Our Team
who we are
Meet the team
Dr Carmel O'Sullivan
Principal Investigator and creator
Carmel O’Sullivan is Professor in Education at Trinity College Dublin. She is a member of the Expert Advisory Group for Creative Ireland, and involved in several research projects in the areas of Social Drama and autism, early childhood arts education, environmental reuse and the arts, and work readiness for young adults who face significant barriers to entering the workplace. Carmel has particular expertise in the areas of creativity, inclusion in education and society, and the arts, working nationally and internationally with students, academics, practitioners and policy makers from the worlds of education, business, health, and community. Carmel is very active in her local community and has continued to work with children and young people throughout her professional career.
Aimee Harding
coordinator
Aimee Harding is the coordinator of Career LEAP and joined the team in 2016. Aimee graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science in Community and Youth Work from NUIM in 2014. She has over 12 years of experience in the youth work sector, working with young people who experience disadvantage coming from low social economic backgrounds, and who face considerable barriers to equal access to education and employment. Aimee works from a critical social education model of youth work. She empowers young people to critically reflect on the society in which they live. Her non-judgemental approach supports young people in addressing marginalisation, inequalities and discrimination experienced in communities. Aimee has recently completed a QQI Level 6 in Welfare Rights. Her goals are to create sustainable change within communities in accessibility to equal opportunities. Career LEAP is a stellar example of how such change can happen.
Marie O’Reilly
Founding community partner
Marie O’Reilly is a founding community partner of the Career LEAP Programme and Chairperson of East Wall Youth. Marie began her career as a civil servant in the Department of Health and subsequently worked in the financial sector. She holds qualifications in management of organisations in the voluntary sector, active citizenship, and business and finance. Committed to serving her community and in particular the young people of the north east inner city of Dublin, Marie has received several major awards, including Outstanding achievement award for Voluntary Youth work, outstanding voluntary contribution to Young People in the City of Dublin, the National College of Ireland Special Achievement Award in Active Citizenship, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin Award for Pride of Place. Marie has been a volunteer in the East Wall and North Wall communities for almost 40 years. Aspiring to the highest standards of neighbourliness and support for all who live in the community, Marie continues to serve the inner city of Dublin through acting as fund raiser and parish secretary of St. Laurence O’Toole Church and Chairperson of East Wall Youth which serves over 200 families and reaches up to 2,000 people at any one time through their festivals and activities.
Eibhlín Harrington
Project Leader with SWAN Youth Service
Eibhlín Harrington is the Project Leader with SWAN Youth Service. SWAN is a founding community partner of Career LEAP. Eibhlín has worked in SWAN since 2004. With over 20 years of experience directly with young people who experience marginalisation and inequality, Eibhlín values working in partnership with young people in the community and other stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes towards equality and social justice. Eibhlín holds a Bachelor of Social Science from UCC, Higher Diploma in Community and Youth Work from NUIM, Masters in Equality Studies from UCD and further specialist certificates in Youth Health Promotion NUIG and Leadership in the Community NUIM.
Sinéad Smith
lead business partner on the Career LEAP advisory committee
Sinéad Smith is Head of Responsible Business Dublin and Corporate Responsibility Manager, with A&L Goodbody. Sinéad is responsible for the management and implementation of A&L Goodbody’s Corporate Responsibility strategy. Integral to this strategy is partnering and collaborating with community organisations focusing on a number of key projects in Education and Enterprise and supporting those most in need in the community. Sinéad has been the lead business partner on the Career LEAP advisory committee since 2016.
Jennifer Symonds
senior research fellow
Jennifer Symonds is an Associate Professor at the School of Education, University College Dublin and a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society . Her research focuses on the development of people’s engagement and wellbeing as they age from childhood to adulthood. The worldviews underpinning her research include dynamic systems theory, and developmental and cultural psychology. Jennifer was our senior research fellow during the development of the Career LEAP programme, and continues to work with us in a research and advisory capacity.
Jos Akkermans
employability expert
Jos Akkermans is Associate Professor of Sustainable Careers and Organisational Behaviour at the department of Management and Organisation at VU Amsterdam. He is a leading researcher on projects related to sustainable career development, changing employer-employee relationships, and career transitions. He studies the development and management of sustainable careers by examining topics such as employability, career crafting, and career shocks, and is also interested in studying school-to-work transitions as the foundation of sustainable careers. Jos was our employability expert in the development phase of the Career LEAP programme and continues to work with us in a research and advisory capacity..
Noeleen Collins
administration support
Noeleen Collins is our Career LEAP administration support worker. Noeleen has over 10 years of experience in administration in both the financial sector and youth services. With a diverse professional background, Noeleen recently achieved a QQI Level 6 qualification in Social and Civil Information, which she now applies in her work with young people on the programme.
