The Minister for European Affairs and Data Protection, Dara Murphy TD, welcomed student EU Career Ambassadors to Iveagh House this afternoon to recognize their work in promoting EU careers and reaffirm the importance the Government attaches to this area.
The students, representing third level institutions across Ireland, have served as EU Career Ambassadors under a programme run by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), the EU’s recruitment service, with the support of the Department of the Taoiseach’s EU Jobs campaign.
The EU Career Ambassador programme is an initiative of EPSO and is run across the European Union. Ireland has the highest participation rate of any Member State, with all national Universities participating. The Department of the Taoiseach, through its EU jobs campaign, has been involved in the programme since its inception.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Murphy said:
‘‘Ireland’s prosperity is inseparable from our membership of the European Union, so it’s important that we remain at the heart of European decision making. Ensuring that our citizens are well represented within the staffing of the EU institutions is essential to this aim.
Irish officials have always been highly regarded within the EU. However, the numbers applying to join the institutions over recent years have been worrying low. The Government is determined to address this situation and, through our EU jobs campaign, launched in 2012, we are taking steps to doing just that.
The EU Career Ambassador programme is an important part of this work. I am delighted that we have been able to draw on the energy and enthusiasm of these exceptional students, and the career services that support them, in raising awareness of the excellent opportunities on offer to our graduates.’’
ENDS
Note
The EU Jobs campaign was formally launched by the Government in 2012 with the aim of increasing the number of Irish applicants applying for EU career competitions and securing permanent positions within the institutions. The campaign represents a concerted effort, coordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach, to raise awareness of career opportunities at EU level and provide targeted support to competition applicants. The EU Career Ambassador programme is one of several initiatives through which the campaign seeks to achieve these aims. Further details can be found at www.eujobs.ie.