Work TV

The Department for Communities, in partnership with Belfast City Council, is hosting a major job fair in Belfast on Tuesday 5th March 2019. 

The job fair will take place in the Europa Hotel, Belfast between 11.00am and 4.00pm and admission is free. 

Image: Europa Hotel, Belfast

More than 60 employers will take part, with representatives from the manufacturing, hospitality, care and retail sectors, with many more on hand to answer questions and discuss employment opportunities.

The job fair aims to offer people who are seeking employment the opportunity to meet a range of prospective employers and apply for work.  It is a chance to find out more about how to enhance your employability and learn about the types of jobs available.

image: Belfast’s Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown

Belfast’s Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown, said: “We are very pleased to be working in partnership with the Department for Communities and all the employers who will be at the Belfast Job Fair.  When we developed the Belfast Agenda, our Community Plan for the city, residents told us that one of the main priorities for the city was access to employment opportunities and jobs. 

"At the Belfast Job Fair, alongside the broad range of employers who will attend, staff from Belfast City Council will be on hand to promote the Belfast Employment Academies. These academies provide specialist training to help people, particularly those who are out of work, get a job or become their own boss.  Everyone who completes an employment academy is guaranteed a job interview.”

The Department for Communities’ Head of Employer Services, Stephen McGlew, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Belfast City Council in organising and delivering this job fair. This initiative is an excellent opportunity to make connections, get advice, and apply for real employment opportunities; and really does promote the spirit of the ‘Local Works!’ agenda which aims to bring together local stakeholders to work in close partnership and deliver recruitment initiatives that are tailored to shared local needs.”

Image: Swissport

Barry Buckley from Swissport, one of the employers taking part in the job fair, said: “Swissport are delighted to be able to participate in the Belfast Job Fair on the 5th March 2019. We are keen to meet with people who have a passion for working in and building a career in the aviation industry. We will be promoting the diverse range of employment opportunities across the company and in particular, Swissport’s current vacancies for Baggage Handlers, Customer Service Agents and Airside Ramp Operatives at both Belfast International and Belfast City Airports."

A range of support organisations and services will be available to those visiting the job fair, including the Department for Communities’ Job Search Services and Health and Work Support Team, and the Department for the Economy’s Careers Service - providing advice and guidance on training and employment programmes currently available for anyone seeking to upskill or retrain.

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Tenants will be able to sue their landlords for cold or damp homes under new laws that come into force next month.

If a landlord does not carry out necessary repairs or maintenance, a tenant will be able take them to court where a judge can issue an injunction forcing the work to be carried out.

Around one million rented homes, housing 2.5 million people in the UK are living in sub-standard homes. 

Tenants have been left with substandard and often unsafe accommodation in part because a 1985 law made it the responsibility of local authorities to investigate conditions.

With many local councils overstretched due to massive budget cuts, standards have often been poorly or sporadically enforced, allowing some unscrupulous landlords to skimp on the costs of upkeep and repair, leaving tenants to deal with the consequences.

Councils can only act if there is serious vermin infestation and the response by Council Environmental Departments has been criticized for having to allow tenants to live in appalling conditions.

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The Resolution Foundation analysis has found that real household disposable incomes are £1500 lower today than was expected before the Brexit vote the UK economy, one of the fastest growing in the G7 before the referendum, is now one of the slowest – with the UK also suffering the biggest slowdown in income growth.

The analysis has been published on the same day the Office for National Statistics revealed that the UK’s economic growth in 2018 was the weakest since 2012, with falls in factory output and car production among the factors.

The benefit freeze in 2019/20 alone will see £4.7bn cut from most working-age benefits – over a billion more than it was supposed to be, and more than the total investment in the Work Allowance announced at the 2018 Budget up to 2022.

Speaking after DWP Questions in the Commons, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Neil Gray MP said:

“Even before the UK has left the EU, Brexit is already having a major impact – leaving households £1,500 worse off and the economy at its weakest since 2012.

“The most disadvantaged in society will be hit hardest by this, while the Tories’ punitive benefit freeze continues to take vital money out of people’s incomes.

“Every decision this Government is making right now has a trickledown effect on inflation, prices and the everyday cost of living for families. We are now in the thick of slower economic growth, stagnating wages and high inflation – even though Brexit hasn’t happened.

“The quickest way the Government can protect those on low incomes would be to lift the freeze this year – inject money back into people’s pockets and back into the economy. The Tories need to wake up to the economic damage they are inflicting and scrap the benefit freeze once and for all.”

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Responding to reports that almost half a million people needed help to apply for the government’s flagship Universal Credit benefit online, DWP Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

"The Liberal Democrats raised the issue of digital exclusion with Conservative ministers months ago, but these concerns clearly haven’t been taken on board. This underlines the need to look again at Universal Credit, which is clearly not creating the simpler and more accessible benefits system that was intended.
 
“It is failing the very people it was supposed to be designed to help. Now the Government has acknowledged that Universal Credit has created a greater need for food banks, it is time they accepted it needs more than just the tinkering we have seen.

Image: Christine Jardine, Lib Dem DWP Spokesperson

 “Universal Credit just isn’t fit for purpose, and it’s time the Government accepted responsibility.”

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Strabane sportswear manufacturer O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd is offering unemployed people (18 yrs+) job opportunities following the successful completion of an intensive one-week Bridge to Employment training programme.

In association with the Department for the Economy, the company has developed a training programme which covers an introduction to the business, an introduction to one specific department, focus on quality and efficiency and how to contribute as an effective team member.

The training will be based at the O’Neills premises in Strabane.

Image: O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd 

The selection process for a training place will include an information day and an interview. Following successful completion of the training programme, individuals will be guaranteed a job interview for Production Operatives with O’Neills.

Launching this Bridge to Employment opportunity, Ann Williamson Head of Employer Skills at DfE, said: “The Department’s Bridge to Employment programme is an excellent opportunity for those who are unemployed to be able to successfully undertake training and gain meaningful employment in a range of jobs which contribute to the growth of the local economy. This pre-employment training opportunity with O’Neills will help to equip participants with some of the skills needed to compete for a job in the sportswear production industry."

Image: O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd 

Kieran Kennedy, Managing Director of O’Neills, said: “We are delighted to offer this opportunity through the Bridge to Employment training programme. We know from experience that people need to be given the chance to demonstrate what they are capable of. At O’Neills we have a very strong track record in bringing through young people to valued and secure jobs. We provide excellent in-house training and support for our employees. In recent years O’Neills has grown, developed and transformed itself and this is in large part due to our superb workforce. We would encourage young people that have experienced unemployment to grasp this opportunity for training and preparation to bridge that gap into employment with us at O’Neills. The programme is for one week that could change someone’s life.”

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My Way In shares stories and advice from people in work and employers all across the UK. You’ll find tips to help you broaden your experience and the number of jobs you have access to as well as information about the industries which are likely to have vacancies in the future.

Visit the My Way In campaign page or follow and support the campaign on social media using #MyWayIn say the government. 

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Members of Birmingham Homelessness Partnership Board are committed to working together to ensure no one must sleep rough on the streets of their city. Those who do are some of the most vulnerable in our city say the Council.

The Council say they know that homelessness is everybody’s business and that in Birmingham they have a strong and diverse Homelessness Partnership Board that brings together, voluntary sector organisations including homelessness charities, public sector bodies, registered landlords and the Local Authority.

In Birmingham the Council are working towards designing homelessness out of our system. But they can only do so much; there is much that is not within our gift to deliver. However, they will continue to prevent, to intervene and to support recovery.

We need cross-government commitment say the Council to increase our supply of truly affordable housing, to re-align housing benefits with housing costs, ensure that the welfare system supports people retaining their tenancies and to provide timely access to advice, health and wellbeing support, before people reach crisis.

Members of Birmingham Homelessness Partnership Board include representatives from the following organisations:

Birmingham City Council

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust

Birmingham Social Housing Partnership

BVSC

Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid

Crisis

CGL

DWP

Longhurst Group

Mind

Midland Heart

National Probation Service

Rathbone

Shelter

Sifa

Spring Housing

St Basils

Staffordshire and West Midlands CRC

Trident

University of Birmingham

West Midlands Police

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South Eastern Regional College (SERC) is collaborating with four local companies to offer six people the opportunity to learn valuable welding skills at its Bangor campus.

The Department for the Economy’s Assured Skills Academy will see successful applicants receive four weeks’ training at SERC Bangor, followed by a two-week placement in a company. Applicants require no experience or qualifications.

Participants who successfully complete the full training course will be guaranteed a job interview.

Ann Williamson, Head of Employer Skills at the Department, says this is a valuable opportunity to gain skills that are in demand: “Businesses in the local engineering and fabrication sectors are continually seeking new people with skills in welding. This Assured Skills Pilot Welding Academy at SERC Bangor follows the successful delivery of welding training at Further Education colleges and companies across Northern Ireland.

“By giving learners the experience in both a learning and a workplace setting, we are helping to equip them with the skills they need to compete for jobs and help businesses continue to grow.

“With no qualifications or experience needed, this is an excellent opportunity for anyone seeking a new challenge to gain valuable new skills and potentially launch a career in welding.”

Elaine Flynn, Head of Business Services at SERC, said: “SERC is pleased to be able to deliver this Assured Skills Pilot Welding Academy with support from the Department for the Economy and in collaboration with four local companies. SERC has a track record of delivering high quality, industry-relevant training and we look forward to welcoming successful applicants to take part in the course.”

Participants will receive a weekly training allowance of £150, will be reimbursed travel expenses and may be eligible for child care allowance. Applicants must not have asthma in order to take part in welding. Applications are open until 15 February.

For more information and details of how to apply, visit: www.nidirect.gov.uk/assured-skills 

After the four-week course at SERC’s campus in Bangor, learners on the SERC Assured Skills Welding Academy will have a two-week placement at one of the following companies:

• Ballykine Structural Engineers, Ballynahinch
• DM Laser-Fab Ltd, Lisburn
• KME-Steelworks Ltd, Lambeg
• Patterson Ring Rolling, Crumlin

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The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., and Minister of State with special responsibility for Disabilities, Finian McGrath, T.D., today officially launched the WALK REAL Ability Project for WALK, the Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability.

The WALK REAL Ability Project – Reaching Employment Ambitions in Life - is one of 27 projects funded under the ‘Ability Programme’ that focuses on bringing young people (aged   15 to 29 years) with disabilities closer to the labour market. It supports these young people who can and want to work to develop their vocational and employability skills to get a job.T

Through the WALK REAL Ability Project, 75 young people with intellectual disabilities and autism will get valuable work experience and training in the environment of the Supported Employment model. The "Supported Employment model" is delivered by professional Job Coaches where participants develop their own vocational profiles and personal progression plans before taking up a series of appropriate work experience placements of their choosing. Engagement with local employers will help participants find work and avail of other opportunities. It also supports employers in building their capacity to become more proactive in employing people with disabilities.

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With all the Brexit talk being about the Irish Back Stop we have published these figures. One the drivers of civil unrest during the period known as, The Troubles was caused by high unemployment.

The UK government tried to resolve this issue but was not always successful. DeLorean was a US car company that sought lucrative incentives from various government and economic organizations to pay for constructing the company's automobile manufacturing facilities. The DeLorean Motor Company was a disaster for the Thatcher government. The US Company offered to manufacture its only product, a stainless steel-gull winged sports car in  Northern Ireland but went bankrupt once underway after further aid (in 1981) was refused by the UK Thatcher government without matching investors.

John DeLorean was filmed appearing to accept money to take part in drug trafficking but was subsequently acquitted of charges brought against him on the basis of entrapment.

The UK government ended up in a major public relations disaster.

The car itself appeared in the film trilogy; ‘Back to The Future’. Ironically the car has become a collectable and manufacturing is restarting with 5,000 cars on order. 

Back to today however: 

Labour Force Survey Religion Report 2017

The Executive Office (TEO) today published the Labour Force Survey Religion Report 2017 which examines the labour market characteristics of Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.

Community Characteristics

Between 1990 and 2017, the proportion of the population aged 16 and over who reported as Protestant decreased by 14 percentage points from 56% to 42%, while the proportion who reported as Catholic increased by three percentage points from 38% to 41%. The proportion reported as ‘other/non-determined’ has increase from 6% to 17% over the same period.

Economic Activity and Inactivity

Between 1992 and 2017, there has generally been a higher level of working age economic activity among the Protestant community compared with the Catholic community, although there has been a convergence over the time period.

In 1992, 76% of working age Protestants were economically active, compared with 66% of working age Catholics – a 10 percentage point difference. By 2017, the working age economic activity rate was 73% for Protestants and 70% for Catholics.

In 1992, the working age economic inactivity rate was 24% for Protestants and 34% for Catholics; in 2017, the rates were 27% and 30% respectively.

Unemployment

Between 1992 and 2017, Catholics have generally experienced higher rates of unemployment than Protestants, although the difference between the two rates has decreased over the time period. In 1992, the unemployment rate was 9% for Protestants and 18% for Catholics; in 2017 these rates were 4% for both Protestants and Catholics.

Employment

A consistently higher proportion of working age Protestants have been in employment compared with their Catholic counterparts between 1992 and 2017. However, this difference has decreased over time – in 1992, 69% of working age Protestants and 54% of working age Catholics were in employment; by 2017 these rates were 70% and 67% respectively

The report and associated data tables can be downloaded at: www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/articles/labour-force-survey-religion-reports

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