Nasc’s Employment, Enterprise and Education Symposium
Thursday, 1 November 2007
Jurys Cork Hotel, Western Road, Cork

Nasc, The Irish Immigrant Support Centre, hosted a One-Day Symposium on Thursday 1st November 2007 at the Jurys Cork Hotel, entitled "Integrating The Future".

The Symposium brought together representatives and emissaries from many of the key stakeholders in Ireland relating to the issue of the Integration of Migrants, and the overall aim of the conference was linked to Advancing Local Solutions for Migrant Employment, Enterprise and Education in Cork City.

The Symposium opened with an address by Nasc Director Gertrude Cotter, followed by an opening address by Cllr. Donal Counihan, Lord Mayor of Cork City.

There followed Keynote Addresses by:

• Dr. Eamonn Noonan, Director of KIM, Norway’s Contact Committee for Immigrants and the Authorities
  ‘How Norway approaches integration’

• Patrick Wintour, Employability Forum, UK
  ‘The integration and employment of migrants in the UK labour market’

• Jack Jedwab, Executive Director, Association for Canadian Studies

Paul Dunbar, Consultant Researcher, then presented his research findings on Migrant Access and Participation in Education/Employment in Cork.

Several local people shared their experiences of migration to Cork, following which Niamh Lenehan, of the NQAI, who addressed the audience with a talk about Recognition of Foreign Qualifications in Ireland.

The afternoon sessions involved the formation of seven workgroups dedicated to discussion of the following topics:
Qualifications Recognition, English Language Provision, Access To Education, Discrimination in the Workplace, Information Provision, Tackling Unemployment and Supporting Ethnic Enterprise.

There followed a plenary session, at which each workgroup presented to the main body their findings, recommendations and views.

Conclusion: The Symposium was very well attended and it is hoped that it will prove to have been a catalyst with regard to future recommendations for positive change in Cork in particular, and in Ireland in general , with respect to the Future of Integration.

Multimedia:
Integrating the Future is now available on DVD. Please contact Nasc to arrange viewing.
Also find a condensed version of the Topics Covered in the Symposium.

The symposium in the media

Evening Echo, 02 November 2007: City integration plan to be adopted nationally. A plan designed to improve access to jobs and education for immigrants will be used as a blue print for best practice for the rest of the country.

Irish Examiner, 02 November 2007, p12: Integration plan for migrants. Work started yesterday on an integration plan for Cork's estimated 59,000 migrants that aims to improve their access to jobs and education.

Irish Independent, 02 November 2007, p9: Migrants in need of English classes. Ireland urgently needs to introduce English language classes for migrants as well as briefings to tackle the workplace exploitation of foreign workers.

Irish Times, 02 November 2007, p7: Migrant issues focus of reports. Faster and more transparent procedures for the granting of family reunification to refugees have been called for in a new report on the issue.

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