What is WAM?

The Willing Able and Mentoring Programme (WAM) is the transition to employment initiative of AHEAD established in 2005. WAM offers graduates with disabilities the benefit of a 6-month minimum fully paid and mentored work internship with high profile public and private sector employers.

A key part of WAM is to build the capacity of employers to integrate disability into the mainstream workplace by influencing their mainstream recruitment policies and practices. To date, over 700 graduates have secured paid work with both private and public sector employers and 81% of WAM graduates gain employment as a direct result of partaking in the WAM programme demonstrating the critical role of disability-inclusive employers and peers.

Learn more and join the database:

Graduates with disabilities can sign up to the WAMworks database to receive notification of and apply for roles with the WAM programme. To learn more about the WAM programme, check out the AHEAD website and see our FAQ section for more information.

Check out current open roles like our Bord Bia placement on WAM’s current opportunities webpage.

Watch previous WAM graduates speak about their journeys:

You can hear directly from previous graduates of the programme in AHEAD’s WAM Graduate Story video series, where they speak about their experiences of seeking employment and the role WAM played in their journey. Through these videos, you'll hear first-hand accounts of their WAM placements and their experiences with disability disclosure, the WAM needs assessment, understanding reasonable accommodations, and their aspirations for the future.