By April Drew

THE Irish government’s training and employment authority, FAS, is introducing a campaign designed to grab the attention of the U.S. workforce, focusing on American citizens and Irish citizens living in the U.S. who plan to move home.

FAS will host a trade fair at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel on Friday, October 20, and Saturday, October 21, which will provide information from A to Z on working and living in Ireland.

The primary goal of the exhibition is to inform people about the job opportunities now available in Ireland. Presently the country lays claim to a robust economy. It has the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union and employment is projected to grow by 4.3% this year.

To create a smoother transition across the Atlantic for those Irish who may be contemplating a return home, or for non-Irish citizens who are considering a relocation, issues such as taxation, visas, pensions, health insurance and education will be touched upon.

“Many of the Irish living in the States may have emigrated to seek opportunity during the 1980s when jobs were scarce in Ireland. We are here in New York to remind the Irish how Ireland has evolved and now offers a wealth of opportunity for those wanting to move home,” said FAS Director Gregory Craig.

The key attractions FAS will be using to endorse employment in Ireland will be quality of life, extensive annual holidays, an awareness of community and free third level education.

Visitors to the two-day fair can look forward to guidance from the Irish Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Construction Industry Federation, the Irish Revenue Commissioners, Enterprise Ireland, VHI Healthcare and FAS Jobs Ireland.

The Western Develop-ment Commission will also be at hand to persuade those living in the States to contemplate moving west to Ireland. They will market the lower cost of living, reasonable property costs, job prospects and a terrific quality of life in that part of Ireland.

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) will be on hand to provide information on an array of career openings in the construction trade in Ireland. They will expressly try to recruit technicians and architects over the next three years.

Those with finance backgrounds can also avail of job openings in Ireland, as the Dublin Fund Industry Association will counsel those in this field.

“There is an increased requirement for people with financial expertise – through the exhibition in New York we can tap into people who may look towards moving back to Ireland to work in the investment funds area. There is wealth of opportunity, not just based in Dublin’s IFSC, but across the country in centers such as Kilkenny, Cork, Meath, Wexford, Waterford, Galway and Limerick,” said the association’s marketing director Deirdre Norris.

Representatives from the online site www.loadzajobs.ie will also be in New York to talk about the 20,000 openings regularly advertised on the site.

In a press release issued by FAS this week, the agency offered an example of a satisfied returned Irish citizen to illustrate the benefits of a move back home.

Gareth Noonan and his family recently moved back to Ireland to live in Ennis, Co. Limerick, having lived for six years in the U.S. comments

“There were quite a few appealing elements which enticed us to move home – free third level education was a huge deciding factor. Third level is not free in the States and it can cost up to half a million U.S. dollars to put two children through college,” Noonan said.

“Ireland also offers longer holidays ... having just two weeks holidays each year in the States was putting a huge strain on the family. We just weren’t getting enough time with the children. Sarah was working from seven in the morning until seven at night and heading back to work after just six weeks maternity leave – that was extremely tough.”

The FAS Jobs Ireland trade fair will take place on Friday, October 20 from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel, Seventh Avenue at 31st Street in New York. Further information can be obtained by calling FAS on 011-353-1-6070500, or visiting www.fas.ie.