Crippling rents, skyrocketing house prices, and the promise of sun, sea and sand on the other side of the world were just some of the reasons why long lines of Irish teachers queued up at Jobs Expo Ireland on Saturday to explore the option of moving to Australia.
The expo, organised by Careers Unlimited, returned to Croke Park where more than 40 of the leading employers in Ireland and abroad vied to attract the eyes of 10,000 jobseekers.
There was a steady stream of people throughout the afternoon to the stand of Catholic Education Ballarat, which is based in Australia. About 80 per cent of them were women. The group offered perks such as free flights and accommodation in its bid to attract teachers.
Niamh McEvoy (27) from Co Laois is a primary schoolteacher working in Kildare. “Australia is really appealing to me,” she said.
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“I have a load of friends gone out there at the minute. Their work-life balance – and the sun is just calling me. My friends are either going to a race day, surfing, or going to the other side of Australia for an adventure. It looks fab.
“I’m very on the fence. My friends and family are here. That’s what’s kind of holding me back really. I’m back living at home. Rent is crazy. House prices are crazy. There is no end in sight.
“[The organisers] were just explaining all the perks. Flights paid for. Six weeks off at Christmas. The money is so much better as well. I did five years in college and a masters, and it just isn’t recognised here.”
Andrea Golding (27), a primary schoolteacher, and Megan Beatty (25), who works in an office, are both based in Tallaght but are considering moving to Australia in September.
Both say they are still living at home and “can’t even rent here” because of the costs. Acknowledging a move to Australia is tempting, they point out the recruiters promise everything from stocking their fridge on arrival to setting up wifi.
“There’s a big difference with the resources as well,” says Golding. “Their schools are like our colleges. Also, you get paid in Australia for the time you spend planning your lessons.”
Miriam Fox (28) from Dublin is a secondary schoolteacher who qualified four years ago. “I’ve had four different jobs in four different counties in that time with no help with accommodation,” she said.
“I have no hope of a job for the next year coming. I can’t see an option within Ireland at the moment. I’ve been looking at moving across Europe, the United States, and now I’m looking at Australia.
“I’m a teacher of English mostly. I can also teach Chinese and politics. I’m very highly trained in first aid. I just can’t find a job here. Rent here is taking up about two-thirds of my salary, and I am in a higher paid role than many colleagues. I’m currently back at home with my parents in my old bedroom because I can’t afford to live on my own.
“They are offering a €5,000 a year bump and possibly free accommodation depending on what school I choose. I will most likely go.”
Aoife O’Mahony (26) from Cork and her friend Ciara Walsh (26) from Sligo are both home economics teachers who say “everyone is going to Australia”.
“We’re going to go in September and give it a go for a year or two,” they said.
“There is a better work-life balance. Dublin is great and we love Dublin but I don’t think we could afford to live here forevermore. They offer bonuses as well, depending on where you go.”
Eoin Finlay (22) is a newly qualified teacher. “I am considering my options,” he said. “It would be hard to leave home, but if there are opportunities to work abroad, I would jump on that.
“The incentive is the quality of life over there. Integrating seems to be easy enough for Irish people in Australia. The cost of living here is the overarching challenge.”
Tom Sexton, executive director of Catholic Education Ballarat, insisted the group was not engaged in “a raid” on Irish teachers.
“We know there is a shortage of teachers here in Ireland as well,” he said. “We don’t see this – and we don’t want this to be seen – as a raid on Irish teachers. There is a severe shortage in Australia, particularly where we are.
“We have a lack of graduates coming out of university and we have a bit of an exodus of people at the top of their careers who decided to retire early when Covid came. It’s a bit of a perfect storm and we think it will take four or five years to correct, so we’re here.
“One of the reasons we are here is that Irish teachers are very well trained and we are really keen on getting high-quality teachers.
“We were here in October and we had so many inquiries. Today is the same. As you can see, it is chockablock here.”
He said salaries start at about €49,000 and go up to €72,000. On top of that, there are “leadership allowances” that range from €2,000 up to €8,000 a year.
They also offer €3,000 to help with travel costs, which is doubled if people are willing to work in more remote areas. “The other thing we are also guaranteeing is accommodation,” he said. “We won’t sign anyone up unless we can look after that.”
