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A GESTAPO OFFICER visiting the artist’s studio picked up a postcard of Guernica and asked ‘Is this your work?’ No, replied Picasso, it’s your work, take it, a souvenir.
I thought of that pulling into the Working abroad expo in the RDS on Sunday morning. A 6am departure had landed me there just shy of nine, and the queue three and four people wide already snaked onto Ballsbridge road. I wondered if any of the Fianna Fáil delegates seeing it the day before thought of that Picasso moment.
Parking, I surveyed the county number plates, nothing newer than 06 and the ubiquitous white vans dotted throughout – it was like December 8 but this time the shopping was for jobs. I’d left home at six willing and excited, it was all going to be good; the New World calls and this was a key.
I chatted in the queue with Shane, a tiler from Cabra who has a two-year-old called Chloe. I gleaned this from the name being tattooed on the back of his neck. Shane says he wants to work ‘cause he’s wreckin the missus’ head at home’. He’s been looking for work for two years; his mate Darren, a plasterer, is looking at moving to Australia. They walked here today to save bus fare, having to cut corners to afford the entry fee.
Once inside the crowd moves like molasses between stands. My optimism starts to ebb as I swim through a sea of desperate eyes counteracted by the slick shine of the sales crews and visa vultures. First up a private hospital offering to sort out your medical. I float past five people sitting in the VHI stand, they’re still there, unhindered two hours later. Apparently health insurance is the last thing on the minds of the gathered.
The crowd is predominantly male, about 80 per cent, and an age spread between 25 and 55 for the most part. Everywhere I turn it’s the same, hollowed out people looking for something to fill the void. I know, I’m one of them. We pass and nod and try to chew the fat queuing for various stands: How long… how far away… how soon. Soon is never enough, you can see the faces drop as the visa cheerleader mentions six to 12-month waits for Canadian visas, but not to worry desperate jobhunters – for as little as €2000 he can help you get your visa. After his slick speech there’s a rush of hands reaching for his card and contact details.
In the lecture next door an ex-meat processor is describing how a Thai worker he had did not see his child for three years due to the remoteness of his job and the twelve days holiday a year he gets. I look at the men in the room, ranging from early twenties to fifties as he asks ‘Are you sure you can do that?’ Low skilled means no visas for family. A hand goes up: “You said it reaches minus 30 there, what happens when its too cold to work?’ Well, you don’t get paid, replies the guy in a suit with a hockey jersey thrown over it, in an effort to look … human.
A man so tanned I think he has painted cupernol on himself waves me over to a come to the Australia stand, he points out that him and the missus there are from Dublin but get people sorted in Australia. From what I can see he’s just selling me the information that I can get for free on the Australian government sites, his wife is busy selling something to a young couple beside me. I am Irish, so along with being unable to complain about food I am unable to break free from the tanned man without taking four different leaflets and a pen. I have a lot of pens, they are a poor substitute for the €50 I spent on petrol but I do have a writing pad from Sasquatch country too.
The work on offer is predominantly construction and trade, building, engineering, mechanics, the healthcare sections want doctors and nurses… EVERYWHERE wants doctors and nurses. I didn’t drive all the way here for this, but no, stand after stand I get the same. At one stand I can purchase a diploma in business management to enable me to enough points to get an Australian visa. I explain I have a university degree and he taps me heartily on the back and says ‘Awwww it’s just for people who have the experience but not the qualification. You’re grand so!’
I’m starting to panic, at least this is how I imagine a panic attack plays out. I have to tell myself to breathe and calm down. I get flashes of every negative thing I have ever said to myself during this job hunting misery; every time I cried myself to sleep or wished I’d never wake up again because living idle is not living. I am now talking to myself, gripping my folder full of CV’s that will be bringing me nowhere today, saying it’s OK, it’s OK. I edge towards the exit. I spy an entrance pass on the floor, perhaps not all is lost, I snatch it and make my way back along the queue I stood in full of hope two hours earlier. I look for familiarity, or a worthy recipient, but there is hope here, hope before the truth.
I spy a couple. Mum is carrying a boy of about four, the six-year-old girl looks longingly at Dad to carry her too. I give them the tickets, tell them to say the kids got ill and they had to leave, hoping they get in. Actually no, I’m hoping they get out.
How’s this for some entrepreneurial ideas Mr Kenny: Set up an emigration visa advisory service for people rather than have them getting ripped off by vultures. Make sure tradesmen can get their equivalent qualifications for abroad here and make that money and hose jobs out of that bloated monster called Fás, or whatever you’ve decided to call it this week. I’ll bloody do it. Its about time you stopped treating emigration as a hushed shame, we have to, we want to, let us have the means and the money can stay here and let’s treat these people like human beings, for all I saw were sacrificial lambs today.
Ann Cronin is a psychology graduate from UL who achieved first class honours and the highest GPA in her class in 2011. She worked throughout her degree and is still unable to find full time employment in Ireland. She hopes to move to Canada and work in learning and development as a training specialist. Her fingers are crossed.
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Excellent article, sums up the shite that was the ‘Working Abroad Expo’!
very well written and too true too, i am in college on a mature student allowance, its costing the state 10k pa, if they gave me 5k id be gone, otherwise im stuck here
Ann, thank you for the very clear and – I believe – effectual piece. I think that your opening and closing paragraphs in particular are , respectively, powerful and interesting.
Highest QCA in one of UL’s best courses and still can’t get a job. This is more than a little scary.
Norway…
Recent article in the newspaper here in Norway written by the director of the authority that builds the country’s infrastructure saying that Norway is short of engineers (this shortage has been there for years and is actually a hindrance to the economy) and that they had tried to attract Irish engineers but without much success. They were now trying Spain, Greece etc… Unemployment is about 2.6% here in Norway, there is a GAA club, country is second to none for raising children, speaking only English is not really a problem, a cheap 2 hour flight from Dublin.
Well written.
Irish companies are trying to attract engineers too… Hardly anyone avaliable here. Lots of people with arts and psychology degrees around, but not many with the maths and eng skills that are in demand.
Here is a snippet from the article. You will also find job adverts on the site
http://www.norwaypost.no/news/alarming-shortage-of-engineers-26437.html
And it’s beautiful!
Hei Richard, hvordan står det til? :) Been working in Norway for over 18 months now. Brilliant country, full of opportunities. You living in Norway yourself? Havent met any Irish at all (outside the Dubliner pub!) that are working or living here, which I found surprising. I’ve lived abroad a bit and you always meet one or two irish off the beaten track. If u interested send an old friend request to the FB, I’d like to get to know a few more irish in the region… Ha det!
Problem there Richard I’d imagine would be the language..
Tony, it is much less of a problem than you might imagine. I know in european countries only having english can be a problem, however Norwegians speak excellent English (they start learning it as soon as they begin primary school), the majority of TV is in English, signs, announcements at the train station, gov websites etc… are also available in English. Norway’s main industry is oil related, so many of the large companies have English as the company language. I am fluent in Norwegian now after 10 years, but that was not always the case :-) I would also add that I know many Irish and great number of English guys who have been here for years and have barely a word of Norwegian.
Obviously speaking norwegian will always help, however the key to success is having skills and experience and Norwegian employers will overlook the Norwegian language issue, turning up to do a low skilled job will not go well at all.
For the determined it is possible to get free Norwegian tuition (300 hours worth) free of charge in many cases from the local municipality.
Hope the above helps
Really good read.
Excellent article, on the day Iceland brings its former PM to trial for negligence of duty regarding that countrys economy.
Food for thought.
Its beyond me why anybody would red thumb your comment.
Well Ken because I was trained in ethics I would never set up a clinic unsupervised unlike numerous counsellors and therapists operating here preying on the vulnerable. I am a scientist, I have over ten years experience teaching and training. I don’t have to apologise that I did a degree which focused on making people’s lives better instead of counting my pay check.
My degree was 550 points to enter, higher than engineering and economics, I have an A in math, I also have considerable statistical knowledge now.
I am experienced, I have had my own successful businesses and have provided people in my community with jobs, hope and mentoring.i am going because there is nothing left to do, perhaps instead of debasing people who choose to study something outside of ‘for profit’ courses you should aquiant yourself with the fact that creativity is not taught but innate.
Seriously you were!
It looks to me that the majority of those in attendance yesterday were unemployed construction workers. these guys are now as useful as blacksmiths in a town with no horses. This was apparent 3 years ago. How many of them retrained In something relevant? Not easy I know.. But the show is over here.. It seems to me the Aussies and Canadians were really only looking for the creme de la creme, engineers etc.. the thousands of Lads who left school early and got trades are finished in Ireland.. This is a really serious problem.
It’s all very poignant, depressing maybe, a long queue of people who want nothing more than to leave their friends and families, forced out by dodgy economics and bad government.
A good article that needed to be written, I sometimes criticise TheJournal, kudos to them for publishing it, a job for Ann Cronin in journalism maybe ?
just a slight correction geoff,………………… ”It’s all very poignant, depressing maybe, a long queue of people who want nothing more than to leave their friends and families, forced out by dodgy economics and bad government.”……….. should you not have said …… a long queue of people who want nothing more then to work but are forced to leave family and friends………..?
Have to say this is one of the best articles I’ve ever read on here. You really do put it perfectly. I have managed to get contract work since being laid off 2 years ago but I’ve often wondered what it would have been like had I not managed to do so. I think your article pretty well describes what it might have felt like, its very descriptive and captures the situation accurately.
Is there anyone being helped by this government????????????? Oh sorry i forgot the banks.
I attended one of these Fairs before in ’09 and really felt there was alot of hawking going on. Visa companies trying to make a quick buck on misfortunate situations. Alot of info is freely available directly from the countries .gov sites.
I totally agree with Kevin. My son is in Canada and got all the information he needed online. It’s a total rip off to charge big money to help fill out some forms.
Canada is a fantastic country nearly 50 pct in b c are born outside canada i have a daughter living there since mid 2001 after grad tcd witha 1 st in geology another tried it in 2004 but visa extension no go home
and v happy here in a civil serv job now my Dad enigrated in 1931 came home in 1947 and i left by accident
in 1970 came home in 1988 happy to be here enigration is nver a final call …..
We leave then come back when times get better It’s the Irish way ,just have my doubts anyone will bother coming back in the future .
2 FF delegates sang “Cheerio Cheerio” to the work Expo que after some one shouted that FF should b ashamed of themselves”
What??
Words fail me when it comes to that sort of behaviour, but perhaps there’s some psychological explanation – in that these individuals want Fianna Fáil to die out altogether.
This is the second time I’ve heard this comment reported. Could you please supply the link to a reputable source that confirms this incident?
My son mentioned something about this. Don’t know if he read it somewhere else though or heard from the horses mouth. It is not that far fetched, it is FF we are talking about. This wouldn’t even make the top 100 worst things they did in the last 10 years.
Hi Ross,I suspect it’s an urban myth. Although, I fear that in the current febrile environment it will be accepted as true. What worries me is how few people questioned it’s veracity.
I don’t know Chelseajoe, it may be a myth but it certainly is plausible. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that they pulled a stunt like this. It is FF we are talking about after all. It does seem to be widely mentioned for a myth though.
I read that on Twitter too, utterly despicable behaviour. I wonder if anyone had managed to catch it on vid to post on youtube, name and shame ‘em I say!
As interesting as it sounds, it almost certainly never happened.
Nobody’s actually claimed to be the one who heard it.
Well done Anne. Excellent article. And well done Journal for publishing an accurate portrayal of the reality now engulfing the nation.
What a condescending article….”Tila” … Are you serious ?
Good job on missing the entire point, and focusing on something small…
The devil is in the detail Peter!!!
well judging by one of your tweets i just read its a bit odd that your accusing somebody else of being condescending…
Tinker, tila, soldher….
You are brilliant,your article amazing and you look good too. Now will my comment be posted!??
Thats the reverse psychologiy Part Ger…
Anne, well said and a great read. Although I must point out I am reading this from Australia, having gone to that very Expo last year. Yes there are guys there looking to make a buck on the poor who just want to get out, but you don’t have to go with them just ask them all the question and get as much info as possible to make it easier for you to do yourself. There were also reps from the Australian gov last year and that is where we got most our info from and one top tip was to get sponsored in on a 457 visa. (quickest one to get 8 weeks) So google job agencies in the country of your choice, register with as many as you can, At least 10 jobs a day would come in, if they gave the company email we would email them saying we wanted to relocate and would they be interested in sponsoring us. Another tip choose a company who has sponsored before as it is quicker. It took about 4 weeks to find a company we were happy with and then about 8 weeks for the visa. My husband left first as I had to stay to sell the house and yes we had to sell as didn’t even have the money for the flights. I lived on borrowed cash from family and friends while my husband was gone to keep myself and 3 children going. So our beautiful country has lost 3 more generations. We arrived mid December. Not knowing anyone…….a lonely Christmas indeed. But I do not regret leaving as I am giving my Children a chance. I people miss but do not miss the stress and worry as by now we would have lost our beautiful home. So at least I got to sell it and keep the very small profit not the bank. I only hope things start to improve some time soon as this will go down in History as a very dark time for Ireland. Anne I hope you get sorted soon and wish you every success.
Very good article.
Like many people reading this, I have family and friends working and living abroad. Some out of choice, others of necessity. Having to leave your home and your family and friends is such a traumatic decision to make. That’s what makes these private, money-making operations so despicable. Ann’s article is well written and I don’t wish to take anything away from her contribution.
However, to echo what some subsequent posters have said, the government does operate an emigration bureau – of sorts. It’s called the International Employment Services Unit and it operates from the Department of Social Protection, which took over the employment element of FAS. It hosts several international employment and advice fairs each year. They had a Canada jobs fair in Dublin and Cork last November and a European one in Blanchardstown last weekend. These are free and operate in conjunction with the host countries. I know a few people that attended the one in Blanchardstown and found it very helpful. Here’s the link to that one: http://www.fas.ie/en/About+Us/News/23rd+February+2012.htm
I hope things work out for you Ann.
Good man Jim. Helpful info. They were only sharks in the RDS….
Very nice column, it takes me few years back when as immigrant people had to stand in cold for hours outside GNIB office with their kids to get their passports stamped and were not treated as human beings should be , but hardly any voice was raised for them. It’s a pity no one raises concerns for people in need
Perfect timing in the media: Canada looking for thousands of Irish worker. They should have been more precise as it was only really diesel fitters, metal workers and maybe plumbers that were getting the jobs there and then. But maybe that wouldn’t make business sense.
It was very noticeable at the top of the queue that this was all about someone making a quick buck. When allowing people to enter it was at the ratio of 10:1 in favour of those who haven’t paid yet (sure why wouldn’t it be they didn’t have their hands on this groups money yet). Within a 2 second count I estimated €300 walking in. Added to this I’m sure it cost a couple of thousand to set up a stall but I cannot prove this.
These Expo are worse than the pyramid scheme if you ask me but fair play to the few who got sorted.
Anybody know who was behind it?
Oh,that’s helpful,Roisin.
Excellent article.
You’ll be a loss to us Anne, but I wish you well.
You’ll be a loss to us enda, but i wish you well.
Really great article. Although written about a personal experience,it drew a picture of universal one. Why not write?
Thanks for this article Ann. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many positive comments for an article on here. Hollowed-out people is right, hollow after years of being filled with shit and false promises and no chance of anything changing for us anytime soon. I hope it works out for you girl, you deserve better. We all do.
fantastic article Anne, sums up the frustration and despair a lot of people are feeling right now. I have a so called useful qualification, that of an accountant and I also am unable to secure employment. I’ve applied for jobs on the “shop floor” as someone mentioned above and have gotten emails back to say my experience is more suited to a managerial role so it’s definitely not as easy as it looks to some.
Hard to see what opportunities there are for someone with a psychology degree in Canada or Australia. Surely, Ann should have known that there would have been little at the working abroad expo for someone with her qualification? Like an Arts degree, a psychology degree is not much use in the real world. Why hasn’t she set up a psychology clinic in Ireland?
I have a rule, when someone uses the word “just” in a sentence I get nervous. When they use it in a context like “Why don’t they just” it almost always means that person has no idea what they’re talking about or proposing. But let’s put that aside for a second.
I know right? Why not just go to the incredible expense of setting up a clinic when you’re already skint? Why don’t those lazy construction workers just set up building companies while they’re at it? Or retrain to start from scratch as a junior level worker with no experience in an already oversubscribed industry with the training provided by people with no business teaching or practical knowledge of the industry? Why don’t we all “just” get jobs in some undefined magical “real world” industry. Why don’t we “just” settle for complete and total mediocrity without the slightest urge to help or better our fellow man?
Brilliant article.
Fantastic Arcticle. !! Bloody well done Ann
A narrow discipline like psychology provides few employment opportunities and unfortunately what was missing in this young lady’s academic life was both career counselling and common sense. Move into a different arena such as business and initially think small like Sales and watch the way people may react to all that learning that you’ve absorbed!
I tried that 10 years ago when the dot-com bubble burst. Went looking for a job running the stockroom in a big shop. They said “as soon as you get something befitting your degree, you’ll be out of here” and that was that.
Not as easy as it sounds…
I had a number of similar experiences to Colin. I mean…. they weren’t wrong but it was a massive pain.
I grew up I a family business and have been on the shop floor since birth, I know how to sell, I also now know how tO umpire people’s lives, I’d like to do both…I make no apology for what I studied. I have critical thinking skills as well as theoretical knowledge and by Christ I can kick arse when I want.
As I’ve stated earlier my course was 55″ points, I could only have sought medicine for higher entry point, I was taught to think and to question everything.
On that front I have earned my degree
Anne, are you seriously suggesting that the government set up a bureau to help people to emigrate? Do you not understand how impossible,politically and morally,it would be to introduce such a measure?
What,you think the government should have a Ministry of Emigration?
Hey, maybe it could take its funding from the Ministry for Denial! That department seems to have an endless supply of cash.
Excellent article Anne – you are thinking outside the box and probably saying what a lot of people are thinking! If I was 30 years younger, I’d be leaving too!
While this might be a problematical idea politically, some “home help” about organising emigration might be useful instead of the keening over emigration stats by politicians and wailing that “we’ll help yis come home” . I was alarmed, tho not really surprised to see some Irish emigrant entreprenoors (= VULTURES) taking the mehole out of desperate unemployed people by seeking fees for what is free advice. If the advice was readily available from some government office or other, it would knock these vultures off their perches and would provide PRACTICAL advice in a PRAGMATIC way. There are two further key reasons why the government should support those who wish to leave: money and health/well-being.
If we’re honest – Enda & Co – if 50,000 leave who were on the dole, I that’s €488m in a full year of a reduction in the SW bill that could be used for other things (not for bailout repayments!!) If more leave… well, you do the math!
Additionally, given how desperate many unemployed are – in terms of having no quality of life etc. – these folk will be able to get their lives and self-esteem back and be able to support their families/ loved ones.
Well,l Chelseajoe they have a Minister for pretty damn everything else.
Sorry. But I found the second half of the last paragraph incoherent.
emigration to me is the grass is always greener on the other side ,what people that have emirgrated dont tell you about the loneliness the hurt of not being at home when someone dies or is sick ,yes sure ireland is like a shite hole at the moment but thing will turn at least there is help here if you move abroad its swim or die no welfare no support no nothing ……………………very good article by the way well written and i can just visualize how bad it was there it sounded to me someones made money from it
Not true, when my family and I moved to Oz we have full Medicare and child benefits. No unemployment benefit but there is still plenty of professional work here. We are currently recruiting mechancal engs and they are scarce as ducks teeth in WA. Its not easy being away but Enda and his traitorous mob are making it easier to stay.
Very good article Anne….said what a lot of other people are thinking and experiencing. Best of luck with your job hunting!
Now,hands up of all those who thumbed down my ironic suggestion of setting up of a Ministry for Emigration ,agree with Brian Linehan Snr’s statement that this country isn’t capable of looking after it’s own?
Good to see so many people who red thumbed me able to back up their lack of courage to get involved in the discussion.
Excellent article is right! Sounds like another disaster and a no go event! I won’t even bother wasting the petrol or time… What a disgrace!
Very well written piece..painted a really sickening picture of how things are here at the moment for most of us ..best of luck with the future job hunting.
Hi, I plan to head to the Silversprings in Cork to this event on Wed. I agree there are sharks ready to take advantage of ill-prepared entrees, but on their website is a list of companies and potential jobs on offer. So really entrees had the opportunity to check out the stands before paying the fee. I found my area listed in one stand, since then did some research myself and plan to ring the company in Canada (on skype) to see if it’s worth applying.
Also, in a lot of private sector jobs here, if it were too cold to work you would’t get paid either, it’s just we don’t realise how lax our employment laws are until they are compared to another country.
I agree the annual leave is short but having not work for a long time, that shouldn’t put off any determined applicant.
Since becoming unemployed I’ve spent a fortune trying to get a job; I’d tried setting up my own business, “reskilling/upskilling” applied for lots of other courses, applied for low paid/minimum wage jobs here etc all to no avail. I’m paying for my masters over 3 yrs and since applied for a cloud computing course (not my specialty at all).
I know why I can’t work here but those situations are out of my hands (one is that employers deselect unemployed applicants two lack of networking opportunities means it’s even harder to get a job. Sectors such as psychology probably such closed circles it’s impossible to get a foot in. Although you’ve had your won business, one would imagine that’d make it easier. I’m in the same boat with my qualification.
I am going to cork tomarow is there point don’t really have to do something went to fas
for job offered me ecdl coarse not going to put food on table
Great article Anne, & a lot of good comments too.
What we all need to realise is that there is no reason whatever for such high unemployment to have persisted for so long & be projected way into the future. None. It may sound far-fetched or hyperbole, but it is a completely true statement. We have, right now, in the Euro authorities and/or our government every (macro) economic tool available to achieve near full employment within a very few years (less than five). And, no, +money+, or some need to ‘borrow’ is +not+ an issue either. We have a currency +issuer+, the ECB, that has just created €1,000 billion out of thin air to help, guess what?, the +banks+. It can just as easily do this to help real citizens.
The +only+ problem is the politics of blind ignorance & vested interests. Period.
Learn & understand the correct macro economics of the operating structure we already have. Demand it be used for public purpose not just the enrichment of the top few percent. This is not ‘fringe’ stuff invented yesterday. It is a body of work developed over 20yrs by respected academics & financial sector practioners (yes, there are some, a few, that give a sh1t), drawing itself on the work of many previous respected & published academics.
See here, for an audio-visual plain english explainer (it’s based on the US, but is just as applicable here, the essential operations are the same)
“How’s this for some entrepreneurial ideas Mr Kenny: Set up an emigration visa advisory service for people rather than have them getting ripped off by vultures.”
Just how is this going to be funded?
Same way as the expo is funded? Interested parties subscribe to the service and get a feed of prospective employees?
Well Eoin…seeing as you’re worried about funding, what is it costing for people to remain here on unemployment benefit long term while the economy stagnates? Surely the pay out will be worth the long term implications. How about cutting the fat from the FAS calf? I personally know of a lot of flab that baby could afford to loose.
It would not take a genius to see that any of our TD’s could finance training or a traveling advise clinic to work out of those pothole clinics. Of course the will would have to be there, the will to talk out of only one side of their mouth.
Perhaps an advisor could be happy on the wage that is capped for them and that extra twenty or thirty grand that gets approved for their fat hamster cheeks could be a wage for somebody to do that job….should I go on? There’s LOADS of places to find the money, its a matter of somebody being willing to inconvenience themselves
What was the entrance fee?
The entrance fee was €10. I’ve seen it reported elsewhere that 12,000 attended. I’ve no idea how much it costs to host one of these fairs, and I’d no idea before reading the (excellent) article that there were people there charging for info!!
Tax officio…..hmmmmmm…!
Yes, brilliant article and very illuminating for anyone in the future. The government should a) have a website with clear info on work and getting in to other countries and b) they should set up their own ‘jobs fair’ free but ticketed to ensure the comfort of those visiting (i.e. time to discuss things properly with the experts) and ensure embassies send representatives not allowing these money-making spivs out to take even more from the needy. Remember the adage: to him who has most, more will be given; to him who has least, more will be taken. The only winners at these events are the organisers.
great article..
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