Living and working in the UK Name: Helen Giles UK EURES Adviser South West England Email:helen.giles1@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk Copies of the presentation are available – if not, you can email me and I will forward it to you. Handouts with useful websites, including the websites mentioned in the presentation will also be given out/can be emailed to you

Living and working in the UK Employment law Living in the UK Looking for work Living and working in the UK

United Kingdom - UK England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Population 61 million ILO Unemployment rate 7.9% 2.47 million unemployed Language spoken English Welsh Currency – British pound £ claimant unemployment was 1,607.4 thousand in August 2009, up 24.4 thousand on the level in July, and up 693.7 thousand on the year. 2.47 million people were ILO unemployed in the May to July quarter, up by 210 thousand on the February to April period and up 743 thousand on the same quarter last year. the ILO unemployment rate is 7.9%, up 0.7 percentage points on the quarter and up 2.3 percentage points on the year. Living and working in the UK

PES in the UK Self service kiosks Great Britain www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk Tel: 00 44 845 6060 234 Northern Ireland www.jobcentreonline.com Tel: 0800 353 530 Self service kiosks PES – Public Employment Services GB is England Scotland and Wales – 900 Jobcentreplus offices NI – 35 jobcentres Jobseeker Direct Helpline, May wish to mention FAS – Rep of Ireland’s PES website www.fas.ie Living and working in the UK

Job opportunities in UK skills shortage occupations Managers in Construction Civil/ Chemical/ Aircraft Manufacturing Engineers Physicists, Geologists, Meteorologists Doctors and Dentists Vets Various Health Care Professionals (including Radiographers, Psychologists and Biochemists) Secondary Maths / Science Teachers Highly skilled Ballet Dancers / Contemporary Dancers Chefs/ Cooks Care Assistants/ Home Carers Pipe Fitters This list of occupations is from the HO, UK Government – tier 2 PBS. These job positions are identified as the current Skill shortages in the UK Strongly advised to secure a job before coming to the UK English is essential to work in the UK It is more difficult to find jobs due to the economic problem throughout the world; Competition is high However UK companies want the best person for the job. UK is a multi cultural society, a diverse workforce Living and working in the UK

The resident labour market test – tier 2 of the Work Permits Points Based System (PBS). Non-European nationals can only come to work in the United Kingdom if there are no suitable European Economic Area/Swiss workers available to fill the job. The resident labour market test must be met by the employer before they can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to a non-European (Third Country National). This list of occupations is from the HO, UK Government. These job positions are identified as the current Skill shortages in the UK Strongly advised to secure a job before coming to the UK English is essential to work in the UK It is more difficult to find jobs due to the economic problem throughout the world; Competition is high However UK companies want the best person for the job. UK is a multi cultural society, a diverse workforce Living and working in the UK

Job vacancies on the EURES Portal This list of occupations is from the HO, UK Government. These job positions are identified as the current Skill shortages in the UK Strongly advised to secure a job before coming to the UK English is essential to work in the UK It is more difficult to find jobs due to the economic problem throughout the world; Competition is high However UK companies want the best person for the job. UK is a multi cultural society, a diverse workforce Living and working in the UK

Graduates Average Graduate wage is £27,000 according to www.milkround.com or £25,000 according to Association of Graduate Recruiters (both 2009 figures). www.prospects.ac.uk – Graduate Careers site www.milkround.com www.nijobs.com – jobs in Northern Ireland www.get.hobsons.co.uk www.gradireland.com www.top100graduateemployers.com Again, competition is high These are just some of the useful graduate job searching websites Handout: job searching websites for Jobseekers and Graduates contains many more. Living and working in the UK

Employment law National Minimum Wage – new rates October Working week 37-48 hours + Holiday entitlement 25 days + Wage/Salary is paid monthly or weekly 20 minute rest break for 6 hours + www.direct.gov.uk www.tuc.org.uk www.acas.org.uk NMW £5.80 (22 years+) £4.83 (18-21) £3.57 16+17 If you are 18 years+ and wish to work more than 48 hours a week, you can choose to do so. This must be voluntary and put in writing to your employer. From 1 April 2009 all workers have a statutory right to at least 28 days' paid holiday if you work five days a week. Your employer could choose to include bank holidays in the 28 days Living and working in the UK

National insurance number Required for paying social security contributions Apply as soon as you start work Tel: 0845 6000 643 or Tel: 02890 545500 (NI) www.direct.gov.uk www.nidirect.gov.uk This is a private, personal number; it must be kept safe at all times If you have worked in the UK before, you will NOT need to apply for another NINO Both very important websites – as they link together ALL government websites, under the one site. Jobs, healthcare, taxation, driving licences, training, education, funding. A great SEARCH mechanism in both websites. Living and working in the UK

Self-employed people pay their own tax www.hmrc.gov.uk Income tax Basic rate: 20% £0 - £37,400 Higher rate: 40% £37,400 + Self-employed people pay their own tax www.hmrc.gov.uk Tax is deducted from your wages weekly or monthly. Tax Free, personal allowance of £6,475 = basic level Living and working in the UK

11 % deducted if you earn above £110 - £844 plus National insurance 11 % deducted if you earn above £110 - £844 plus 1 % of earnings above £844 per week Self-employed people pay their own NIC www.hmrc.gov.uk Another deduction from your wage is National Insurance contributions NICs (contributes towards NHS, social benefits if required, and state pension) Living and working in the UK

E Forms European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) formally, E111 E301 – records your social security contributions E303 – used to transfer your unemployment benefit from one country to another, within the EEA. These E Forms are the most commonly used/recognised in the EU/EEA EHIC – entitles you to Free NHS healthcare in the UK E301 – records your social security/national insurance contributions – this info enables an assessment of entitlement to unemployed benefits – should you move to another EEA country to look for work E303 – Must be claiming U/E benefits for 4 weeks in your own country before transferring your benefits to another EEA country while you look for work. You can claim u/e benefits using the E303 for a maximum of 3 months; your benefits will be paid at the rate of your own country E301 + E303 go together Living and working in the UK

Healthcare in the UK NHS - National Health Service Visiting a doctor is free; a visit to the dentist you have to pay Prescription medicines you may have to pay (depending on where you reside in the UK) www.dh.gov.uk www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk Tel: 0845 45 47 NHS Hospital treatment is FREE If you are Employed/working, you will have to pay for: Spectacles, dental treatment and sometimes medical Prescriptions. Prescription charges vary, depending on where you live in the UK. Some regions provide FREE medical prescriptions such as Wales, and soon Scotland NI prescriptions are 3 pounds. England is the only region of the UK where persons have to pay the full, £7.10 per medicine Living and working in the UK

Living in the UK Apartments/Flats: £450 - £600 = (€ 481-642) Houses: £500- £800 = (€ 535 - £856) Rooms: £200-£350 = (€ 214 - £374) One month’s rent required in advance as a deposit Council Tax www.loot.co.uk www.yell.com www.direct.gov.uk (council tax) Houses/flats can be furnished on unfurnished (Costs are per month) When looking for accommodation (to rent or purchase a home), search for “Estate Agents” online Large cities such as London can be expensive to live in, and difficult to find accommodation. Some people tend to live outside the city Question the audience – are the costs higher or lower than their country? Council Tax is paid to the council where you live - to pay for local services like rubbish/refuse collection… The amount you pay depends on your accommodation value and family/personal circumstances. Council tax for an average property is approximately £100 per month (€107) Council Tax may be included in your rent. Check with your landlord Living and working in the UK

Living expenses Bread - £1.50 = € 1.60 Milk 1l - £1.00 = € 1.07 Fast food restaurant meal - £3.79 = €4.05 Cigarettes (20) £5.70 = € 6.09 Beer 568ml (1 pint) - £3.00 = € 3.21 Cinema ticket £6.00 = €6.42 Bus/Train, short journey, (single) £1.50 = €1.60 1 pound = 1.07 euro 1 euro = .89 pence Add in the Currency of the country Ask the audience if prices are similar or not? Living and working in the UK

Looking for work UK newspapers (online) Company websites PES UK Private recruitment agencies (free service) www.rec.uk.com EURES Other mediums for jobsearching in the UK Refer again to Handout: document of useful UK job searching websites for Jobseekers and Graduates Handout: top 100 UK companies 2008- 2009 with Graduate opportunities (and other, lower level jobs too) Living and working in the UK

The EURES portal Search for a job Register your CV online Make contact with EURES advisers Labour market information Living and working conditions Education Graduate forum www.eures.europa.eu 800, 000 + Jobs on the EURES portal 700+ EURES advisers contact details. Advisers are located throughout the 30 countries of the EU/EEA + Switzerland Register your CV online for employers to access L+W conditions, social security, healthcare, taxation Studying, learning, training opportunities in other EEA countries Living and working in the UK

Job application process Curriculum Vitae – C V 2 pages, typed Create a CV to match the job Application letter Company application forms (sometimes online) Interviews www.backtowork.direct.gov.uk www.prospects.ac.uk CV – 2 pages to include Personal details, Qualifications and Work experience. State first (whatever is more relevant to the job you are applying), your work experience or your qualifications? Include Personal achievements, IT, Language skills… An employer will judge your CV in 20 seconds. It must make a quick impression!! Application letters, one page, typed. A brief synopsis of your skills/experience. State when you are ready to start Interviews are usually formal; dress smartly. There are usually 2 or more people interviewing you. Research the company before the interview. Websites will give you samples of CVs and Letters and helpful hints on preparing for interviews Living and working in the UK

Education - Qualifications For UK recognition of qualifications, contact NARIC www.naric.org.uk English language test is required to study in the UK www.ielts.org Learning the language www.britishcouncil.org University courses in the UK www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk Qualifications can differ in each European country. Some qualifications are recognised throughout Europe. Harmonious training requirements throughout EU for: Nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists, architectures, vets National Academic Recognition information Centre. There is a fee for this service and it can take 4 – 6 weeks to receive recognition of your qualifications. In order to study in the UK, you need to take the IELTS International english language testing system course– to prove that your english language is sufficient to study in english You can search the Complete university guide by subject and it will show all the universities in the UK that offer that subject/course Direct.gov.uk website provides information on funding/sponsorship for courses. University websites will sometimes provide information on funding Living and working in the UK

Work placement opportunities www.work-experience.org www.targetcareers.co.uk www.power-to-inspire.co.uk www.get.hobsons.co.uk www.placement-uk.com www.internuk.com Work placements/internships are not as popular in the UK as in other EU countries. I would advise you to explore the various UK job searching websites and make contact with companies/employers directly, sending a CV and letter, stating that you would be grateful to have an opportunity to work in their company for a period of time Living and working in the UK

Questions…….. Helen.giles1@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk Copies of the presentation are available – if not, you can send me an email and I will forward it to you. Handouts with useful websites on living and working in the UK, including websites mentioned in the presentation are also available/ will be emailed to you