Apple is celebrating “40 years of community” at its Cork campus in Ireland. An Apple newsroom article includes interviews with staff, including some members who have worked at the campus for over 30 years.
The story of Apple in Ireland began in 1980 with a single manufacturing facility and 60 employees.
Fast-forward to today, and Ireland is home to more than 6,000 Apple employees and a sprawling campus in the city of Cork. As Apple celebrates its 40th anniversary in Ireland, the original manufacturing facility has expanded and is now part of a campus that includes AppleCare, Operations, Logistics, and a variety of other teams staffed by a diverse group of employees representing over 90 nationalities. Cork also serves as Apple’s European headquarters, supporting customers across the continent and beyond.
That sense of community is something Alvaro Porcel, 33, felt from the moment he started at Apple eight years ago.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from, or what your language or culture is,” says Porcel, who moved to Cork from Barcelona, Spain. “You’re welcomed right away at Apple. You’re encouraged to be yourself, and to embrace inclusion and diversity.”
Porcel is a member of the Cork LGBTQ Diversity Network Association (DNA) and the soon-to-be-launched Cork Accessibility DNA, two of Apple’s many DNAs that connect employees with shared interests, backgrounds, and values.
Porcel also participates in Apple’s Giving program, coordinating volunteer engagements for a local charity called Age Action, which provides free technology classes for senior citizens.
The report highlights Apple’s Giving program in Cork, a program that has supported more than 400 registered charities in Ireland. For every hour a Cork employee volunteers, Apple matches their time with a monetary donation to the same charity. So far in 2020, 43% of all Cork employees have participated in volunteering activities.
For more information about Apple’s 40th anniversary in Cork, Ireland, visit the Apple Newsroom.