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Using bogs for cannabis farms could create jobs, says Canney
Bord na Móna considering replacing turf-cutting with medicinal marijuana.Transforming Ireland’s State-owned bogs into vast cannabis farms could create “a lot of jobs”, Minister of State for Natural Resources Seán Canney has said.

Bord na Móna is carrying out a feasibility study into whether the cultivation of marijuana for medical use could replace traditional turf-cutting on thousands of hectares run by the company.

The initiative is part of the semi-States’ Brown to Green strategy to switch to a low-carbon, sustainable business model.

It also comes after Bord Na Móna announced nearly 500 jobs will be lost in the midlands, under a plan to end peat harvesting in 45 of its 62 currently active bogs within the next six years.

Both Mr Canney and Minister for Health Simon Harris have met management at the semi-State company in recent weeks to discuss the possibility that Ireland could manufacture its own medicinal cannabis supply, and also export it.

In his latest remarks on the proposal, Mr Canney said medicinal cannabis “has the capacity to create a decent amount of jobs and this has real potential”.

“The possibility exists that [Bord na Móna] could do it for other governments and other countries,” he added. “This could create a lot of jobs.”

“I would add that this is at an early stage of development and obviously a number of regulatory approvals are required,” Mr Canney said.

It is reported Bord na Móna could earmark up to 5,000 hectares of its 80,000 hectare land bank for cannabis farming.

Legislation
In June, Mr Harris signed into law legislation allowing people access to medical cannabis on a limited basis over the next five years.

The move allows for the “compassionate access to cannabis for medical reasons” in cases where conventional treatment has failed. He expects the first drugs covered by the scheme to be available in the autumn.

Asked at the time about the possibility of Bord na Móna growing cannabis to supply the products, Mr Harris said that if the Medical Cannabis Access Programme proved successful, he believed Ireland should look into growing cannabis.

“Instinctively I think in the medium term this is something that would make sense for Ireland to try to have its own supply,” he said.

Mr Harris has previously said as legislative change on the use of medicinal cannabis progresses in Ireland, it could bring new opportunities for Irish farmers.

“Does it make sense to grow your own in Ireland rather than be dependent on importing a product?” he said last year. “I think, quite frankly, it does.” Original Source - <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/using-bogs-for-cannabis-farms-could-create-jobs-says-canney-1.3977084">The Irish Times.</a> Article written by Brian Hutton.

Using Ireland's bogs for cannabis farms could create jobs

Aristocrat offers to fly six students on a private jet to her family&#39;s island off the coast of Chile where they will live for six months and earn £18,000
Lady Kristyna Drummond-Hay, 37, wants to help conserve family island in Chile 
She is offering six students the chance to fly there on a private jet 
They will then be given free accommodation and meals , along with lessons from a &#39;well-known conservationist and doctor&#39; during their stay
In return they will help conserve the island, which was previously uninhabited A British aristocrat with links to the royal family is looking for six people to live on her family&#39;s uninhabited island off the coast of Chile for six months.
Lady Kristyna Drummond-Hay, 37, says she will pay the intrepid adventurers £3,000-per-month, fly them to the island on a private jet, and provide them with three meals a day during the excursion.
The lucky six will also be taught &#39;by a well-known conservationist and doctor&#39; during their stay on Isla Drummond-Hay.Applications are open to conservation students aged over 18, or students in other environmental disciplines.
The purpose of the scheme is to help preserve the island itself, and inspire people to pursue a life of conservation work.
Speaking to North Wales Live, Lady Kristyna said: &#39;My family and I pride ourselves on our philanthropic work and we have poured millions in the upkeep of the island due to erosion, plastic pollution and other environmental hazards.&#39;The island has solely been for conservation purposes with seal colonies and many varieties of exotic birds nesting there.
&#39;We have decided that this wonderful space and accommodation could be better utilised so we are &quot;opening our doors&quot; and inviting students of conservation (or other environmental disciplines) to stay on the island for up to six months with all expenses including flights paid and be able to see the sights and sounds of Isla Drummond-Hay whilst being educated by a well-known conservationist and doctor.&#39;Lady Kristyna is from a prestigious family and is the is the granddaughter of William Huntley Drummond-Hay, the 15th Earl of Perthshire.
She is also related to Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, the first woman to circumnavigate the world in the Graf Zeppelin in August 1929. 
The Drummond-Hay family itself is believed to be worth billions, and her ancestors sold Balmoral Castle to Queen Victoria.
Other relatives include show jumping champion Anneli Drummond-Hay and Bettina DrummondHay, who dated Prince Charles before he married Princess Diana.
But she gave up that lifestyle last year after meeting 34-year-old Welsh former farmer Michael Lloyd, on a dating site specifically for farmers.Michael, who is currently an engineer but also served 10 years in the military, chatted with Kristyna online for five months before flying to meet her in Australia.
She splits her time between the country and her farmhouse in Perthshire, Scotland. 
The pair had a long-distance relationship before getting engaged, then married at the Welsh Church in Melbourne in February.
Kristyna said ahead of the ceremony that they would keep the nuptials low-key, and hold the reception in a pub.To apply, e-mail cabo.de.vismes@zoho.com

Get flown out to Chile in a private jet and get paid €3,000+ per month

Here&#39;s a job any worker would be happy to pass off to a drone: imagine crawling down a ladder into the vast darkness of a 20-storey-high storage tank filled with toxic chemical fumes to spend hours searching for corrosion.More than a thousand US labourers have been killed working in confined spaces like that in the past decade.One of them was 43-year-old Clinton Miller, an AkzoNobel employee who passed out after entering a tank to retrieve a piece of rubbish at a North Carolina chemical plant last year.Oxygen levels were found to be just 11pc inside the structure, according to a federal incident report. Enter the ever-more capable drone.Big industrial companies including Dow, AT&amp;T, BASF and Royal Dutch Shell have begun assembling fleets of the flying automatons to take over their most dangerous jobs.Ascending several hundred feet in the air to inspect tanks and towers, squeezing through claustrophobic tunnels to replace a faulty part, or peering into the maw of a flame-belching smokestack - all are jobs that robots are being designed to do, companies say.&quot;We look at these tasks and say, &#39;Is there a better way that we can do this without exposing the worker to risk?&#39;&quot; said Chris Witte, manager of chemical giant BASF&#39;s Freeport, Texas, site. &quot;The answer is yes. We can send a drone in.&quot;Drones now fly every day at the Freeport plant, keeping workers off scaffolding and out of tanks. For all the talk of automation and robotics replacing human labour, the new uses of drones show how technology can cut costs for companies while dramatically reducing risk, and even saving lives. They also show why businesses are pressing hard in Washington for the ability to use drones in more situations.Inspections of gas flares at Shell&#39;s refineries used to take days, said Randy Burow, Shell&#39;s health and safety manager. To get workers close enough to the flame-spewing stacks to check the pilot light, the system had to be taken offline, then workers were hoisted in a basket several hundred feet high to the top of the stack. Now drones can complete the inspection of still-burning flares in a few hours without a worker ever leaving the ground.In 2017, 166 US workers died in confined spaces. But that number pales when compared with the 887 killed by falls, the second-biggest cause of workplace deaths after car accidents, according to Bureau of Labour Statistics data.AT&amp;T has invested in a large fleet of drones to help inspect its 65,000 phone towers in the US, which can rise as high as 1,000 feet. Working on them is especially perilous: tower climbers fall to their death at nearly 10 times the rate of construction workers. The telecom giant has used drones to eliminate 5,000 tower climbs in the past 18 months, said Art Pregler, the director of AT&amp;T&#39;s drone programme.With high-powered cameras attached, increasingly agile drones can soar to the top of a tower in minutes, float among the steel frames and zoom in for close-up inspections. Drones send images so detailed that workers on the ground can count the threads on a bolt, said Pat Dempsey, who oversees telecommunications maintenance at power utility PSEG.AT&amp;T has invested in a fleet of drones to help inspect towers&quot;The fact you don&#39;t have to make a person climb that tower, from a safety standpoint, it&#39;s a game changer.&quot;Federal safety regulators are still reviewing the 2018 incident that killed AkzoNobel&#39;s employee. The company declined to comment.Even with precautions including safety gear, air monitoring and rescue workers on standby, things can still go wrong with so-called confined-space entries by people.The scale of some of the tanks is massive, comparable to a two-inch-tall person crawling into a household water heater unit, said Billy Bardin, Dow&#39;s global technology director.Dow, one of the world&#39;s largest chemical makers, said it used robots for more than 1,000 confined-space entries in 2018, and for another 1,000 external inspections that involved high elevations, significantly cutting down on the risks to its workers. &quot;That kind of entry is one of the most potentially hazardous activities that we do,&quot; said Mr Bardin.The company&#39;s goal is to reduce the number of human entries into such confined spaces to zero by 2025. That would require developing drones that can conduct repairs and other tasks, rather than just broadcast video, according to Mr Bardin.Technology is speeding in that direction. The average commercial drone costs about $25,000 (€22,400), but the price can rise as high as $250,000, said Chuck Dorgan, sales director at German manufacturer Microdrones.&quot;I get asked by companies almost every week if we can do something that I&#39;ve never thought of doing with a drone,&quot; said Ed Hine, vice-president for operations at PrecisionHawk, another drone company.Apellix, a commercial drone startup in Jacksonville, Florida, is designing drones to paint multi-storey buildings and industrial structures - a job that now requires workers to be elevated with bucket lifts or scaffolding.&quot;Nobody wants to be at the top of a 200-foot man-lift in 98-degree southern heat painting an industrial structure,&quot; said company co-founder Jeff McCutcheon.Replacing humans can get complicated: the drones must be tethered to a paint source on the ground, batteries must be periodically recharged and windy conditions can blow paint off target.But Mr McCutcheon predicts within five years drones will allow a two-man ground-based crew to paint the exterior of a huge Walmart store in four hours instead of several days.The number of commercial drones registered with America&#39;s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exploded in 2018 to 277,000, though that&#39;s still enough to do only a small fraction of dangerous jobs.Regulations that restrict how far, how high and where drones can fly are expected to loosen in the next few years. The FAA estimates commercial drones could triple by 2023 - and possibly increase as much as fivefold.Companies have every reason to accelerate drone use as quickly as they&#39;re allowed.&quot;Drones save us downtime, save cost, save on productivity for our maintenance personnel,&quot; said Mr Bardin, &quot;and they eliminate having to put a person in that potentially hazardous environment.&quot;<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-ie/money/news/drones-are-taking-over-some-of-the-most-dangerous-jobs-in-heavy-industry/ar-AAF0crQ?li=AA56Yk&amp;ocid=spartanntp&amp;pfr=1">Original source here.</a>

Drones are taking over some of the most dangerous jobs in heavy industry

Couples are being urged to say “I Dough” as well as “I Do” as they are urged to check if they have received their “year of marriage’ relief.A spokeswoman for Taxback.com said: “The tax experts say in the year a couple are married, both parties continue to be treated as single people for tax purposes.“However, if the tax they pay as two single people is greater than the tax payable if you were taxed as a married couple, they can claim the difference as a tax refund.“Only tax deducted in the months after marriage can qualify for a tax refund.”And the money experts have urged those who have been married within the last four years to also contact Revenue to change their status and check to see if they are entitled to a refund. Commercial Director with Taxback.com, Eileen Devereux said: “Thousands of couples throughout the country are gearing up for the big day and most will not be considering the tax implications of it.“But what we are finding is that some couples never fully get to grips with the tax ramifications of their union – even years after the nuptials have taken place.“For couples, particularly those who marry in the latter to end part of the tax year, the refund could be particularly lucrative.“A total of 85,246 couples in Ireland got married between 2015 and 2018 – if even 5% of these people never received their year of marriage relief then that’s 4,200+ couples that could be entitled to a refund. “We are also older than ever before when we say, ‘I do’. In fact, the average age of Irish couples marrying is now 34.4 years for brides and 36.4 years for grooms.“Meaning that our income in the ‘year of marriage’ is probably much higher than it was for previous generations.“So, the tax savings would potentially be greater. It’s definitely worth checking out.”For more information on marriage and taxes check out <a href="https://www.taxback.com/blog/marriage-and-tax-savings">Taxback.com.</a><a href="https://www.taxback.com/blog/marriage-and-tax-savings"></a><a href="https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/married-tax-credit-refund-ireland-18801361">Original source.</a>

Married in the last four years? You could be entitled to a tax refund

Pharmaceutical Giant MSD have recently announced the expansion of its Carlow site, generating almost 300 jobs for the region.
The global healthcare and pharmaceutical company MSD have recently announced that they will expand their Carlow facility, with a aim to open by 2022.
The announcement will result up to 300 jobs for Co.Carlow, where the company were granted permission to build a 13,000 square metre manufacturing facility.
The new facility will focus on producing vaccines and biologics and is expected to hire an additional 170 staff as well as 100 contractor staff.
The Carlow facility is one of two in the South East, with another in Co. Tipperary as well as others in Cork Dublin and Wicklow.Source <a href="https://beat102103.com/news/pharmaceutical-giant-msd-to-create-300-jobs-at-their-carlow-site/?fbclid=IwAR1qo0Y5Gs9ZnhA7J3n2AR9yRvmt-x77CtQICyIdjUiuZAWrSGRKPqrY-oY">here</a>.

MSD to create 300 jobs at their Carlow site

Are you looking for love? Love Island may be over for another year but applications for the 2020 show are already open.Love Island is returning for two seasons next year and producers are on the lookout for new contestants.The hit reality show will be back early next year in an all new location. The first series of the year will bring sunshine to viewers at home from a brand new villa in South Africa.The summer series will then return to Europe for a summer of love closer to home.LOVE ISLAND SERIES 6: CONTESTANT APPLICATION FORM
ITV2 are looking for vibrant singles from across the UK who want to head to the Winter sun, in search of love ! The chosen cast will spend time in a luxury villa, getting to know one another, but to remain in paradise they must win the hearts of the public and their fellow Islanders who ultimately decide their fate on Love Island. 
Please complete this form (the “Application Form”) in order to apply for “Love Island” (the “Programme”) co-produced by ITV Studios Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) and Motion Content Group Limited (“Motion”) for initial transmission by ITV Network Limited (the “Broadcaster”). 
The closing date for submitting the Application Form is: 30 November 2019 (the “Closing Date”). You will not be able to apply unless you have submitted a Application Form by the Closing Date. We may extend the Closing Date at our discretion without notice. &lt;ad&gt;Please ensure you meet the eligibility requirements (as set out below) and read the Programme’s application terms and conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”) very carefully before you start to complete the Application Form.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 
1. You must be aged at least 18 (eighteen) years of age on or before the closing date of 30 November 2019, due to the nature of the Programme.
2. You are not:
currently employed by us, Motion or the Broadcaster and have not been previously employed by us, any of the ITV group of companies, Motion or the Broadcaster; or
a live-in partner or immediate relative (for example, mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister) of an employee of ours, Motion, the Broadcaster or any of the ITV group of companies.
3. You must hold a passport which will be valid for the whole period of 1st December 2019 to 30th June 2020 (inclusive), and be eligible to travel to the Programme destinations we specify. You also agree to notify us immediately of any change to your passport or travel status;
4. You must be exclusively available to participate in the Programme for a minimum of eight consecutive weeks from January 2020Start your application <a href="https://itv.etribez.com/ag/itvli/loveisland6/welcome.html">here.</a>

Applications for Love Island 2020 are now open

The period of unpaid parental leave will be extended from the current entitlement of 18 weeks to 22 weeks from September 1 2019Working parents can now apply for four weeks&#39; extra parental leave, it was announced yesterday.Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan signed the Commencement Order for the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 yesterday, letting enabled working parents apply for the additional unpaid parental leave from the start of September.Minister Flanagan said: “The period of unpaid parental leave will be extended from the current entitlement of 18 weeks to 22 weeks from 1st September 2019.“Further changes will come into place on 1st September 2020 when the unpaid parental leave entitlement will be extended to 26 weeks.“The new measures allow any parent who has already availed of their current entitlement of 18 weeks to avail of a further eight weeks of parental leave.<h5>“Parents can now apply to their employer for permission related to the first additional four weeks.</h5>“The legislation also introduces an increase to the age of the child for which parental leave is available from eight to 12 years.“Both mothers and fathers may apply for this leave which I anticipate may be of particular benefit to parents that wish to take the unpaid leave when their children will be returning to school in September.”Minister of State David Stanton added: “An estimated 60,000 parents a year are expected to gain from this change.“The Government will continue to support parents by providing greater flexibility in achieving and managing a work life balance.”Source: <a href="https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/working-parents-can-now-apply-18777464">Here.</a>

Working parents can now apply for four weeks' extra parental leave

<h2>Barefoot Bookseller Role</h2>Ultimate Library in partnership with Soneva Fushi, a 5-star luxury resort in the Baa Atoll, opened the first Pop-Up Bookshop in the Maldives last December to worldwide acclaim. After an incredibly successful first season, the shop will be opening its doors once again in mid-October. With Soneva Resorts best-loved for its Robinson Crusoe-style laidback luxury, the return of the Pop-Up Bookshop creates the ultimate vacancy for a desert island bibliophile: barefoot bookselling, in one of the most beautiful places in the world.The bookshop was created to reflect the stunning natural environment and intelligent luxury that Soneva Fushi provides. While most of us find that holidays are the only opportunity we get to read for pleasure, finding the perfect book that enhances your destination and opens your mind can be a challenge. Previous Barefoot Booksellers have provided guests with unforgettable literary experiences from writer’s workshops to personal reading consultations. We are interested to see what new ideas you can bring to the role!The lucky individual will have a month’s pre-departure product training with the Ultimate Library team, prior to flying to the Maldives to join the Soneva team for a 6-month placement role in mid-October. The ideal candidate will be a team player with a passion for books and the ability to engage with guests of all ages. They will have excellent written and verbal English skills; a lively tone of voice to write an entertaining blog that captures the exhilarating life of a desert island bookseller, and the skills to host workshops and other guest experiences. They must have the ability to fit in with the distinctive Soneva culture.&lt;ad&gt;&#39;Being the Barefoot Bookseller was an absolute dream. I got to meet amazing people, work with incredible books and live on a stunning luxury island. Very much the dream job!&#39; – Aimée Johnson, Barefoot Bookseller 2019. Read Aimée&#39;s full story <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/irish-woman-lands-dream-job-in-the-maldives-my-life-as-barefoot-bookseller-1.3838027">here </a>on how she got on in the Maldives!‘The Barefoot Bookseller has become an integral part of the Soneva guest experience, providing much, much more than reading recommendations.’ – Sonu Shivdasani, Founder and CEO of Soneva.​Activities, duties &amp; responsibilities:<ul><li>Day to day running of a small the bookshop including sales management, engaging with guests &amp; hosts</li><li>Responsible for all stock management and reporting back on sales &amp; stock updates</li><li>Hosting experiences for Soneva guests such as creative writing classes, bibliotherapy, tutoring (Ages 9-18) and literary lectures.</li><li>Running the Barefoot Bookseller social media presence, including Instagram</li><li>Writing monthly blogposts &amp; creating entertaining and informative newsletters</li><li>Liaising with Ultimate Library &amp; Soneva marketing teams on potential events and collaborations</li></ul>Required Skills &amp; Experience:<ul><li>Excellent written &amp; verbal English skills</li><li>A love of reading &amp; in-depth knowledge of both classical and modern literature</li><li>Experience in bookselling/publishing is highly desirable</li><li>Strong knowledge of running social media pages and following trends</li><li>Experience writing blogs or newsletters</li><li>To be a team player and self-starter with a sense of fun and creativity</li></ul>Desirable:<ul><li>Experienced in sales</li><li>Photography</li><li>Tutoring</li></ul>Check out the adventures of our previous booksellers @barefootbookseller or <a href="https://www.barefootbookseller.com/">www.barefootbookseller.com</a>.To apply please read the terms and conditions before sending your CV &amp; a covering letter to barefoot@ultimatelibrary.co.uk.TERMS &amp; CONDITIONS<ul><li>We can only accept and respond to applications written in English</li><li>Due to such a high volume of applicants we will only be responding to successful candidates </li><li>Applications will only be accepted if they are sent to barefoot@ultimatelibrary.co.uk and include a cover letter and CV</li><li>Please don’t apply using any other channels or contact details, especially the Soneva.com website.</li></ul>Application Deadline: 1st September 2019.

'Barefoot Bookseller' wanted in the Maldives

Total job vacancies in Ireland have dropped over the last year due to uncertainties over a no-deal Brexit, according to a new report.According to the latest edition of the IrishJobs.ie Jobs Index, while vacancies remain strong in construction and hotel and catering, there have been reductions in accounting and finance, banking, financial services and insurance.The report points to total job vacancies declining by 4% year-on-year and 2% quarter-on-quarter, despite a healthy, growing economy.These reductions have been driven primarily by a group of knowledge-intensive sectors, says the report, particularly accounting and finance, and banking, financial services and insurance, which fell by 8% and 15% year-on-year, respectively.&quot;Financial services and banking have been hit by ongoing restructuring within the industry. We&#39;ve seen a lot of restructuring in AIB, Bank of Ireland and more recently Deutsche Bank,&quot; Jane Lorigan of irishjobs.ie explained.&quot;A lot of that might be accounted for by a focus on moving to digital platforms and mobile banking, away from traditional banking jobs.&quot;Ms Lorigan said an anticipated boost in financial services positions from UK based firms moving operations here hadn&#39;t materialised to the extent that might have been expected.&quot;We saw some banks moving offices but not the boost that was expected at all. Anecdotally, a number of jobs that did migrate to Dublin were filled from with the [bank&#39;s] network so there was no net gain for banking jobs here.&quot;While other factors, including virtually full employment and sluggish European markets, are affecting hiring, recruitment has been made more difficult and uncertain by Brexit.Employers who depend on exports, like the science, pharmaceuticals and food industry, whose job vacancies declined by 1% year-on-year, must factor in the disruption that may be caused by tariffs, border checks and other supply chain disruptions.&quot;Companies in manufacturing are putting off hiring decisions until they get more certainty about what&#39;s going to happen,&quot; Ms Lorigan said.However, despite the obvious difficulties of Brexit, the Irish economy is in an overall strong position, underpinned by high consumer expenditure, low unemployment and sustained foreign direct investment.The IrishJobs.ie Jobs Index shows that job vacancies in the construction, architecture and property, engineering and utilities sector increased by 7% year-on-year and 4% quarter-on-quarter, reflecting an unabated demand for new residential and commercial units.Ireland remains a top overseas tourism destination.Hotel and catering job vacancies rose by 6% year-on-year and 8% quarter-on-quarter, and the sector continues to advertise the largest share (25%) of total job vacancies by a significant margin.&quot;Tourism and construction are very strong sectors and have been consistently for the last year. There&#39;s still quite a bit of disposable income and inbound tourism. There&#39;s been a shortage of chefs in the Irish market for 5 years. There&#39;s no sign of that abating.&quot;The construction sector is very vibrant with huge demand for staff, Ms Lorigan said.<a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0722/1064429-job-vacancies-drop-brexit/"> Original source.</a>

Job vacancies drop due to no-deal Brexit fears

How many of you reading this think, “My boss has no clue about me, or any of my co-workers.” And, how many of you just say it silently? In fact, you think this many times a day – under your breath.If you say nothing and just show up at work disengaged, you are in the majority.According to Gallup, just 13% of employees are engaged at work. Engaged employees like and look forward to coming to work. So, chances are that you probably belong in the 87% of employees who either are not engaged, or actively disengaged.The not engaged are the silent majority. They account for more than 50% of the workforce – at least in the United States.<blockquote>Disengagement is a symptom, not a root cause of employee dissatisfaction.</blockquote>About a decade ago was the first time I saw a CEO really engaged in employee engagement. Funny to say that isn’t it: “engaged in employee engagement.” She was giving employees pedometers and encouraging 10,000 steps per day – even before I had ever heard of it. This was part of creating a culture of health. Plus, she was busy implementing team-building exercises.To see if they improved on employee engagement, the company queried employees’ engagement scores based on survey data. I thought this was ridiculous. How was 10,000 steps a day, or even team-building exercises going to improve employee engagement?I am not totally right. These exercises were starting points in creating a supporting culture. But in the end, after the team building is over, and the 10,000 step challenges are completed – employees go back to their jobs and their desks. And, they are back in the reality of daily life. So, I contend I am not totally wrong.Many of these programmes do not deal with the core issue. They become an interlude to the daily grind that employees face. And that daily grind exists in and out of the workplace.I find that disengagement can come from three key sources;1. Not belonging – or placelessness2. The environment, or culture of the company3. A boss who is simply awful (which was the root cause in sentence #1 of this post)<h2>Placelessness &amp; the need to belong</h2>So, dealing with these in order – what is placelessness?It seems like a contrived word. But, it is not.<blockquote>Placelessness is what is says. It is a sense of not belonging – not knowing your place perhaps in your company, your family – or the world.</blockquote>Placelessness is accelerated by our virtually and globally connected society and work world. First, virtual is not in person. Think of all the relationships in your life where you have never spoken to a person that you have connected with’ many times via e-mail, Facebook, chat, Instagram, and more. I can tell you first hand that I consult with many executives I have never seen in person.Now, think about times when you had an assignment lobbed over to you via e-mail. How often have you worked on your piece of a project not understanding the entire project – or members of your immediate team?Think about getting an assignment virtually, mostly working in virtual teams in virtual meetings. Then think about doing just your part of the project and not understanding the whole.Each activity 1) virtual assignment, 2) virtual teams, 3) and virtually just getting your piece done – all are displacing. They do not make a person feel like they are a part of a team. This is one dark side of the virtual work life.I have worked with CEOs who insist on face-to-face meetings on a somewhat regular basis. They are right. It gives people a sense of place and of team.In 2013, Marisa Mayer of Yahoo banned its 12,000 employees from working from home. It was controversial and not well received by many. However, it was an attempt in creating face-to-face interactions between people at work.<h3></h3><h2>The need to belong</h2>Through a sense of place, comes a sense of belonging. And humans have a basic need to belong.Belonging as a basic human need, was documented by Roy F. Baumeister of Case Western Reserve University, and Mark R. Leary of Wake Forest University in a 1995 study called ‘The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation’.However, even those that show up physically at work each day can feel as if they do not belong. They are not part of a team, or do not feel as if they are.Regardless, if you are at a company, and there is no sense of belonging – it is a strike against you being engaged at work.<h3></h3><h2>Company culture</h2>A company can create an atmosphere that serves as a place of belonging. Every year, Fortune publishes a list of The 100 Best Companies to Work For. This year’s top 10 include: Google, Wegmans Food Markets, The Boston Consulting Group, Baird, Edward Jones, Genetech, Ultimate Software, Salesforce, Acuity, and Quicken Loans.While these are the best, I guarantee that you will not be happy with the culture that all of them practice. In fact, chances are that you could thrive at one and suffer at the next.The issue is culture. I have worked for 25 years with leading head-hunters and watched the ones that are the best. They can understand the culture of an organisation and find the leaders who are the right fit.Remember, many successful people failed before they succeeded, including Walt Disney, Oprah, Dr Seuss and others. Read about 29 of them in Business Insider.<blockquote>So, culture plays a huge role in determining your level of engagement at work.</blockquote>Do you want to work at a start-up, or a big corporation? Are you a leader, or a follower? Do you like a highly structured environment, or one that is more free flowing?So, even a company that creates great teamwork may not be the team for you.<h2>The awful boss</h2>Having the wrong boss supersedes all else. You could work at any of the top 10 best companies, and if you have a terrible boss – it is simply awful and you will disengage.I have written about passive-aggressive bosses, coward bosses and more.But, an awful boss will create a culture that is toxic, and will make you feel displaced. Even if the rest of the organisation is perfect.I do not have to research this. It is the number one reason people disengage from work.So how do you avoid working at a place where you are disengaged?The answer begins at your job interview stage. While there are no guarantees, you should ‘actually interview’ your future boss.Ask your potential boss about the people he or she has managed who went on to do greater things. A good case in point is Jon Stewart – the comedian who was the host of the Daily Show for years. He had to be an incredible boss. The proof is in the people and careers he launched. Here is a partial list;1. Stephen Colbert2. John Oliver3. Steve Carell4. Larry Wilmore5. Samantha Bee6. Ed Helms7. Rob Riggle8. Wyatt Cenac9. Jessica Williams10. Rob Corddry11. Mo RoccaCan your boss produce a list of even three people? And do you feel that you are on track to be celebrated as one of your boss’s greatest successes?If not, you are probably part of the 87%, and it is time to engage with yourself and find your right fit. When you do, you will likely end up with a boss who has a clue about you. By<a href="https://leaderonomics.com/functional/87-workers-disengaged-jobs"> Rob Wyse </a>

87% Of Workers Are Disengaged From Their Jobs

The Young Offenders are now casting for the new Season of the smash hit BBC show in association with RTE.Their casting call reads: &quot;Please fill out the application form below. We will be in touch with further details if we find a character who you could be right for.&quot;In addition to their personal details, applicants are also asked to submit an introduction video and an improvised or rehearsed demo scene performed in the applicant&#39;s own accent (no need for the phony Cork accents, folks).<a href="https://www.theyoungoffenders.com/casting">Apply here</a> Closing Date: 2nd August 2019

Casting Call - The Young Offenders

Lifestyle publishing consortium Agora is to create 135 new jobs in Co Waterford.The Agora Companies have their headquarters in Baltimore in the United States and the expansion of their operation in Waterford city and Portlaw will make this country the group&#39;s largest hub outside America.One of the consortium&#39;s magazines, International Living, was established in Waterford in December 1998 and local employment has grown since then, with 270 people currently on the Agora payroll in the city and in Portlaw.The new jobs will be mainly in software development but also in digital publishing along with technical and customer support.&lt;ad&gt;Founder of the Agora Companies, Bill Bonner, said the expansion underlines the group&#39;s &quot;commitment to Ireland&#39;s southeast which has established itself as a strategic location for a number of multinational corporations and continues to capture talent from the capital with the offer of a better quality of life&quot;.The new jobs are backed by the government through IDA Ireland.Agora are celebrating 20 years of location in this country at a special event tomorrow in Portlaw. According to Agora, the majority of the new jobs will be in the group&#39;s technology services operation, Threefold Systems, which is based in Waterford city.The customer support centre already provides assistance to more than 20 different companies across 17 countries.A global publishing consortium is to create 135 new jobs in Co Waterford.&lt;ad&gt;The Agora Companies, which produce financial, health and lifestyle publications in print and online with a worldwide circulation, already employ 270 people in Waterford and Portlaw.The new roles will be in digital publishing, technical and customer support and software development.The expansion is backed by IDA Ireland and the 20th anniversary of the group&#39;s establishment in this country will be celebrated at an event tomorrow in Portlaw.Source : RTE

Publishing group has announced 135 new jobs for Co Waterford

Programme: Manufacturing Technician Maintenance SkillsAward: Level 6 Maintenance Skill Technology Major AwardLocation: Celbridge, Co. KildareDuration: 48 Weeks - Full TimeCost: The course is free subject to eligibilityStart date: The course is due to start in August 2019<h4>Course Aims:</h4>The programme is designed to position female and male candidates to pursue a challenging and rewarding career in the exciting role of manufacturing process support in a wide variety of settings. These roles encompass electronic, electrical, mechanical, programmable logic controllers and some mathematical skills. Candidates who successfully complete this programme should be seen in the context of members of a multidisciplinary team of professionals including mechanical and electrical engineers, electricians, supervisors, safety professionals and manufacturing representatives. This programme aims to develop the candidates technical acumen and personal effectiveness, project management and employability skills so as to maximise their potential for employment.<h4>Modules</h4><ul><li><h5>Programmable Logic Controllers</h5></li><li><h5>Electrical Principles</h5></li><li><h5>Mechanical Maintenance Skills</h5></li><li><h5>Electronics</h5></li><li><h5>Industrial Electrical Systems</h5></li><li><h5>Maths for Information Technology</h5></li><li><h5>Communications</h5></li><li><h5>Work Experience</h5></li><li><h5>Control Systems</h5></li></ul>For more information and to apply <a href="https://fit.ie/etb_course/manufacturing-technician-maintenance-skills-2/">click here.</a>

Manufacturing Technician Maintenance Skills Course

Stay-at-home parents would receive an annual wage of almost €44,000 if they were paid for their services in the home including cooking, cleaning and childminding, new figures show.With eight in 10 people here underestimating the value of a stay-at-home parent, research has found it would cost €43,934 to employ someone to carry out all of their household duties.Each week, stay-at-home parents are estimated to carry out 30 hours of childminding, 15 hours of cooking, eight hours of cleaning, five hours of teaching, four hours of handiwork, an hour of gardening and 10 taxi trips.This means they would take home a weekly wage of €844.89 when compared to real-world wage data, according to research carried out by Royal London.However, when asked how much it would cost to employ someone to perform the duties of a stay-at-home parent, 61% of those surveyed believe stay-at-home parents&#39; wages range from €10,000 to €30,000.A further 6% believed they would be paid less than €10,000, 17% believed their wage would be between €31,000 and €40,000 and 7% believed it would be more than €50,000.The survey, which saw 1,000 people throughout the country take part, also looked at the number of stay-at-home fathers in Ireland.It found that 72% of those surveyed did not know any stay-at-home dads, and just 5% classified themselves as a stay-at-home dad.In Munster, the figure was even higher with 75% of those surveyed not knowing any stay-at-home fathers, and 4% classifying themselves as a stay-at-home dad.This compares to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures which found the vast majority of stay-at-home parents are women, although the number of men in this role nearly doubled in the 10 years up to 2016.There is a contrast between perception and reality when it comes to remuneration for the myriad of jobs carried out by a stay-at-home parent, according to Sara Murphy of Royal London.<blockquote>“The role of a stay-at-home parent could be described as priceless, but we thought it might be a good exercise for people to consider how much it would cost to replace them in a financial sense and to contrast this with some real-world wage data.&quot;</blockquote>“The average expected salary of €27,500 is significantly lower than the €43,934 we estimate as the economic cost of a stay-at-home parent, and lower again than the €47,596 reported by the CSO as the average earnings of a person in full-time employment during 2018.”By Jess CaseySource: <a href="https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/stay-at-home-parents-would-be-paid-almost-44k-for-in-house-services-new-figures-show-937363.html">Click here.</a>

Research finds that Stay-at-home parents would be paid almost €44k

10 full-time jobs are to be created in Sligo by the Connolly Motor Group, which has just been appointed as main dealers for SEAT in Sligo.Connolly’s SEAT will open in Collooney in October and will see Connolly Motor Group make a significant investment in a building that has remained vacant since the recession.&lt;ad&gt;The new jobs will increase the number of full-time employees at the Connolly Motor Group to 230 and the company will begin recruitment immediately. Once Connolly’s SEAT is opened, the group will employ 93 people in Sligo.The deal sees the motor group – which is one of the biggest in the country and run by brothers Kevin and Neil Connolly — expand its representation with Volkswagen Group brands.&lt;ad&gt;It already runs hugely-successful Volkswagen dealerships in Ballina and Sligo as well as Audi dealerships in Galway, Ballina and Sligo.The new SEAT dealership will be located in a prime location on the approach to Sligo town.Neil Connolly, Connolly Motor Group Director, said:“We are particularly pleased to be growing our representation with the Volkswagen Group brands and are delighted to be investing in the SEAT brand and bringing this great name back to the Sligo region. My brother Kevin and I are extremely proud to be bringing more jobs to Sligo and delighted that we can breathe new life into a building that has been lying vacant in Collooney.”&lt;ad&gt;

10 new jobs to be created in new Sligo Seat dealership

Manor Farm is proud to employ over 820 people in Ireland. After a major €13m overhaul, their production plant in Shercock, Co. Cavan is now one of the most modern and sophisticated in Europe. Its full-steam at their Shercock plant as a major recruitment drive is currently underway for new staff. Manor Farm is looking to recruit enthusiastic, proactive and hardworking General Operatives. There are multiple positions available at present and new starters will cover shifts across day, evening and nights.The roles will require General Operatives to effectively and efficiently perform their daily work tasks to the highest level of hygiene, food safety and health and safety standards while working in a fast-paced cold environment. The role involves the employee being an integral part of the team, working together and meeting production plans.If you feel like you fit the bill and would like to be part of the team, please visit the Manor Farm <a href="https://www.chicken.ie/carton-brothers-manor-farm-about-us/careers.875.html#anchor1">careers page here</a>. Best of luck with your application.

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