltd (DREL) and Carbery Enterprise Group, on 17th November 2011. It is a country wide movement who wish to do something positive and innovative to address the issues of unemployment and involuntary emmigration. The aim was clear:

Mission: To collaborate with communities, state agencies, private and diaspora sectors to create 10 jobs in every community and 20,000 countrywide by 2020.

Vision: To become the leading National/International voluntary enterprise organisation in collaborating, coordinating and driving job creation in communities on the island of Ireland.

The CCJ’s collaborative learning network offers, among other things, peer support and the sharing of knowledge and experience, and using a wide range of tools to shine a light on hidden, and hitherto under-utilised opportunities and resources, that may have been overlooked previously, in order to create small scale employment opportunities in cities, towns and villages throughout Ireland, thus helping to avoid waste of time, money, materials, equipment and learn from others’ mistakes.

Through its international arm, CCJ intends to develop export opportunities, project replications, a ‘Return Home’ programme for emigrants and a special welcome for immigrant sponsored projects. CCJ will build a collaborative network of micro-economies countrywide including communities in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.

There is an opportunity for smaller-scale developments which, if sufficient in number and distribution can add significantly to economic recovery.

Problems

There are many people who have ideas for successful enterprises but who are inhibited from pursuing their ideas
The development of an enterprise often requires access to resources which may be available within a community but may be under-utilised or inaccessible.
While there are many fine voluntary community organisations established in Ireland; their primary task is not to identify, promote and support job-creating enterprises.
Enterprise development agencies do not have the resources to provide the support needed to bring projects to an agency-ready stage of development.
A huge reservoir of knowledge, experience, skills and talent lies within communities but a mechanism for the sharing of that community knowledge and experience is required.

A CCJ organisation can actively engage with its community members in a low-key, informal way and bring them to a stage where they are in a position to progress their enterprise.

Solutions

Extensive network of expertise, portfolio of enterprise experiences across counties and regions, with third level institutions, private industry, specialist interest organisations, research institutes and members of the diaspora.
Examples: list of successful ideas for enterprise and jobs, a wide choice of replicable enterprise projects and solutions that worked in communities
Community Assets Identification Questionnaire, list of enabling tools.
List of grant funding / finance sources, samples of successful funding applications and business plans, range of franchise offerings
CCJ quarterly newsletter