CR Week 2009: Minister Recognises the Role of Education & Employment for Integration of Immigrant Communities in Ireland

Minister Recognises the Role of Education and Employment for Integration of Immigrant Communities in Ireland

• Over 1,000 immigrants from 53 different nationalities supported by Training and Employment Programme, EPIC • Number of immigrants seeking training and employment continues to rise Vox pops from today's graduation ceremony Click here to hear about the benefits of the EPIC programme from the partners perspective; Ann Gilton, FAS; Gary Cobain, BT; Mick McMahon, Spirasi Click here to hear about the benefits of the EPIC programme from the clients perspective Dublin, 13th October 2009; Business in the Community Ireland's unique collaboration, entitled EPIC ‘Employment for People from Immigrant Communities' was today recognised by Minister for Integration, John Curran TD for its successful contribution to social inclusion. The Minister acknowledged the success of EPIC at the most recent graduation ceremony from the programme which saw 125 participants receive certificates of completion from the Minister. Since its inception in 2007, 1097 people from 53 different countries from Germany, Spain and Latvia to Angola, Iraq and Bangladesh have been referred to EPIC. Of these, 680 people have been eligible to participate and nearly 500 of these have been successfully placed in either training or education (36%) or in employment (64%). Although recent figures show a rise in the number of immigrants returning home, EPIC has experienced a 25% increase in numbers from 2008 to 2009. Placement trends for 2009 show that education placements are rising from 21% in 2008 to 28% in 2009, considering current external factors employment placements are down slightly to 30% but many are still finding successful employment opportunities. Currently, there are 31 immigrants waiting to begin the programme. Speaking at the graduation ceremony Minister for Integration, John Curran TD said “Speaking at the graduation ceremony Minister for Integration, John Curran T.D. said “I congratulate the EPIC programme on its continued success and on achieving such significant results. It directly assists people to find employment or enter further education and ultimately to become self sufficient. In these difficult times all sections of society have a contribution to make to the economy which is evident by looking at the shortlist and the winners of last weeks permanent TSB Ethnic Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2009 as well as today's graduates. Ireland has been fortunate in the type of migrants that it has attracted; these migrants have made significant contributions to the economy in the past and will no doubt continue to do so in the future. I also welcome the important role corporate Ireland has to play in social inclusion. " EPIC has two key business partners who have worked closely with our training programme since 2008. CPL, a Dublin based recruitment agency, has provided 234 clients with mock job interviews and BT has provided IT skills training for 170 clients to date. The graduation ceremony was held as part of National Corporate Responsibility Week 2009 to show how effective collaboration between community and business can have successful results. Paddy Richardson, Manager of the Employment Programmes at BITCI commented that “The programme continues to deliver huge benefits to clients in terms of improving their English, improving their job seeking skills and raising their confidence. Training and employment play a crucial role in social inclusion for immigrants in Ireland and the uptake and demand for the programme shows how this unique collaboration between government, NGOs and business is a really effective way of providing a much needed service.” The programme is a partnership project with the Government, State Agencies, Business and NGO sectors which identifies immigrants that experience difficulties accessing appropriate employment and supports them in the process by providing individual guidance, specialised training and personal development opportunities. Managed by Business in the Community Ireland, EPIC is funded by the Office of the Minister for Integration and the European Social Fund Human Capital Operational Programme 2007-2013. BT and CPL are the business partners for this initiative. Ends For Further Information Please Contact: Una O' Murchu Business in the Community Ireland Tel: 01 874 3821 Mob: 086 780 87 62 About EPIC EPIC (Employment for People from Immigrant Communities) is an innovative programme open to all adults from EU states entitled to work in Ireland and those from non-EU states with stamp 4. The aim of EPIC is to assist this target group to find employment and/or further training and education in Ireland. Currently, EPIC is a Dublin only initiative. EPIC is funded by the Office of the Minister for Integration and the ESF. Managed by Business in the Community Ireland, the programme is run in association with SPIRASI. Other partners include BT, CPL and FÁS. The programme consists of: • Professional English Training for Employment • Interview Skills training • A series of Life and Work skills information sessions presented by a range of national and local organisations (See Appendix for list) • I.T. Skills training • Assistance in finding employment or further education and training. • One-on-one career guidance advice • Free access to computers for online job searching • Mentoring service available • Advice for entrepreneurs • Social Support Officer to assist with issues regarding social welfare benefits, childcare, housing, education grants, etc. • A Certificate of Participation upon completion of the programme Our Social Inclusion Programmes Business in the Community Ireland in addition to it work on advising big business on corporate responsibility run a number of innovative social inclusion programmes focusing on education and employment. These programmes are: EPIC, Schools' Business Partnership, Linkage, Ready for Work, The Mentoring Service and Prisons Project.