CAREERS 2019: Ireland is hiring and willing to pay your air fare to return home
Time was, many decades ago, when emigrants willing to move permanently ‘Down Under’ to Australia and New Zealand would have had their passage practically paid from government coffers.
Known as the ‘Ten Pound Poms’, those hardy souls back in the 1940s and 50s availed of the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme only having to pay £10 in processing fees to migrate on chartered ships and aircraft.
How the world has changed. Recently, Irish company FRS Recruitment offered free flights to Irish people in Australia willing to move back to fill thousands of job vacancies.
At organised roadshows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, FRS Recruitment highlighted that Ireland currently has 12,000 IT job vacancies, more than 2,500 jobs in MedTech firms, 2,300 jobs in the agri-food sector, 150 vacancies for doctors, 100 other healthcare sector jobs, and 120 professional posts in construction, plus large numbers of financial sector vacancies.
In 2008, about 10,000 people left Ireland for Australia. The same numbers travelled in later years, peaking at 18,000 in 2012.
This year, the number of people returning has overtaken those emigrating for the first time in nine years.
While the free flights offer extends to all sectors, the company is targeting personnel who wish to work in the construction, IT, healthcare, medical device/pharmaceutical and financial sectors.
“As the country is moving closer to full employment, it is becoming more difficult to find suitably qualified personnel,” said Colin Donnery, FRS Recruitment general manager.
“Companies in Ireland are increasingly looking further afield to find people to fill important roles. For these companies, it is about finding the right candidate that meets their needs.”
During the recession, many qualified, educated people left Ireland to seek out opportunities that simply were no longer available at home.
“Australia was a particularly popular location, given the thriving jobs marketplace Down Under at that time.
"Many of these ex-pats have since gone on to develop strong careers in Australia, growing their experience and maintaining impressive CVs.
"We are aware of a lot of ex-pats who harbour hopes of returning home.
"The point of the ‘Ireland is Hiring’ roadshow is to help these people understand just how significant the opportunities are back in Ireland at the moment,” Mr Donnery added.
By providing people with job details, giving them the key salary and logistical information, while also providing the incentive of free flights, the company hopes to encourage more people to seriously consider applying for roles back in Ireland.
There are plenty of Irish people working in these sectors in Australia who would be of great interest to employers back in this country.
"We know just how badly their skill-sets are needed in this market and how these great positions could provide a fantastic opportunity for returning home,” he said.
Australia Road Show gave great insight into why more Irish people are starting to return home.
For most, it was missing their family or friends, for others it was the increase in opportunities in Ireland and the demand for talented individuals.
“As many people left over ten years ago, they had no idea what to expect in Ireland and were surprised at the increase in opportunities outside of Dublin.
"After speaking with many talented Irish people who went on to develop excellent careers in Australia, it became apparent that Australia has given them the extra edge that employers are now looking for.”
Leona is happy to be back on home soil
Leona Whiting works as a talent acquisition manager with FRS Recruitment.
She lived in Perth, Australia, until she made the move back home to Ireland in October 2018.
The pull of family after 10 years away became too strong to ignore, missing out on the small things all of a sudden mattered.
When you find yourself listening to Talk To Joe on your iphone you know its time to make the move.
The people, I was home a day and I felt like I had never left.
You can’t get that feeling anywhere else in the world.
I wish that I had spent more time planning the proper stuff, not what I could buy in duty free, more like having all my paperwork in a row.
It didn’t help just having 12 months of health and car insurance history; I needed to show six years plus.
Most people in Australia, like in Ireland, shop around for the cheapest insurance quote each year, and its not even a thought to remember all the companies you have been with.
This 100% caused me grief when I landed home.
For me, I was worried about work.
When I left the economy was very different and this was still the perception in Australia.
I was surprised to see how many career opportunities I had when I returned.
My best advice would be don’t listen to any second hand information.
There is loads of advice out there from relocation companies in terms of physical shipping of personal belongings etc. but not so much advice in terms of what you need to do, for example, with revenue, banking, tax implications, cost of living, housing etc.
These are all things I wish I had researched more in order to prepare for how I could financially support myself in a different country after being away for so long.
I arrived on Wednesday and I was offered a job the Friday.
When I had been home just three weeks I already knew I had made the right decision.
My family, my friends and of course the tea…… the tea helps with the cold frosty mornings.
Five top tips for returning to Ireland
For all those thinking of returning to Ireland, FRS Recruitment has compiled five tips to help with a smoother transition.
Contact a recruiter who will provide you with a realistic overview of the employment market in your desired industry and location.
The recruiter may also be able to line up some interviews for you before you arrive home.
Having employment secured or in progress will help everything else fall into place quickly and give you great confidence in the decision to return.
Make sure that your Irish bank account is still valid, if not, it is best to start this process early.
There are several providers who can provide low-cost international money transfers which will save a significant sum on bank fees.
This will allow you to generate your tax information in advance — reducing your chances of possible extended emergency tax.
Arrange for a representative from a shipping company to provide you with shipping options.
You may find that it’s not as expensive as you thought to send home your household items, plus it may save you a considerable amount on the other side.
Organise copies of your car, medical insurance and driving history from your relevant providers in Australia.
A no claims history from Australia will be accepted by some insurers once you can show continued history.
This could save you money and hours of frustration and late night phone calls.
