PROFILE OF VOCATIONAL AREA

WORK EXPERIENCE L 5

Go to 3.1 (p27-28). Analyse key challenges & opportunities in your chosen vocational area with regard to:

• Demographic change*

• Immigration / Emigration

• Economic Shifts

• Education level of potential employees

• New Technologies

*Definition: Studies of a population based on age, race, sex, economic status, level of education, income level and employment.

Profile Your Vocational Area

Profile – Demographic Changes

What demographic changes have affected your vocational

area?

Prompts:• Has the age range of your vocational area changed? • Has the gender balance changed?• Are there now more employees with families?• Do any socio-economic factors affect your vocational area?

Profile - Immigration / Emigration Does Immigration / Emigration have an impact on your vocational area?

Profile - Immigration / Emigration

Prompts:

Instability in other countries eg Nigeria, Syria.

Widening of the European Union – more Polish immigrants.

Irish people leaving due to the economic downturn.

Profile – Educational Entry Level

What is the education level of potential employees?

Prompts

• Skilled v unskilled?

• Second Level, Third Level?

Next Video 3:45 mins

Profile - Economic Shifts

How do changes in the economy affect your vocational area?

Your Career Opportunities

On 3.1 (p29/30), identify three career opportunities in your chosen vocational area.

Then pick one and investigate it further

Your Career Opportunities

In the light of your previous answers; what skills do you

think will be needed in the future in your vocational area?

Go to 3.1 (p30) and explain why.

Look over the highest scores in your skills audit for help.

RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Health & Safety Equality

Trade UnionsPay Regulation

1. HEALTH & SAFETY

Next Video 5 mins

Get into groups of three and discuss why we need Health & Safety laws.

Prompts

• Why were they introduced?

• Are they necessary?

• Have they gone too far?

Go to 3.2 (p31) and write down the three reasons you came up with.

Health & Safety Laws

Some areas Health & Safety laws cover:

• Fire safety

• Pregnancy

• Chemicals

• Noise

• Sun beds

Health & Safety LawsGo to 3.3 (p31) and write down which laws affect your vocational area the most.

These could include:

• Chemicals Act (2010)

• Carriage Of Dangerous Goods

By Road Act (1988)

• Mines & Quarries Act (1965)

• Dangerous Substances Act (1979)

• Factories Act (1955)These laws and others can be seen in more detail at:

www.hsa.ie/eng/Legislation/Acts/

Click to hyperlink

On the following website, look at the Health & Welfare At Work Act (2005):

• In 3.4 (p32) list five legal responsibilities of the employer.

• Then list five legal responsibilities of the employee.

Health & Safety Legislation

Health & Welfare At Work Act 2005

Employer Responsibilities

Prevent any risky behaviour.

Provide adequate safety information, training &

supervision

Workplace:

Good condition.

Good access in & out

Safe equipment.

Prevention of risk from substances / noise.

Safety Statement:

Complete a Risk Assessment.

Report accidents to relevant authority.

Have an Emergencies plan.

Provide facilities for welfare of employees

Provide protective clothing & equipment

All safety measures come at no financial

cost to employees

Health & Welfare At Work Act 2005

Employee Responsibilities

Take reasonable care to protect yourself & others.

Not to engage in improper conduct. Co-operate with

employers to enable them to

comply with regulations.

Attend Health & Safety Training

Not be under the influence of an

intoxicant.

Submit an intoxicant test if required.

Report:

1) Any work endangering yours or others H & S.

2) Any defects in the workplace.

3) Any contraventions of H & S Regulations.

Health & Safety Authority

The Health & Safety Authority is a state-

sponsored body which is responsible for

the enforcement of health & safety at work

in Ireland.

In 3.5 (p33) list three ways they enforce Health & Safety.

Prompts:

1. Monitoring compliance with legislation at the workplace (they can

prosecute if necessary).

Health & Safety Authority

2. Being the national centre for information & advice to employers,

employees and self-employed on all aspects of workplace health

& safety.

3. Promoting education, training & research in the field of health &

safety.

See the below website for more information:

http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Click to

hyperlink

Health & Safety Reporting Procedures

• There are regulations applying to the reporting of accidents.

• You can find these in ‘The Safety Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations, 1993’.

See the HSA website for more information.

Click to hyperlink

Health & Safety Reporting Procedures

1) Notify the HSA of the personal details of any deceased persons & location of accident.

2) Send in a written reportASAP of the accident.

3) Nobody should disturb the scene of the accident until after official inspection

The Responsible Person* shall:

*the person having control of a place of work

Go to 3.6 (p33) and list what you should & shouldn’t do when reporting an incident.

Next Video 2 mins

A Very Excited Accident Report

Health & Safety Reporting Procedures

1. Driving a vehicle in the

course of work.

2. By a substance or article carried by a

vehicle.

3. By a substance or article being loaded /

unloaded from a vehicle.

The regulations only apply to road accidents if a person was killed / injured:

Next Video 3 mins

Reasons To Be Safety Conscious

2. EQUALITY

Reasons To Be Safety Conscious

Next Video 2 min 10 sec

Mrs. Brown’s view on equality.

Equality

The Equality Act 2004 deals

with discrimination within

employment in relation to

nine specific grounds.

Equality Act 2004 – 9 Grounds

Gender

FamilyStatus

Race Age

CivilStatus

Disability Religion

Sexual Orientation

Member of Travelling

Community

EqualityGo to 3.7 (p34) and explain what the Equality Act 2004 is

about and why it is needed.

Then write down the nine grounds that inform the Act.

Next Video 50 sec

Disability & Race?

3. TRADE UNIONS

Trade Unions

A Trade Union is an organisation of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as

better working conditions.

Trade Unions

The Trade Union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of

its workers.

Trade Unions

A Trade Union negotiates labour contracts with employers.

Trade UnionsThese negotiations can include

things like:

1. Wages

2. Work rules

3. Complaints procedures

4. Rules governing hiring, firing

& promotion of workers

5. Benefits

6. Workplace safety & policies

Next Video 4 min 30 sec

An Advertisement for trade unions and some reasons to join a union.

Trade Unions

What do Trade Unions do?

Go to 3.8 (p35) and write down

the main roles of Trade

Unions.

Some Categories Of Unions

• Distribution, Retail & Transport Unions

• Construction Unions

• General Unions

• Other Industry Unions

Some Categories Of Unions

• Other Public Service Unions

• Postal & Telecommunications Unions

• Teachers Unions

• Trades Councils

General Union Example - SIPTU

Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU)

The largest union in Ireland. It represents working Public, Private & Community Sector employments.

Distribution, Retail & Transport Union Example - MANDATE

Mandate is the third largest Trade Union in the Republic of Ireland with a growing and increasingly active membership base across the Irish retail and bar trade.

Irish Trade Unions

Go to 3.9 (p35).

Write down the name of the Irish Trade Union best suited to your vocational area and why.

Class Talk

Nominate someone to invitea guest Trade Union speaker to the class.

Go to 3.10. (p36) and write down some questions you will ask the Trade Union representative.

4. REGULATIONS RELATING TO PAY

Employment Legislation

Detail three pieces of Irish employment legislation

relating to pay in 3.11 (p37).

Prompts

• Organisation of Working Time Act 1997

• National Minimum Wage Act 2000

• Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004

• Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2006

Click to hyperlink

Deductions Taken From Gross Pay

Go to 3.12 (p38). List the

main deductions taken

from wages.

Deductions

Prompts:

• Tax

• PRSI

• Health Insurance

• Pension Fund

• Union Fees

• Social Funds

www.irishtaxcalculator.com

• You can go to this web site and enter all your details.

• The website will then calculate how much you should be earning after deductions.

DeductionsClick to

hyperlink

Tax

This is broken down into many parts.

Go to 3.13 (p38) & explain the following terminology:

1. Tax Credits

2. Deductible Expenses

3. Benefit In Kind

4. Pension Contribution

5. Status

Tax credits reduce the amount of income tax you have to pay. Some are granted automatically, while others have to be claimed.

Deductible Expenses: some work expenses can be deducted from your income before it is assessed for tax. To qualify, the expenses must have been necessary in order to do your work and must have been spent entirely for that purpose and no other.

Tax Terminology

Benefits-in-kind: For example the private use of a company car, subsidised accommodation, vouchers, paid medical insurance etc received from an employer by an employee are taxable.

Pension Contribution: Amounts contributed to a pension can be deducted from gross income before tax. Employees in occupational pension schemes are normally given relief through their payroll system.

Tax Terminology

Status: Your liability for tax can be affected by whether you are resident in the country and whether Ireland is your permanent home. You are defined as a resident depending on how many days you spend in the country.

Tax Terminology