The Value of Sharing your Experience with Jobseekers
Leslee O’Loughlin, Group Human Resources Manager for Enterprise Rent-a-Car at December 2016’s workshop for EPIC clients
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
2016 has seen growth in activity from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Leslee O’Loughlin and her colleague Nicola Halpin delivered 12 employment workshops to approximately 200 of our clients. The workshops cover CV and interview skills, tips and practice. In addition to Leslee sharing her HR experience, she is also able to relate to our clients personally, having moved to Ireland herself for work.
The workshops are especially well timed and helpful to clients, coming in the final week when they attend CPL Recruitment agency for practice interviews. The sessions are energetic and informative and always well received and appreciated by clients.
“I was impressed by her dynamism and appreciated that someone in Leslee’s position would come and take the time to share her knowledge and experience”
The contribution from a business supporter like Leslee helps to reinforce BITCI’s own work with clients:
“Leslee’s talk helped affirm the learning in class and that we are on the right track” Workshop participant
“As a Training & Employment Officer working one to one with clients, I see that these workshops are really making a positive difference: clients always tell me afterward how helpful the workshop is, how impressed they are” Pat Buckley, BITCI.
Also in 2016, through the Ready for Work programme, Enterprise Rent-A-Car provided valuable work experience to a jobseeker who has been out of the work force for many years due to drug dependency. In their Russell Street site, Manager Katrina Crowe and her colleague welcomed the client in for 4 weeks to gain experience in car valeting – to gain a reference from a reputable employer and boost his confidence and his CV.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car have impact at a strategic level through Leslee’s membership of the Business Action on Employment Steering Group. Enterprises Rent-A-Car’s Managing Director in Ireland, George O’Connor, has also recently joined the Board of Directors of BITCI.
We happy to be working closely with Enterprise Rent-A-Car again in 2017.
Dil Wickremasinghe, Insight Matters; Anne Heraty, Cpl Recruitment; Shay Walsh, BT Ireland, on speaking panel of the EPIC Graduation, October 2016.
Cpl Recruitment
Cpl has been a key partner supporting the EPIC programme since 2008, providing a remarkable 1060 mock interviews to EPIC clients over the past 8 years; in 2016 they provided 147 interviews. These practice interviews take place every three weeks in Cpl’s headquarters in Percy Place and form a crucial part of the 6 week pre-employment training for immigrants. Without this opportunity for clients to put what they have learned into practice, and without the honest and detailed feedback from Cpl interviewers, our jobseekers would really struggle to succeed at interview.
“The interviewer was very helpful. She had specific and useful advice on how to address difficult questions. She helped me revise my interview answers. She was also kind enough to invite me to connect with her on LinkedIn, and to call her for any advice on future interviews and salary negotiations” EPIC participant
Cpl’s commitment runs right through the organisation: from Anne Heraty at a strategic level through to the many volunteer consultants donating their time, and the administration staff who organise the interviewers, particularly Aisling Curtis. The rewards are very tangible:
“I enjoy liaising with international candidates, I can learn a lot from their experience and know how to approach candidates from abroad in the future. I try to send the candidate’s CV to the correct department in the business; they’ve made the initial contact with Cpl so it’s great to bear them in mind for roles as they are candidates actively seeking work.” Cpl Volunteer
Siobhan Dolan providing IT training to clients in June 2016
BT Ireland
Since 2008, BT Ireland has been a committed supporter of Business in the Community’s EPIC programme. Over these nine years, BT Ireland has provided certified IT skills training to 1,168 unemployed migrants. Up-to-date IT skills with a certificate from a major company is a real advantage when seeking employment and strengthens clients CVs. In 2016, 168 jobseekers have benefited from BT Ireland’s training.
Evan Boyce and his team support us to run fifteen two-day IT classes every year. Evan has been involved with EPIC for many years and always makes sure we get the information and support needed. Fifteen times per year he and his team assess test files from EPIC clients to decide what level of IT skills they have.
When the IT levels have been assessed, Siobhan Dolan, a BT Ireland accredited trainer, provides 2 days training in Microsoft Word and Excel at a suitable level to build everyone’s skills. Siobhan is an excellent trainer with a real love (bordering on obsession!) of Excel which inspires everyone in her training. Participants give very positive feedback on the quality of training – “The teacher is awesome”; “Nice course, direct and practical”; “Excellent instructor and method” – and report a major increase in their own skills.
Apart from providing the training, BT Ireland donated the laptops that we use for running the training, without which it would be impossible. We were delighted to welcome Shay Walsh, BT Ireland Managing Director, to speak at our annual EPIC Graduation ceremony where he and the BT Ireland team could see the impact of their work.
We’re looking forward to partnering with BT Ireland again in 2017 – it has been a long and very beneficial relationship. Thanks BT Ireland!
