On Thursday June 25 a major event will be held in the Annebrooke Hotel in Mullingar in response to the rising unemployment issue in the county. Titled an Opportunity Day, this event is aimed at those who have lost jobs or at risk of losing jobs and who are considering their options.
Westmeath Community Development Ltd has taken a lead role in organising the event. Assistant CEO of Westmeath Community Development Ltd, Frank Murtagh said, “The idea behind the event came from the Economic Development Subcommittee of the County Development Board. We are just one of a number of agencies on that subcommittee who are looking at what we can do to get out there and make people more aware of our services and the services available from other agencies. A similar event held in Athlone, organised by Athlone Community Taskforce was very successful, but one of the findings after the event was that a significant number of people who had been made redundant in the last 12 to 18 months had no idea of the range of services that might be available to them in terms of looking for a new job, maybe setting up a business or doing further education or training.”
The number of agencies likely to be present on the day is increasing all the time, but confirmed to date include the County Enterprise Board, FAS, Dept of Social and Family Affairs, the County Childcare Committee, Westmeath VEC, the Revenue Commissioners, Athlone Institute of Technology, Enterprising Westmeath Network, Citizens Information Service, Mullingar Congress Centre, LIR Employment Agency, Money Advice and Budgeting Service, and Westmeath Employment Pact. In addition to these bodies Westmeath Community Development will have staff on duty with information on the Rural Development Programme (LEADER ), Volunteer Centre, and the other services available from Westmeath Community Development.
As an added bonus, Kevin Kelly, an internationally renowned motivational speaker will be present on the day. Over the past two decades, Kevin has keynoted at events around the world including the Middle East, Far East, Europe, and the US.
Whether it is a one hour keynote speech or a one day seminar, Kevin has the ability to engage people one hundred per cent in his interactive experiences. His results speak for themselves, with glowing feedback from Monaco to Colorado and Edinburgh to Tehran. Kevin weaves his magic with a cocktail of exercises, information and stories that are based on his unique experiences around the world, inside and outside corporate corridors. From challenging himself to write a best seller even though limited by a poor grade in English, to going from high income to low income and back when he decided to follow his passion, to breaking sales records in many companies, Kevin more than walks the path of his own philosophies.
Born in the West of Ireland where he still lives with his wife Deirdre and son Conor, his other book titles include his business book Basics before Buzz and Life: A Trip Towards Trust. In addition, he has produced three motivational CDs, Good Enough - Now go get it; Setting, Getting and Forgetting Goals and Compelling Communication Strategies. Kevin has appeared many times on national TV and radio shows in Ireland, UK, USA.
The event will run from 10am - 4pm, is free of charge and all are welcome on the day.
