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NEWS
October/November 2012 www.esb.ie/em
JobBridge
EM continues to bring you case studies on some of the successful candidates who are on the Government’s jobs initiative, JobBridge, which we have been profiling in each issue. ESB has pledged to provide up to 200 internships throughout the company during the scheme’s lifetime.
COLIN MURPHY
Dublin man, Colin Murphy, graduated from Trinity College in 2010 with a Civil Engineering Degree. Since graduating he had short periods of employment with Nadirkmore Energy Ltd and Capital Water Systems Ltd before being made redundant in November 2011. Colin decided to undertake a JobBridge internship with ESB due to the wealth of talented staff he could learn from. His internship was as Engineering Assistant in ecars, an area he had great interest in. Colin fitted well into the team and contributed significantly, taking on certain mini-projects as his own e.g. defining chargepoint maintenance schedules and reporting on reliability of Chargemaster charge points. “I was unsure what to expect working with electric vehicles as it is such a new industry but it was a fantastic experience and was a great stepping stone on my career path.”
“I believe the skills I learned and the experience I gained helped me secure the position I now hold within ecars,” says Colin. Colin secured a 9 month contact in ecars working on the maintenance program for chargepoints and assisting in the rollout of chargepoints nationwide. “My experience here has been extremely positive. Every staff member I have met has been very friendly and made my time working here an enjoyable experience. I have learned a great deal from my colleagues through their technical abilities and impeccable work ethic,” he concluded.
CONOR O’BRIEN
Conor O’Brien from Kinnitty, Offaly graduated with an Honours degree in Marketing and Event Management in 2011 from Dublin Business School. Prior to joining the JobBridge scheme he had gained experience in many different areas of business including Boston Scientific Galway, sales for the Irish Independent’s “Great Irish Writers” and with RTE. In the events industry he had worked with Galway based EuroSTAR at various software testing conferences throughout Europe before starting to work with Eventsec at the O2, Oxygen and other concerts and venues around the country.
Working with the ESB ecars team, Conor was involved in the organisation of “Fully Charged 2012, International Electric Vehicle Summit”. This involved working on the programme for the summit, finding suitable speakers and working on the overall design and logistics for the event.
Conor applied for the internship at ESB ecars as he felt it offered him a great opportunity to work in an area that was really interesting, while also allowing him to gain the experience of working on a large international event.
“It turned out to be the ideal internship for me,” says Conor, “as it allowed me to be involved from the planning of the project right through to the execution of the event itself”.
It was an amazing experience to be involved in such a high profile international event and it surpassed all my expectations. I found it a brilliant place to work with a great atmosphere and team ethic. No matter what the problem was the team were always there to help and answer any questions.” At the end of Conor’s internship he secured a 9 month contact with ecars working on the Great Electric Drive initiative, where ESB ecars are recruiting members of the public to become ecar ambassadors and trial electric cars, and other marketing initiatives.
ESB NETWORKS LAUNCHES ‘POWERCHECK’ APP
ESB NETWORKS launched its new ‘PowerCheck’ app and website which provide real time information to customers regarding planned and unplanned power supply interruptions, including projected restoration times.
The free app, which is accessible through Smartphones (iPhones and Android), and the website (www.esb.ie/esb-networks/powercheck/) were unveiled to customers visiting the ESB stand at the National Ploughing Championships in New Ross.
Announcing the launch, Paul Mulvaney, Head of Distribution and Customer Services with ESB Networks said, “Interruptions to power supplies are rare, but when they do occur, customers want to find out quickly and easily when their power will be restored. We are still happy to hear from customers by phone, but PowerCheck provides an alternative for people who would prefer to access this information online or through their Smartphones.”
“Over the past decade, ESB has invested heavily in upgrading the Irish electricity network and we now have one of the most reliable and efficient systems in the world. Since 2001, we have succeeded in reducing unplanned interruptions by 62 percent, with the average customer now experiencing just over an hour of lost supply per year as a result of network faults”.
PowerCheck will provide information on: Local Area: The nearest substation to the location of the interruption Customers Affected: The number of customers without supply Started: The time when the loss of supply was first reported Interruption Type: Whether it is a Planned or a Fault interruption Restore: The Estimated Restoration Time (ERT).
Third-level access for people with disabilities
THE BETTER OPTIONS College Fair, run by AHEAD each autumn, is an unmissable event for students with disabilities who want to explore their higher and further education options
Making decisions about the future, and exploring educational opportunities, can be a stressful process. The Better Options College Fair, a one-day information event for students with disabilities which takes place in the Dublin City University (DCU) on 28th November, aims to provide students with disabilities with everything they need to know about higher and further education options. “Whether you are seeking general information, guidance, or specific details of supports available at various institutions, the Better Options event is an ideal starting point,” says Mary Quirke, Assistant Director of AHEAD (The Association for Higher Education Access and Disability), which organises the event. “Gathered under one roof, students will find information stands from the major universities and Institutes of Technology, as well as a programme of inspirational speakers and information sessions.”
Visitors to the event will have an opportunity to find out about college life from other students and graduates with disabilities, and can learn more about the ‘Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)’ programme, including how to complete the CAO Supplementary Forms as part of the DARE process.
According to Mary Quirke, “Students with disabilities, like their peers, can be overwhelmed by the pressure to make decisions about their future, and not know where to begin. The objective of the event is to help people through this process and hopefully also open their eyes to opportunities they may not have considered before. We want people to leave thinking Maybe I could consider doing that.”
If you would like information about accessing third level or would like more information about Better Options, contact Lorraine Gallagher at AHEAD. Tel: 01 716 4396 Email: lorraine.gallagher@ahead.ie. Published by Bernie O’Connor, Equality & Diversity Office
WHAT VISITORS SAID ABOUT LAST YEAR’S BETTER OPTIONS COLLEGE FAIR
“I found the Better Options event to be very informative and the presentations were excellent. As the Student Support Worker it was particularly relevant.”
Student Support Worker
“All of my students with a disability have now ticked the DARE box. One of those students had previously been adamant that they did not want to disclose, did not want any support and did not want to be treated any differently than anyone else. They may even accept examination support for the Leaving Cert now which they had previously been declined. I think that students are starting to realise that there are a lot more students with disabilities among them than they thought, and they are starting to look at their supports as a right and a legitimate entitlement and not as ‘special treatment’. They used to fear that colleges would think less of their ability and potential because of disclosing their disability. Hearing the college and student speakers at Better Options helped to allay those fears. So thank you!”
Career Guidance Counsellor
“I don’t think I’d have gone on to university if it hadn’t been for Better Options.”
Student
