Living and working in the UK Alison Carmichael UK EURES Adviser June

United Kingdom  England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland  Population - 61 million  Language - English  Welsh is spoken in some parts of Wales

Northern Ireland  Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The public employment service is:  The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)  The Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK.The public employment service is:  FAS - the Training and Employment Authority

The UK Economy and Labour Market  Unemployment rate 7.1%  Highest redundancy figures since records began in 1995  Service and financial sectors performing badly  UK job vacancies down 31% on same period last year

Shortage Occupations Opportunities vary across the country, but include:  Construction middle & upper management roles i.e. Quantity Surveyors, Estimators, Project Managers  Opportunities are mainly in London & South East  Dentists, Pharmacists, Specialist Nurses and Vets  Physicists, geologists and meteorologists  Biological scientists/Pharmaceutical vacancies  Civil/Chemical Engineers and Engineering technicians  Care Assistants/Chefs

EURES website  Find a job – search the vacancies in all EURES countries  CV-online - register your CV for employers to see  EURES advisers – details of 750+ EURES advisers

Jobcentre Plus Strongly advise people not to come to the UK if they do not have a job to start Good English is essential to work in the UK  Search for jobs online  Call the telephone jobs service, Jobseeker Direct +44 (0)  Jobcentre Plus offices are self-service with Jobpoint computers

Looking for work  UK newspapers have internet jobs sites  Visit company websites for job vacancies, company application forms and company information  Private agencies – many are registered with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation

Employment conditions and law  National Minimum Wage is:  £5.73 per hour for over 22 years, (£229 per week for 40hrs / €275)  £4.77 per hour 18 – 21 years approx (£191 per week / €229)  Working week on average is hours  Minimum holiday is 4.8 weeks (24 days if you work a 5 day week)  Your wage is usually paid monthly into a bank account  20 minute rest break is allowed if you work more than 6 hours each day National Minimum Wage Helpline:

Useful Sites  Trade Union Congress help with employment questions, disputes, trade unions, health and safety at work etc.  Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs  help with tax, national insurance, working contracts and hours etc  Health & Safety Executive help with safety and guidance at work etc.  Direct Gov this is the central site for all of the UK’s public services, includes information on health, driving in the UK, education, jobs, local councils, housing etc.

Income Tax  Tax is deducted from wages every week or month  Tax is 20% of gross income  40% on earnings of over £36,000  Self-employed people pay their own tax  P86 form on entry to UK, P85 on exit to claim tax refund

Council Tax  Council Tax is paid to the council where you live, to pay for local services  The amount you pay depends on your accommodation and family circumstances. Council tax for an average property is approximately £100 per month  Council Tax may be included in your rent. Check with your landlord

National Insurance  National Insurance is deducted from wages (11%)  The amount you pay depends on how much you earn  Self-employed people must pay their own National Insurance

National Insurance Numbers  Everyone working in the UK has a National Insurance number (NI No.)  You must apply for a number when you start work  If you have worked in the UK before, you do not need a new number  Phone to apply (Great Britain)  In Northern Ireland, contact the Jobcentre

Workers Registration Scheme  You must register within 30 days of starting work  Registration costs £90  Guidance in other languages available 

Example of weekly earnings If you earn £229 p/w, your employer will deduct approx:  Income Tax£25  National Insurance£14  You will receive£190 Living expenses could include:  Rent (room)£40  Council Tax£25  Travel£10  Food / entertainment£50 … but you may have to spend more – particularly in London!

E-forms (most commonly used)  European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – entitles you to receive state-provided healthcare in the EEA. Replacement for Form E111.  E101 – if you are an employee working in two or more countries in the EEA.  E301 – record of your social security contributions which can be used to assess your entitlement to benefits in another country.  E303 – use to transfer your claim to unemployment benefit from one country to another within the EEA.

Accommodation  Flats one bedroomed – furnished and unfurnished £400 - £550 per month  Houses one bedroomed - furnished and unfurnished £450 - £700 per month  Rooms £250 - £400 per month  You pay one month’s rent before you move in and usually 1 month’s deposit  Large cities are more expensive and accommodation can be difficult to find

Shopping basket  Bread£1.00  Milk 3.41litres£1.90  Sandwich£2.50  Cup of coffee£1.80  Cigarettes£5.50  Pint of beer in pub£3.00  Chocolate bar £0.60  Fish and chips£5.50  Cinema ticket£6.00  Short bus journey£1.50  Football match£15 - £100

Health  You need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to use the UK National Health Service (NHS)  You can see an NHS doctor without paying  You can get NHS hospital treatment without paying  Prescribed medicines cost £7.10 per item  You will have to pay for spectacles and dental treatment NHS Direct

Curriculum Vitae - CV  A CV helps you get an interview – not a job  Keep it simple – 1or 2 sides of A4 paper  Do not use handwriting or include photographs  Employers read CVs for 20 seconds – it must make a quick impression  Prepare a new CV for each job application – to match the job description  Access Jobcentre Plus website for examples of Graduate level cvs and covering letters

Application forms Many companies use application forms instead of a CV andmost large companies now use online application forms  Read the form carefully  Follow the instructions  Photocopy the form and practice filling it in  Write a short letter to support your application

Application letters  Send a short letter with your CV or application form  1 page typed in English  Explain why you have the right skills for the job  Explain why you want to work for the company  Write a new letter for each application so it matches the job description  Say when you are available to start

Interviews  Interviews are usually formal  There may be more than one person interviewing you  Find out as much as you can about the company  Always dress smartly

Graduates  Good written and spoken English is essential  It is hard to find media jobs  Competition is very high  Graduate vacancies are declining (more competition)  Many employers do not understand foreign qualifications  The UK does not have many work placement opportunities

Qualifications and degrees  Qualifications can differ in each European country  Some qualifications are recognised across the Europe  Some professional people must apply for UK recognition  The National Academic Recognition Information Centre, NARIC can compare your qualifications. You will need to pay for this service.

Any questions? Alison Carmichael EURES Adviser Location: Scotland Phone: 0044 (0)