Paving the jobs path for Clare Travellers

ONE Ennis woman who means business and is getting proactive in this job-starved economy is Marguerite O’Donovan, whose new job is to coach members of the Travelling community to find and secure employment.

Marguerite has been appointed as jobs coach under the special initiative for Travellers with the Congress Information and Opportunities Centre as part of the multi agency Clare Traveller Plan 2010 to 2013 plan.
In the new role, Marguerite will assist Travellers from the ages from 16 to 66 across County Clare in their endeavours to get employment; offering advice, interview skills and assistance with job applications.
Speaking about the job, Marguerite explains it has been a slow process as many Travellers are currently on courses or in education but she has engaged with a few, who are considering their job options.
“When you start, it’s very slow but as people start trickling in, I get very passionate about it. I’m passionate about people progressing and also to get this stigma off that no Traveller wants to work because of course they do. They like to be independent too,” she outlined.
The role helps to redress the imbalance in Traveller unemployment and focuses on job-ready Travellers, those who have done education and training and endeavours to support their access into mainstream employment.
“The services that I provide will be compiling a CV, training needs analysis in case they want to do a particular job I see if they have the skills to do it. I also do applications, mock interviews and interview skills. I help them apply for jobs by letter or by online application and then I will source employment for them and that will be the big push. Even to just get them on work placement for three months to get them into the swing of working is important and you never know, they might be kept on. That would be the main focus once I get the people in,” Marguerite explained.
Currently she is meeting with Travellers at St Joseph’s Education Centre as many are currently there studying or doing courses. 
“I have six or seven people on my books at the moment. I do find the women are more receptive;the men are more inclined to say ‘I’m not interested, Marguerite, no offence but not now’. The women are always more interactive and proactive and I think it’s especially for their children and when their children see them doing a bit of study, they will be more interested in doing it too. You will find that anyone doing their Leaving Cert or going onto third level will have seen their parents doing courses in St Joseph’s and in the homework club so there’s a progression there. I am enjoying the work so far, it’s great. I would prefer if it were more action in the sense that it is bad timing because the ones I’ve been in contact with are doing courses so I would like to get to the next stage of getting them jobs,” she said.
Asked what the feeling among the Travelling community in Clare is in relation to employment, Marguerite said it depends on the age group.
“One young lad said to me ‘how am I going to get a job, people with degrees are unemployed’.  I say that people with degrees will be told they are over qualified and they don’t have someone like me to help them. But there will be this constant chipping away. There are a lot of the Travellers I’ve met that already have work, especially the women. But there is this thing that they don’t want to lose their medical cards or their social welfare and that’s across the board with people who are unemployed at the moment. However, now the Department of Social Protection are going to be writing to everyone on social welfare payments wanting proof of job applications, interviews and anything that you did to get a job,” she said. 
She said when the department start calling people in for interviews, it will “frighten” people.
“I’m trying to persuade them that if they interact with me that it will be step in the right direction. It is an uphill battle at the moment. I feel that if I only had one that went onto employment that’s all you’ll need and then word of mouth is everything,” Marguerite added.
Nicola Cullinan, Traveller services co-ordinator with Clare County Council, said much depends on the person as well as on the employer and previous experiences from both sides can mould opinions.
“We are trying to get rid of some of the barriers and myths that are in place as well,” she said.
“I suppose with employers, they generalise. There is this generalisation that Travellers don’t want to work and this is what you’re up against,” Marguerite said.
Marguerite is currently working towards identifying these barriers and helping to break them in her work with Travellers.
“We have a survey that I give out asking them would you like to get a job? Have you tried to get work? How did you do this? What challenges did you face? What would help make it easier to find employment? What would stop you from taking up employment? So I’m distributing that as I go,” she explained.
Nicola said there is a change in thinking out there at the moment but it is a slow change.
“There was a time in the past that Travellers were paid to do courses but now the understanding is coming in that they now know going forward it is for the betterment of themselves and for themselves and it is not about getting a payment,” she said adding that as a result, more are staying on in education.
Marguerite is now inviting Travellers interested in getting employment, pursuing further study or even those interested in starting their own business to get in touch with her.
She can be reached on 065 6842492 or by emailing claresift@gmail.com.