Connecting Talent with Opportunity: BITCI Employment Fair Brings Employers and Jobseekers Together
Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) hosted its inaugural employment fair in Dublin by bringing together 18 employers and 150 jobseekers from under-represented communities to create opportunities for meaningful conversations, connections and pathways into employment.
The event supported jobseekers from refugee and migrant backgrounds as well as members of the Travellers community, people with disabilities and people experiencing health issues. These participants avail of BITCI’s employment programmes: WorkAbility: Inclusive Pathways to Employment, EPIC, Women@Work, EmployAbility and Traveller Employment Programmes.
The event was designed to be different from a traditional careers fair, with a focus on empowerment, building valuable professional networks and practical support discussing current and future job opportunities. The employers, spanning multiple sectors, also took part in Jobseeker Support Clinics, sharing their expertise and providing practical guidance to participants on areas such as recruitment, applications and navigating the employment process.
Many of the employers attending the event are signatories to BITCI’s Elevate: The Inclusive Workplace Pledge, demonstrating their commitment to creating more inclusive workplaces and widening access to employment opportunities.
Tomás Sercovich, CEO, Business in the Community Ireland, said: “Our ambition was to create a job fair like no other – one where meaningful connection could lead to real opportunities for people who often face barriers to accessing and progressing in employment. This event builds on the success of our employment programmes and the commitment of employers to create more inclusive workplaces. We are proud to support people who are too often under-represented in the labour market and to connect their skills, experience and ambitions with employers who are looking for talent. When we widen access to employment, we create benefits not only for individuals, but for businesses, communities and society as a whole.”
Employment plays a vital role in reducing the risk of poverty, strengthening social cohesion and deepening links within the community. For BITCI, the job fair represents a practical enabler of this work: bringing employers and jobseekers together in the same space and creating opportunities for direct engagement that can continue beyond the event itself.
BITCI employment programmes are funded by ESF+, Department of Social Protection, Community Foundation Ireland and Rethink Ireland,
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