East Europe students get farm jobs
This has been confirmed as part of the Seasonal Horticultural Workers Scheme (SHWS) operated by Bord Glas and Macra na Feirme.
A key objective of the scheme is to ensure seasonal labour demands are matched with an adequate supply of suitably-skilled personnel.
It also aims to give foreign agricultural and horticultural students an opportunity to gain practical work experience.
The Irish horticultural industry has had acute labour shortages since 1999.
It has relied heavily on the work permit scheme of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to fill its labour requirements.
Over 40% of the horticultural production workforce is now recruited from outside the European economic area. Over 9,900 people are employed in total.
The SHWS scheme has been favourably received across the industry, with many students being placed in the mushroom, fruit, field vegetable, nursery stock, protected crops and landscaping sectors.
An appraisal of the 2002 scheme was positive with horticultural employers viewing the foreign students as having a strong motivation to work.
Feedback from the students indicated the scheme provided them with an opportunity to gain practical work experience while enabling them to develop their English language skills.
Horticulture is now a significant sector within the agricultural industry. In 2002. it had a farmgate value of 406m.
This was greater than that of sheep, pigs, poultry and cereals. Only beef and dairying generate greater value in primary production terms.
