The European Job Days: facilitating job opportunities across Europe

The rst European Job Days 2006 proved to be a success. The numerous visitors had varying reasons to attend: some potential job seekers were searching for opportunities to work abroad, others attended because they were simply curious. After all, it isnt every week that literally the four corners of Europe get together in a collective eort to present work opportunities that could be just across a national border. Indeed, the over 500 events organised in September last year attracted between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors and many of them found their way to employment in another EU Member State. These events are an excellent occasion for job seekers and employers to meet and to learn more about the positive aspects of workers mobility. They also bring many of them in contact with the network of EURES advisers. Together, they provide assistance and advice to a great number of job seekers looking for a dierent work experience and to employers looking for the best talent, regardless of their citizenship. By bridging the gap between the two, EURES contributes to a better functioning European labour market, thereby enhancing Europes citizens well-being and competitiveness. More and more Europeans are becoming aware of the advantages oered by mobility and are willing to accept the challenge. Working in another country gives individuals the chance to learn a new language, discover a new culture and develop new skills. Now is an excellent time to make the most of this desire to work abroad and to discover how EURES can assist in overcoming obstacles which may lie in the way . I wish that the European Job Days 2007 will further raise Europeans awareness of the numerous possibilities to work in another European country. Johan Ten Geuzendam Head of Unit

European Job Days 2007 Building on last years success

The European Commission designated 2006 as the European Year of Workers Mobility (EYWM)1, the rst European Year to pair the issues of employment and labour mobility. The initiative involved numerous European and national-level activities aiming to help Europeans learn more easily about working across national borders. One of the major events under the banner of the EYWM was the rst European Job Fair a series of simultaneous job fairs taking place mostly in September or October, all over Europe.

Mobility events across the continent

This initiative was met with great enthusiasm and in the end more than 300 European cities organised European Year of Workers Mobility events. Job fairs from the Azores to Iceland raised awareness of the possibilities and practicalities of living and working in another European country. Eventually there were between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors to more than 500 events. Some of the largest fairs were held in Lisbon (5,000 people), Marseille (3,000), Leipzig (3,500), Brussels (over 2,000); the three largest Finnish events totalled 3,500 visitors and the three largest Swedish events some 3,000 people. Other large-scale events took place in the following days and weeks, and made the rst European Job Fair the biggest awareness-raising event ever to take place in the employment and social aairs arena at a pan-European level.

European Job Days 2007

This years initiative aims to be at least as successful as in 2006. During the week of 24-29 September, more than 500 events, such as job fairs, workshops and cultural happenings will be organised in over 200 cities all over Europe.
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The main focus of the European Job Days will be on providing a forum for employers and job seekers to meet each other, exchange information and most importantly promote on-site recruitment.

However, one can expect a huge variety of events, both in size and format. The Austrian public employment service is organising an Information Fair accompanied by an online EURES Quiz, the cross-border partnership EURES Channel (FR, BE, UK) presents the issue of labour mobility in the form of an interactive dinner theatre, and Danish EURES Advisers will go on a bus information tour across Poland. These are just a few of many types of events potential participants can expect in their region.
Commissioner Spidla at the EURECA job fair in Leipzig

All types of organisations will take part and support the European Job Days events in a concerted eort. Businesses, public and private employment services, social partner organisations, universities, learning and training centres and chambers of commerce have already conrmed their participation and made interesting suggestions for their contributions.

An opportunity for newcomers and professionals

The 2007 European Job Days are an excellent occasion for everyone to acquire or update their knowledge on the merits of workers mobility. The EURES network is available to provide help and advice all year long. The job day events present in a nutshell all aspects of our European labour market, bringing together employers and those interested in working abroad. They are a clear illustration of the EUs commitment to providing more and better jobs to Europes citizens.
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http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/workersmobility_2006

The Newsletter EURES & You is intended to provide users of the EURES portal with information on current topics and trends and to stimulate discussion and debate. The contents do not necessarily reect the view of the European Commission.


The European Job Days 2007 Calendar of Events
For additional information about the 2007 European Job Days, please consult the EURES Events Calendar available on the EURES Web Portal (http://eures.europa.eu), where you will nd more details about the events taking place in your country by name, venue and contact details. Information below is subject to change. Please consult the EURES Web Portal for latest version.

Czech Republic
25-27.9.07 EURES Information Days Liberec Vera.Kolmerova@mpsv.cz 25.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Pardubice Vera.Kolmerova@mpsv.cz 25-26.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Usti nad Labem Vera.Kolmerova@mpsv.cz 26-27.9.07 EURES Information Days Ostrava Vera.Kolmerova@mpsv.cz Several dates European Job Days 2007 Prague/Middle Bohemia Regions Vera.Kolmerova@mpsv.cz 26.9.07 or 27.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Olomouc Vera.Kolmerova@mpsv.cz 25-27.9.07 European Job Days Roadshow Ostrava, Olomouc, Brno Vera.Kolmerova@mpsv.cz

Cross-border region Nice/ France Jmarc.Bianchi@anpe.fr September 2007 EURES PYREMED (ES, FR) Cross-border Employment Fair Berthet@anpe.fr 28.9.07 EURES DANUBIUS (SK, HU) Cross-border Job Fair Esztergom/ Hungary Edita.Bertova@post.sk 25-28.9.07 EURES NORTE PORTUGAL/GALICIA (ES, PT) Cross Border Mobility Week 2007 Vigo, Verin, Chaves, Alto Minho Teresa.ventin.eures.drn@iefp.pt

EURES Cross-border Partnerships

26.9.07 EURES Bodensee (DE, AT, CH) Information Day for Commuter Workers from Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland Vaduz/ Liechtenstein Wolfgang.Himmel@translake.org 20.9.2007 EURES MAAS-RIJN (NL, BE, DE) Salon demploi Bassenge/ Belgium Marc.Heytens@scarlet.be 9-10.10.07 EURES MAAS-RIJN (NL, BE, DE) Bedrijvenkontaktdagen (participation in Euregio business fair) Maastricht/ Netherlands Marc.Heytens@scarlet.be 24-26.10.07 EURES MAAS-RIJN (NL, BE, DE) Initiatives (Euregional business fair) Lige/ Belgium Marc.Heytens@scarlet.be January 2008 EURES MAAS-RIJN (NL, BE, DE) Euregional Job Fair Kerkrade/ Netherlands Marc.Heytens@scarlet.be 25-27.9.07 EURES SLLR/OBERRHEIN/PED (FR, DE, BE, LU, CH) European Job Days Forbach (25.09), Pirmasens (24.09), Trier (27.09), Thionville (28.09), Longwy (26.09), Freiburg (27.09), Arlon (TBC) Frederic.Chomard@eures-sllrp.org 04.2007 03.2008 EURES SCHELDEMOND (BE, NL) Job Fair EURES Scheldemond Scheldemond Euroregion Tom.schiettecat@grenswijzer.org 26.9.07 EURES SONDERJYLLAND/SCHLESWIG (DE, DK) Danish-German Job Fair Flensburg/ Germany Phf@aabenraa.dk 25.9.07 EURES RESUND (SW, DK) Jobresund Malm/ Sweden Gpeuliche@or.dk 25-29.9.07 EURES TORNEDALEN (SW, FI) European Job Days 2007 Recruitment Fair in the Tornedalen Region Tornedalen/ Sweden & Finland Lars.Kero@lanbd.amv.se 30.11-1.12.07 EURES SLLR/OBERRHEIN (FR, DE) Franco-German Forum Strasbourg/ France Lang@mesaar.de October 2007 EURES EURAZUR (FR, IT) Organisation and participation in recruitment forums in the French/Italian

Austria
26.9.07 EURES Information Day on Job Mobility Oberwart Guenther.Wilnger@ams.at 27.9.07 EURES Information Day on Job Mobility Wiener Neustadt Martina.Vodrazka@ams.at 27.9.07 EURES Information Day on Job Mobility Salzburg Gerlinde.Fuchsberger@ams.at 25-26.9.07 EURES Info Day for Workers on Job Mobility and Job Application Training Graz Andrea.Macher@ams.at 28.9.07 EURES Information on Mobility for Commuters Innsbruck Otto.Hosp@ams.at 20-28.9.07 AMS/EURES Europa-Quiz Click Your Job in Europe; Mobility Fair Vienna & Internet (Quiz: 20-28.9.07; Fair: 25.9.07) Max.Fischer@ams.at

Denmark
One week in September 2007 Bus tour for one week in Poland to promote work opportunities in Denmark Five polish cities GNA@ams.dk

Estonia
21-22.9.07 European Job Days 2007/ Estonian Job Fair Tallinn Marta.Traks@tta.ee

Finland Belgium
29.9.07 European Job Days Brussels info@jobdays.eu 29.9.07 Banenmarkten Job Fairs Antwerpen, Brugge, Genk, Neerpelt, Schilde, Sint-Niklaas, Tongeren, Turnhout, Wevelgem and other cities Hans.Maenhout@vdab.be 21.11.07 Campus/ European Job Day Turku Tomi.Puranen@mol. 25-29.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Recruitment Fair in the Tornedalen Region Tornedalen Lars.Kero@lanbd.amv.se

France
24-29.9.07 Information Days on Workers Mobility in Europe Auvergne Chantal.Pilandon@anpe.fr 1-5.10.07 European Job Days 2007 Conseil rgional de lAquitaine Cath.Galharret@anpe.fr 18.10.07 European Job Days 2007 Montpellier Colette.Gaven@anpe.fr 18.10.07 Osez linternational Lyon Anaem.Cheneval@ext.anpe.fr

Bulgaria
27.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Bansko/ Kempinski d.piryankova@az.government.bg

Cyprus
27.9.07 EURES-EUROPASS-PLOTEUS Nicosia Akafouros@dl.mlsi.gov.cy 28-29.9.07 European Job Days Info Stand Nicosia Akafouros@dl.mlsi.gov.cy



Germany
28.9.07 European Job Days 2007/EURECA Berlin Miguel.Peromingo@arbeitsagentur.de 27.9.07 Annual Conference of Emigrant Information Centres Bonn kontakt@raphaels-werk.de

Latvia Romania
7.9.07 Job Fair Baia-Mare/ Maramure county & Slobozia/ Lalomia county Camelia.Mihalcea@anofm.ro 21.9.07 Job Fair Constana/ Constana county, Lai/ Lai county, Pitesti/ Arge county & Piatra-Neam/ Neam county Camelia.Mihalcea@anofm.ro

5.10.07 Conference Europe Oers... Considered and Motivated Mobility Riga Guntra.Zarina@nva.lv

Lithuania
13-14.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Kaunas Monika.Vysniauskiene@ldb.lt

Greece
20.9.07 EUROSALON 2007 Athens gr01ea3@oaed.gr

Slovakia Luxembourg
8-9.11.07 Student Fair Kirchberg Arthur.Tibesar@adem.etat.lu September 2007 European Job Days 2007 3 cities Boris.Katuscak@upsvar.sk

Hungary
26.9.07 Information Day Working in Europe Zalaegerszeg furjesa@lab.hu 27.9.07 Baranya Job Fair and Day of Mobility Pcs furjesa@lab.hu 27.9.07 Working in France Szeged furjesa@lab.hu 28.9.07 Information Day Kecskemt furjesa@lab.hu 28.9.07 European Job Fair Esztergom furjesa@lab.hu 28.9.07 Job fair/Online Day Szerencs furjesa@lab.hu 29.9.07 Forum for Career Beginners Gyr furjesa@lab.hu 29.9.07 European Job Fair Budapest furjesa@lab.hu

Slovenia Malta
26-29.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Valletta Raphael.p.Scerri@gov.mt 28-29.9.07 Video Conferencing Facilities Valletta Raphael.p.Scerri@gov.mt 28-29.9.07 EURES on Local Media Valletta Raphael.p.Scerri@gov.mt 27.9.07 Cross-border Job Fair for Austrian Winter Tourism Maribor Darja.Grauf@ess.gov.si

Spain
September 2007 European Employment Days 2007/Cantabria Santander Eures-cantabria.mogro@inem.es 25-26.9.07 European Employment Days 2007/Galicia Vigo eures-ourense.iglesias@inem.es 26.9.07 European Employment Days 2007 Murcia eures-murcia.prieto@inem.es

Netherlands
29.9.07 European Job Days 2007 120 cities Jeannette.van.Yperen@cwinet.nl

Norway Iceland
12.9.07 European Job Days Reykjavik Drofn.Haraldsdottir@svm.is 25.9.07 Job Fairs Oslo & Trondheim Berit.Alfsen@nav.no

Sweden
19.9.-4.10.07 European Job Days 2007 Linkping (19.09), Karlstad (25.09), Malm (25.09), Stockholm (26.09), Hudiksvall (27.09), Falkping (02.10), Trollhttan (03.10), Dals-Ed (04.10) Torbjorn.Wallin@ams.amv.se

Poland Ireland
September 2007 Regional Opportunities 2008 Dublin Kevin.Quinn@fas.ie 25.9.07 European Labour Days 2007 Poznan t.dobroczynski@wup.poznan.pl 9-10.10.07 3rd International Job Fair Lublin jotkaczyk@wup.lublin.pl

United Kingdom
17.10.07 Graduate Jobs Fair London Peter.Sydser@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk

Italy
25-28.9.07 Meeting in secondary schools Potenza (25.09), Matera (27.09), Reggio Calabria or Consenza (28.09) mbasta@welfare.gov.it 25-29.9.07 European Job Days 2007 Liguria (27.09), Ancona (28.09 or 29.09), Campobasso (27.09 or 28.09), Torino (28.09), Perugia (25.09), Venezia, Palermo mbasta@welfare.gov.it

Portugal
September/October 2007 European Jobs Tour Oporto, Coimbra, Lisbon Amargarida.Silva@iefp.pt October 2007 Seminar Professional Mobility Working in Europe Funchal/ Madeira Amargarida.Silva@iefp.pt

> The European Job Days from a participants view

Of course we need to adjust the format of our participation in international job fairs to the size and scope of the events, says Helga Pohr. At smaller recruitment fairs, we conduct on-the-spot interviews with job seekers. This is understandably more dicult at a large event such as EURECA. At these occasions we have well-equipped info stands with our company yers at hand and accept applicants CVs. She then gets back to potential employees when a vacancy ts their prole, so that no application gets lost or forgotten. Claudia Wiing, 26, from Leipzig, attended last years EURECA fair, full of expectations to look for a job in the United Kingdom. However, on her arrival she took one look at the long queue at the Great Britain table and decided to stop instead at the next Netherlands table, where she met Helga Pohr. It was unintentional, she says, but I thought to myself, why not, in the Netherlands they also speak English, and anyway, who knows what opportunities lay around the corner? As it happens, following Claudias on-site interview, she got a job at the Apeldoornbased call centre company ModusLink, who needed a native German-speaking operator. Although she was dealing with calls concerning the companys in-vehicle digital navigation system, she also had other ambitions. With a university degree in business administration, Claudia was keen to look for new opportunities. Following her temporary six-week assignment, Helga Pohr was back in touch to oer Claudia two other job opportunities, one in Amsterdam and the other close by in the town of Amersfoort. The company? Sun Microsystems. The job oered at Sun, working in the area of order management, more closely matched the studies done by Claudia. It is also substantially better paid. Joining the Europe, Middle East and Africa team, she nds herself today in a thoroughly multinational environment, working in an area she is passionate about. This job opens many doors to working in other parts of the business and even another continent. One day, I would love to work in Australia, she says. All in all, Claudia is quick to praise the professionals who recruited her at the EURES event in Leipzig. The job in the Netherlands started one week after the interview. And yet, the Dutch team of employment specialists at Abroad Experience arranged for accommodation, helped me organise the tax and social security and generally provided a lot of support, she says. They also knew that with my studies, my ambition would stretch beyond a short-term call centre job. In fact, they were in touch with me, to propose jobs which more closely matched my ambitions, she adds. It would seem that Abroad Experiences eorts paid o for all those involved. It was my lucky day when a very long queue made me approach the Dutch table at the European Job Fair last year. That unexpected meeting changed my life, Claudia says. www.abroad-experience.com

Last years European Job Fairs attracted up to 200,000 participants, mainly job seekers, but of course also employers and recruiters looking for potential new sta. Talking to some of them, it becomes apparent how useful and thus successful this EU-wide initiative has been and hopefully it will be just as well received this year. Helga Pohr, a recruitment consultant with Dutch interim agency Abroad Experience, took part in last years EURECA job fair in Leipzig, organised by the German EURES partner Zentrale Auslands- und Fachvermittlung (ZAV). We constantly need new German sta and therefore participate in almost every job fair organised by the German employment service, says the recruiter. There are many opportunities during the year to meet interested job seekers, but the European Job Days are denitely the largest initiative of its kind. Her company cooperates on a permanent basis with the German employment service to hire temporary sta, mainly for international companies that are located in the Netherlands. The employees are mostly placed in companies customer service or call centres, but also hired for book-keeping assignments.

European workforce mobility

8.2% of the EUs labour force has moved to another job after one year. Workers in the EU stay in the same job for an average of 10.6 years, compared to 6.7 years in the US (Source: Eurostat EU Labour Force Survey, 2004) 37% of EU citizens would be ready to move to another EU country to nd a job if they were unemployed (Source: Eurobarometer survey Europeans & Mobility: First Results, 2006) Approximately 1.5% of the EUs working age population (EU-25) live and work in a dierent Member State from their country of origin (Source: Eurostat) 46% of EU citizens believe that long-distance mobility is a good thing for individuals (Source: Eurobarometer survey Europeans & Mobility: First Results, 2006) 5% of EU citizens have moved to another EU country at least once (Source: Eurobarometer survey Europeans & Mobility: First Results, 2006) Since the enlargement in 2004, data on labour ows from Central and Eastern Europe show that workers coming from the new Member States (EU-10) represent less than 1% of the working age population in all countries except Austria and Ireland (Source: Report on the Functioning of the Transitional Arrangements set out in the 2003 Accession Treaty, 2006) According to a Eurobarometer survey on geographic and labour market mobility held in 2004, when asked what the EU represents for them, 53% of the respondents cited freedom to travel and work in the EU. The answer came well ahead of the Euro (44%) and peace (36%) (Source: Eurobarometer survey Europeans & Mobility: First Results, 2006)

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EURES & You is published six times a year by DG Employment, Social Aairs & Equal Opportunities of the European Commission. DG EMPL D.3 - EURES European Commission BE-1049 Bruxelles/Brussel E-mail: empl-eures@ec.europa.eu EURES News and Information Bureau c/o Gellis Communications Rue des Echevins 80 BE-1050 Bruxelles/Brussel E-mail: euresnews@gellis.com