Casualties of crunch look to Canada for jobs

That was the sombre view of Adrian Morrissey from Wexford, who, along with hundreds of others, attended the Working Abroad Expo in Cork yesterday in the hope of finding a new start abroad.

With dole queues swelling by 80% in the past 12 months, the question for many people yesterday was not a matter of when to emigrate, but where. The answer on most people’s lips yesterday was Canada.

Most were young men in their early to mid-20s, casualties of the collapse of the building boom.

Site manager Mr Morrissey was just one of many people hoping for a better future in Canada.

After travelling from Wexford to attend the event, Adrian revealed he had been out of work since December. “I was laid off at Christmas. To be honest since then all I have done is a few nixers. There is nothing in my line of work here. Canada seems to be where all the work is. I’ll go there straight away if I can,” he said. Adrian pointed out that most people in the construction industry were looking to move abroad for work.

“Any lads I know on the buildings seem to be going abroad. Oz is packed out so Canada seems to be the place. Even the US seems to have not much. I have mates in New York and they say it is very bad there too,” he said.

Twenty-four-year-old electrician Alan Fitzgerald who travelled from Kerry for the event, was also looking to Canada.

Out of work since last October, Alan said if he could find work abroad he would move “as soon as possible”. “Canada seems to be the way to go apparently. It used to be Australia, but that’s gone very bad by all accounts,” he said.

Alan travelled to the event with a friend, 26-year-old Ciarán Sugrue, also from Kerry.

Ciarán, a tradesman like his friend, was eager to try his luck finding work in greener pastures abroad.

“In terms of trade, there is little or nothing down our way. I am working two days a week at the moment, but there seems to be more work in Canada,” he said.

However, both men felt they were in a better position than most as they were young with very little in terms of other financial responsibilities Both also expressed hope for the future.

“I want to travel and see the world. I have never really done it and I am kind of being forced to do it at this stage, but I can always come back in a couple of years when things pick up,” said Alan.

Despite the large number of people in the building trade attending the jobs fair, marketing director for Immigration New Zealand Ian Riddle said that country had many other gaps which Irish people could fill.

“New Zealand is particularly looking for people in all sectors of the health profession and teachers. However, we are also looking for civil engineers, retail managers, miners so there is work there,” he said.

The Working Abroad Expo is Ireland’s largest international overseas recruitment and relocation exhibition.