Read the full article in Issue 56 - Winter 2016/’17 of ‘Changing Ireland’!
Flick through the pages or download the PDF here: http://bit.ly/CI-Iss56-Winter2016-17The 2016 annual Pobal Conference was held in The Helix threatre, DCU, Dublin, on the day after the world learned that Donald Trump had won the US presidential election.
Given the platform on which he stood and how he tapped into alienation among the working poor and those on the margins, Pobal’s conference theme was apt: “Creating an Inclusive Labour Market”.
Unemployment in Ireland fell to 7.2% by January of this year, 0.1% lower than in November, However, unemployment remains high for groups such as refugees, Travellers and people with low formal education, while people who are unemployed for more than three years (termed “very long-term unemployed”) face considerable barriers.
The audience/participants and the many guest speakers – too many to mention – identified barriers and sought solutions to make employment opportunities more socially inclusive.
