nascireland.org - Summary of Findings of Research on E.E.E.

Nasc’s Research on Education, Employment and Enterprise
"Evaluating Barriers to Employment and Education for Migrants in Cork"

Summary of Findings

English Language

Migrants are fully aware of the importance attached by employers to their level of English and almost all of the interviewees were seeking to improve their English language capabilities.
A significant number of migrants stated that their level of English had prevented them from accessing employment in their chosen field.
Some migrants had come to Ireland specifically to improve their English language skills.
Some educational service providers expressed concern over the language abilities of migrants. While some had opted to give prospective students the ‘benefit of the doubt’ in terms of their ability to partake in courses through English, recurring problems have led them to question this approach.
The majority of service providers involved in education highlighted the high demand for English language tuition and the limited number of places available on such courses.
There was a concern among service providers over the ad hoc approach to English tuition and the general lack of a standardised programme and accreditation.
Nearly all employers commented on the need for high levels of English language, particularly in the professions.
Understanding written and spoken English is crucial in terms of health and safety for all types of occupation. Some employers have taken the step of producing health and safety literature in a number of different languages in order to cater for their migrant staff.

Racism/Discrimination

Racism and discrimination, particularly for the African interviewees, appeared to be a significant barrier to securing employment.
While one migrant felt he could prove he had been discriminated against when applying for a job, others spoke of the discrimination as being difficult to prove.
Incidents of racism and/or discrimination within the workplace tend to be centred around ‘peer’ relations among staff members as opposed to relations between staff and management.
Some migrants and service providers noted that migrants do not appear to be adequately represented as employees within the public sector.
The research found that racism/discrimination does not appear to be an issue for migrants applying for education or training.
Several employers noted an increase in complaints of a racist nature from their clients/customers.
Service providers who have contact with unemployed migrants generally agree with the assessment that African migrants experience the greatest difficulty when accessing employment. They attribute this to discrimination on the basis of ethnic background. However, as noted above, this is difficult to prove.
The majority of employers interviewed do not have specific anti-racism policies in place. Rather, they have incorporated anti-racism policies into their equal opportunities policies.
Nearly all employers viewed instances of racism/discrimination extremely negatively and sought to protect their staff in this regard.

Recognition of Qualifications and Skills

Many migrants found it difficult to secure employment in which they could use their existing qualifications and skills.
The process whereby a migrant can have the qualification or skill that they have gained abroad recognised in Ireland is taking too long.
Some migrants are unaware of the facilities offered by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland.
Some migrant interviewees expressed the opinion that qualifications gained abroad are considered inferior to those gained in Ireland.
The migrants who had complemented their prior learning with further education in Ireland found that the latter had greatly increased their employment opportunities.
Migrants who, for whatever reason, cannot prove their qualification or skill level, often find they are required to retrain.
The manner in which the NQAI states whether a non-Irish qualification is equivalent to an Irish qualification provides no indication of whether the non-Irish qualification is authentic. Rather, the NQAI documentation specifically states that: “The information provided below is advisory in nature. It is based on the award documentation presented by the applicant and does not make any representations regarding the authenticity of the documentation presented”. This statement has the potential to raise questions in the minds of employers about the authenticity of such a qualification.

Access to Education

There is no policy at the national level that specifically addresses the various educational needs of migrants. · Financial barriers constitute a significant barrier for migrants who wish to pursue further education or training. · Information on the types of education open to migrants is poorly disseminated and leaves many migrants unaware of the opportunities available to them.
Some migrants are unaware of the implications for their social welfare payments if they undertake full-time study.
Information on grants and financial assistance is often complicated and confusing for migrants, particularly in relation to their legal status in Ireland.
Migrants who are permitted to remain in Ireland as a result of having an Irish-born Child (IBC status) are not entitled to the same rights to education as refugees and people with leave to remain.
Some migrants have difficulty pursuing further study while in full-time employment.
Most asylum seekers identified the very limited opportunities for education and training available to them.

Employment Permits

Applying for an employment permit takes too long and the application system is not fully understood by many employers.
Migrants who require employment permits stated that they were often worried about whether or not their permit will be renewed.
Some employers stated that the cost of applying for employment permits acted as a disincentive to the employment of migrants.
The stipulation that most employment permits require the candidate to earn a salary of more than €30,000 per year excludes many migrants from working in Ireland.

Exploitation of Migrant Workers

Exploitation in the Irish context generally takes the form of underpayment of wages or non-payment of entitlements such as holiday pay or overtime.
Migrants who experience exploitation at work are often unwilling to take action against an offending employer, primarily for fear of losing their jobs, but also because of a lack of knowledge of their rights and entitlements. · Employers who are found to have exploited workers in terms of underpayment of wages or imposing excessive working hours are not liable for any financial penalties.
The research suggests that the practice of paying wages which are below the rates agreed by employers’ representatives and trade unions is commonplace within the construction industry. It should be noted that this most commonly occurs in small to medium-size firms.
The time it takes, from the date of application, for a case to be heard by the Labour Relations Commission or the Rights Commissioner is commonly 6-9 months.