Time to stop the daily commute - jobs expo at City North

Who is Exhibiting?

THE 2019 TomTom Traffic Index has just been released and details the traffic congestion levels in 416 cities around the world including the fact that Dublin has seen a 3% increase in its congestion level since 2018, coming in at 48% in 2019, making it the 6th worst city for congestion in Europe for the second year in a row. (www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic

According to Linda Ennis of M1 Drogheda Chamber Skillnet, this is no surprise to the 10,000 Drogheda and East Meath commuters who have seen their daily commute increase significantly and are often spending three to four hours per day in a car. “Drogheda Chamber has been liaising with commuters and have seen their continued frustration with constant traffic jams. Conversely, we’re also aware of the number of high-quality jobs that are now available in the Drogheda / M1 region, and it made perfect sense to try to bridge the two groups. Finding skilled employees is often the most difficult aspect to achieve whilst growing a company but we actually have them on our doorstep. That is why we’re hosting the Commuter Jobs Expo in City North Hotel on February 13th from 2 to 8pm which will have over 50 exhibitors offering 100s of jobs”.

Talented employees are making the dreaded commute each day to work even though there are great opportunities in the North East region across the 2.25 million people that reside within 60 minutes of the M1 corridor including Drogheda and Dundalk.

Breanndán Casey, Network Promoter of the M1 Drogheda Chamber Skillnet stated “There are some fantastic companies based in the region such as BD Medical, a MNC pharma company who offer great job opportunities from manufacturing to research. Nature’s Best is one of Ireland’s largest producers of prepared salad and vegetables who employ over 400 people and are committed to staff development. Boyne Valley Food Group distribute familiar brands such as Killeen, McDonnells and Don Carlos with exports to over 30 countries worldwide. Hilton Foods, since opening in 2004 have expanded into the UK, Denmark, Poland, Sverige and continues to grow. Paycheck Plus – another regional success story with clients like Krispy Kreme, Credit Union, Café Nero are great examples of a local scaling startup, alongside Aphix Software with their pioneering e-commerce system. There are many businesses like these located in the North East region, and with the opportunities they provide it allows people to live a more well-balanced lifestyle in a coastal region rich in culture, heritage, and affordable housing.”

Boyne Valley Group, one of the 50 exhibitors “is delighted to be taking part in this year’s Commuter Jobs Expo. We’re excited to meet future potential candidates, particularly those from around our locality. Our experienced HR team will be on hand on Feb 13th to answer any questions about our current vacancies. We also want to connect with people from varying skilled and experienced backgrounds who may suit a future opportunity in our ever-growing business! The team will also provide an insight into our brands and company culture, with some tasty samples to try on the day!” – Packaging Technologist, Key Account Manager (Northern Ireland) and Talent Acquisition Partner – Stephanie Murray, HR Manager.

Drogheda & District Chamber of Commerce have also partnered with The Mill Enterprise Hub and the Love Drogheda BIDS team to conduct a Commuter survey. The results will be analysed and form the basis of a common commuter strategy to encourage more start-ups and multinationals to locate in Drogheda and avail of the talented local workforce. Commuters can complete the short survey at www.themilldrogheda.ie