Dressmaking start-up in Macroom
Supported through SICAP
When war forced Iryna and her family to leave Ukraine, they found safety in Macroom. Starting over was not easy — Iryna didn’t speak English and was the only one supporting her family.
Skilled at sewing, she hoped to use her talent to earn a living. One of SECAD’s Employment & Training team gave her the guidance she needed. After completing SECAD’s Start Your Own Business course, Iryna gained the skills and confidence to move forward.
With limited English, Iryna says she couldn’t have managed the paperwork for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance without support from SECAD. That support was crucial in helping her open a dressmaking and alteration shop in Macroom — a service now very much in demand in the local area.
SECAD Partnership has provided tailored employment and business start-up supports, job skills training, and guidance on further education to over 18,000 individuals — this is one of their stories.
Discover more stories highlighting SECAD’s 30-year journey in promoting rural development and social inclusion in East, South, and West Cork and across the island of Ireland since 1995.
