A team of specialists from the European Employment Services (EURES) Cross Border Partnership is bringing a major road-show for jobseekers and employers to the border areas, as part of a regional tour.
The ‘Bus along the Border’ campaign will be visiting eight destinations from Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th May to provide practical advice and answer queries regarding employment, recruitment and social welfare support on either side of the border.
The mobile unit is staffed by experienced EURES advisers drawn from a range of public bodies including the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) Northern Ireland, Department of Social Protection (DSP) Employment Services in the Republic of Ireland, leading employer bodies, Chambers of Commerce and trade unions.
Organisers said the experts would help bridge information gaps that may be preventing jobseekers and employers in border areas from tapping into roles and markets across the border. Training and Education providers will also attend throughout the week to advice jobseekers on opportunities to up-skill and retrain.
Joe Lavery, Partnership coordinator at EURES, said:
“The EURES Cross-border partnership was established to help people working in one jurisdiction and living in the other or those who are considering crossing the border to work or recruit. Our team of advisors are trained to deal with all issues relating to working or hiring on both sides of the border. The specialist team we’ve assembled provide confidential information, advice and placement services for jobseekers keen to look across the border for work but are unsure of opportunities or have anxieties about issues like taxation or how social security entitlements may change.” “The Partnership also supports employers interested in accessing a larger pool of potential employees by engaging jobseekers on both sides of the border. Critical advice and guidance on a range of cross-border recruitment issues is available to all employers in the border region,” he added.
The Partnership is also engaged in a number of activities designed to make it easier for people to travel across the border to work or train and for organisations to recruit staff living across the border. It has, for example, co-ordinated for the cross-border exchange of vacancies between DEL jobs and benefits in Northern Ireland and DSP Employment Services Office in the border counties of the Republic of Ireland.
As part of the larger European Employment Services network the EURES website currently carries vacancies for over 1 million jobs across Europe which would especially be of interest to those who are mobile.
Bus along the Border Schedule
• Tuesday 7th May
Armagh Market Square 10:30am – 12noon;
Monaghan Town Centre Opposite Courthouse 2pm – 3:30pm
• Wednesday 8th May
Newry Quays shopping centre 10:30am – 12noon;
Dundalk Town Square 2pm – 3:30pm
• Thursday 9th May
Enniskillen Diamond 10:30am – 12noon
Cavan Town Square 2pm – 3:30pm
• Friday 10th May
Derry opposite Guildhall 10:30am – 12noon;
Letterkenny Town Centre 2pm – 3:30pm
Advice and practical information for cross-border workers and employers is available at www.eures-crossborder.org or by contacting Joe Lavery at joe.lavery@delni.gov.uk or +44 (0) 75 0001 7268.
