IT training for the long-term unemployed, a childcare network for young women working in the IT industry and a plan aimed at getting young women back into the workforce are some of the ideas of winners of the Keep Dublin Working Competition, organised by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The best existing initiative prize went to Fastrack to IT, a company which addresses the skills shortage in the IT industry, for a training project. Bee2bee childcare won a special commendation for a proposal to work through the sponsorship of several companies in a sector. The third award went to Shared Childcare Facilities, which proposed that small enterprises in a business park-type setting jointly operate a childcare unit.

News-Plus is compiled by Rose Doyle