The Minister of State for European Affairs, Pascal Donohoe TD, today welcomed students from fifteen third level institutions to Government Buildings to discuss how best to encourage and support Irish graduates in pursuing career opportunities within the EU.
The students have all recently been nominated as EU Career Ambassadors by the European Personnel Selection Office (ESPO), the EU’s recruitment service.
Speaking after his meeting with the students, Minister of State Donohoe said:
‘‘Ireland’s prosperity is inextricably linked to our membership of the European Union, so it’s important that we remain at the heart of European decision making. Ensuring that our citizens are well represented within the staffing of the EU institutions is central to this aim.
Irish officials have always been highly regarded within the EU and, after our successful EU Presidency, their standing has never been higher. However, the numbers applying to join the institutions over recent years have been relatively low. The Government is determined to address this situation and, through the EU jobs campaign, run by the Department of the Taoiseach, we are taking significant steps to doing just that.
The EU Career Ambassador programme is an important part of this work. I’m delighted that the exceptional group of students I met today have been appointed as Ambassadors. Having seen their energy and enthusiasm, I’m confident that, in the year ahead, they will do a great deal to raise awareness of EU career opportunities amongst their fellow students.’’
Background
The fifteen students visiting Government Buildings today represent third level institutions across the island of Ireland and have all recently been nominated as EU Career Ambassadors by the European Personnel Selection Office (ESPO), the EU’s recruitment service. As EU Career Ambassadors, they will work with EPSO and with the EU jobs campaign of the Department of the Taoiseach to raise awareness of EU career opportunities amongst their fellow students.
While the EU Career Ambassador programme runs across the European Union, Ireland has the highest participation rate of any Member State, with all national universities and most other third level institutions participating.
Irish officials are well represented in senior positions in the EU institutions, notably the European Commission, where Irishwoman Catherine Day is the serving Secretary General. However, the numbers working at middle and lower management levels and recruited in recent years are comparatively fewer. This is a cause of concern for the Government, which recognizes the importance of maintaining a strong Irish presence in the institutions in order to ensure a clear understanding of and insight into European policymaking in years to come.
The EU Jobs campaign was formally launched by the Government in March 2012 with the aim of increasing the number of Irish applicants applying for EU career competitions and securing permanent positions within the institutions. The campaign represents a concerted effort, coordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach, to raise awareness of career opportunities at EU level and provide targeted support to competition applicants. The EU Career Ambassador programme is one of several initiatives through which the campaign seeks to achieve these aims.
Further details of the campaign can be found at www.eujobs.ie and through the campaign Facebook page (EUJobs.ie) and Twitter feed @Eujobsireland.