Research Programme

1. Future-Ready Knowledge and Skills
2. Inclusion for Prosperity and Cohesion
3. Quality and Innovation
4. Collaborating for Impact.

The National Training Fund (NTF), established in 2000, is vital for Ireland’s workforce development and employment policy. Its purpose is to fund training that: i) supports employed individuals; ii) helps jobseekers enter or return to the labour market; and iii) identifies current and future skill needs.While some NTF initiatives have been reviewed individually, this is the first comprehensive overview assessing all initiatives funded by the NTF. It focuses on evaluating these initiatives with counterfactual impact evaluation (CIE) where possible, or using suitable methodologies based on project goals.

In December 2024, with support from Community Foundation Ireland , we launched the sixth edition of the Pay and Benefits in the Community and Voluntary Sector report . This survey covers pay in Ireland’s community, voluntary, and charity sectors. Conducted by NfPResearch, it included responses from 592 organisations, employing over 10,800 staff and engaging 34,272 volunteers. The research was funded by Community Foundation Ireland.

You can find the report launch recording here

The Charities Regulator has published a new report that offers a snapshot of the charity sector in Ireland. It covers operations, funding, ongoing challenges, and provides insights for those working with charities. This report summarises the latest biennial survey, conducted by Ipsos B&A, and is now available to read on the Charities Regulator’s website.

The Wheel supports the Adult Literacy for Life 10 Year Strategy. Many in Ireland face unmet literacy, numeracy, and digital skills needs. One in six Irish adults struggles with
literacy. This affects their ability to fill out forms, help children with homework, understand health information, or access community services. The ALL Strategy aims to address these issues with ambitious targets. A wide range of stakeholders, including government, civil society, and education, are collaborating to raise awareness and support this
strategy.

Find out more about our recent collaboration with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) to support literacy awareness in the community and voluntary sector.

This Strategy includes actions related to the training needs of local community development committees (LCDC), the community and voluntary sector, and charitable boards. This report is part of a three-phase skills audit project running from 2021 to 2023. The first phase focused on LCDCs, the second on charitable boards, and the third assesses small community groups. The survey provided insights into charity trustees’ profiles, training preferences, and experiences, categorising training needs into three main themes: (i) organisational knowledge, (ii) governance and compliance, and (iii) relationships. A fourth area explored the training already received and the preferences for training delivery.

This report presents results from the third and final project assessing skills gaps in smaller community and voluntary groups. It aims to support the implementation of Actions 2.11 and 2.22 of Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities. The report examines training needs for both paid and voluntary staff in these organisations. It identifies key skills gaps, differences between smaller and larger organisations, and between volunteers and paid staff. It also reviews current support and what further support is needed.

This landmark study, carried out by Indecon for The Wheel, quantifies the levels of training and upskilling among nonprofit sector workers. It includes a rigorous cost-benefit analysis of investing in upskilling. Engaging with stakeholders from various nonprofit areas, this study makes a strong case for investing in skills development. It shows that investment in training for the nonprofit workforce in Ireland is low compared to other sectors and similar workforces in other countries. The report identifies barriers to investment, such as training costs and time constraints, and suggests solutions.

The Wheel would like to acknowledge the support of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in funding this research.

This important report for Ireland’s nonprofit sector, commissioned by Carmichael and The Wheel, includes extensive qualitative research into the training and support needs of the sector.

The report outlines the challenges faced by nonprofit organisations, from small community groups to larger national bodies. It reviews current supports available and suggests how these could be improved to help organisations meet their challenges. The report also highlights positive new strategies from the Department of Rural and Community Development, which can address the support needs identified.

Pobal is researching the specific skills gaps or training needs of LCDC members, focusing on the rollout of the next Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs) from 2022 to 2028. The training needs analysis aims to: (i) identify needed skills, (ii) determine existing skills, and (iii) assess gaps. The report offers recommendations for future training and capacity building.

The information in this report has been obtained from the Register and 6,067 annual reports relating to 2021 which were submitted to the Charities Regulator by or on behalf of charity trustees. The report outlines the key social and economic impacts of the sector on Irish society. While a relatively small number of very large public service type charities account for most of the economic impact of registered charities in terms of income and employment, the overall social impact of the wider sector continues to be significant. Following recent enhancements to the online charity annual report from, this report also includes some data which was not previously available (e.g. exact number of employees, rather than the previous bands reported).