‘Meet and greet’ ambassadors for city of welcomes

It’s been known as the city of welcomes for years but now it’s official.

Street ambassadors are set to hit the streets of Cork for the first time this summer to welcome visitors to Leeside.

Cork City Council’s dedicated tourism unit, TEAM, confirmed last night it plans to hire up to 15 “meet and greet” ambassadors to work in the city this summer under the JobBridge national internship scheme.

The scheme, aimed at unemployed graduates, is designed to help jobseekers get relevant work experience and bridge the gap between study and their entrance into the workplace.

Applicants should have strong interpersonal and communications skills, a high standard of English and a foreign language would be an advantage. The successful interns will work as Cork City Guides on a six-month or nine-month contract and receive an allowance of €50 per week on top of their existing social welfare entitlement.

They will wear Johnny Rebel Kepi-style hats and hi-vis jackets and undergo tour guide training with Fáilte Ireland in April before hitting the streets in time for the tourist season in May. They will work up to 35 hours a week throughout the summer, with some being kept on until October.

Some will be based at the airport, ferry terminal, bus station and train station, with other ambassadors assigned to roving duties in the city centre.

They will act as meet and greet ambassadors, providing a range of information to tourists and visitors on where to stay, what to do and what to see.

Some will also act as tour guides on a series of city-based walking history, food, and culture trails which are being developed.

TEAM spokesman Damian O’Mahony also said some of the ambassadors will act as guides in historic Elizabeth Fort off Barrack Street. The council has applied to the Office of Public Works for a licence to open up the fort and a positive decision is expected soon.

The Cork City Guides initiative, devised by TEAM official Robbie Crowley, is based on similar schemes in Dublin and Limerick.

Funding for the Dublin ambassadors comes from a levy on business rates. The Limerick scheme has been funded by Shannon Development and The Limerick Communications Office.

* Anyone interested should log on to http://exa.mn/3i to download an application form, or contact Mr Crowley at the TEAM office on 021 4924276.