FW: New Training Aims to Help Young Migrants Progress Up the Career Ladder

 

PRESS NOTICE

 

Thursday, 23^rdJune 2011

 

New Training Aims to Help Young Migrants Progress Up the Career Ladder

 

A project aimed at helping young migrants to secure employment will be launched on Friday, 24^th June, at 10.30am at the European Parliament Building, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.

 

‘Pathways to Work’ (www.pathwaystowork.eu) comprises online training courses targeted at young migrants who are in the jobs market.  The courses cover areas such as employment rights, communication skills and interview techniques.

 

Research* undertaken last year to inform the ‘Pathways to Work’ project found a high proportion of young migrants in Ireland – and across Europe – felt their jobs were not equivalent to their educational qualifications and skills levels.  Furthermore, according to the research, young migrants felt specific training – such as communications skills – would enhance their chances of suitable employment.

 

During Friday’s launch, young migrants who took part in the pilot ‘Pathways to Work’ training programme will reflect on their experiences of the Irish labour market and detail how they have benefited from the training.

 

The ‘Pathways to Work’ project is funded by the European Union, and was developed by immigrant support groups in five European countries, including Ireland.  The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) acted as the Irish project partner.

 

Dr. Fidele Mutwarasibo, Integration Manager with the ICI, said that ‘Pathways to Work’ was a resource much needed by migrants seeking work in Ireland. “Young immigrants face significant challenges in seeking employment, compared to their local counterparts. These include a lack of knowledge on their rights in the employment market; and having a limited number of networks or contacts in their chosen field.

 

“Also, immigrant workers may require further help and skills in trying to overcome prejudices and stereotypes that may exist in the labour market.  The ‘Pathways to Work’ resource was developed by experts in employment, training and immigration issues and web-based learning technologies to provide an avenue for workers to address these challenges,” he said.

 

*The research, entitled ‘Training Needs of Young Migrants within European Countries’ was published in 2010 and is available at http://pathwaystowork.eu/en/?page_id=711.

 

ENDS

 

Contact: Catherine Heaney / Lydia Ishak, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4885808 / 087-2309835 / 086-3868615