1. Living and working in the UK Maria Turner & Christina Cuthbert UK EURES Adviser September 2008 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

2. Living and working in the UK  Working in the UK  Employment law  Living in the UK  Looking for work

3. Great Britain  Great Britain is England Scotland and Wales  The public employment service is Jobcentre Plus www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

4. United Kingdom  England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland  Population - 61 million  Unemployment varies across the UK average is 5%  Language - English  Welsh is spoken in some parts of Wales

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

6. Working in the UK

7. Job opportunities 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  Drivers – buses, heavy goods vehicles  Chefs and hotel workers  Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical vacancies  Engineering

8. 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 www.eures.europa.eu

9. EURES website Living and Working information  accommodation and taxes  cost of living  health, education and social information  comparing qualifications.  labour market information - by country and region Learning  education and training opportunities in Europe  universities and colleges

10. 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) 845 6060 234  Jobcentre Plus offices are self-service with Jobpoint computers www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

11. 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 www.rec.uk.com

12. Employment law in the UK

13. 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 37- 48 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 www.berr.gov.uk www.acas.org.uk www.berr.gov.ukwww.acas.org.uk National Minimum Wage Helpline: 0845 600 0678

14. Useful Sites  Trade Union Congress http://www.tuc.org.uk help with employment questions, disputes, trade unions, health and safety at work etc.http://www.tuc.org.uk  Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs http://www.hmrc.gov.uk help with tax, national insurance, working contracts and hours etc http://www.hmrc.gov.uk  Health & Safety Executive http://www.hse.gov.uk help with safety and guidance at work etc.http://www.hse.gov.uk  Direct Gov http://www.direct.gov.uk 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.http://www.direct.gov.uk

15. Income Tax  Tax is deducted from wages every week or month  Tax is 20% of gross income  40% on earnings of over £36,000 (€43,200)  Self-employed people pay their own tax www.hmrc.gov.uk

16. 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 (€120)  Council Tax may be included in your rent. Check with your landlord

17. 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

18. 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 0845 600 0643 to apply (Great Britain)  In Northern Ireland, contact the Jobcentre www.dwp.gov.uk

19. Example of weekly earnings If you earn £229 (€275) p/w, your employer will deduct approx:  Income Tax£25 (€32)  National Insurance£14(€17)  You will receive£190 (€233) Living expenses could include:  Rent (room)£40(€48)  Council Tax£25(€30)  Travel£10(€12)  Food / entertainment£50(€60) … but you may have to spend more – particularly in London!

20. 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.

21. Living in the UK

22. Accommodation  Flats – furnished and unfurnished £400 - £500 per month (€480 - €600)  Houses - furnished and unfurnished £450 - £700 per month (€540 - €840)  Rooms £200 - £350 per month (€240 - €420)  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

23. Shopping basket  Bread£1.00€1.20  Milk 3.41litres£1.90€2.30  Sandwich£2.50€3.00  Cup of coffee£1.80€2.15  Cigarettes£5.50 €6.60  Pint of beer in pub£3.00€3.60  Chocolate bar £0.60€0.74  Fish and chips£5.50 €6.60  Cinema ticket£6.00 €7.20  Short bus journey£1.50 €1.80  Football match£15 - £100€18 – €120

24. 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 (€8.50) per item  You will have to pay for spectacles and dental treatment www.dh.gov.uk NHS Direct 0845 46 47

25. Looking for work in the UK

26. 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 www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk for examples of Graduate level cvs and covering letters www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

27. Curriculum Vitae - CV  Personal details name and address  Personal profilea short description about your career history  Achievements what do you do well  Work history details of your employers and your job roles – put the most recent first  Training/qualifications most recent and highest first  Interests and hobbies  Other skillsfor example - driving licence, languages

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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 www.prospects.ac.uk

32. 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. www.naric.org.uk

33. Any questions? Christina Cuthbert EURES Adviser Location: Sheffield Phone: 0044 (0) 114 294 3593 Email: christina.cuthbert@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk christina.cuthbert@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk Maria Turner EURES Adviser Location: South East Phone: 0044 (0)1273 647577 Email: maria.L.turner@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk maria.L.turner@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk