Tatyana, our interviewee, has a diploma stating "engineer," and behind her is work experience at a state research institute. And now Tanya wants to say goodbye to her research institute for a year and go to Ireland... to pick champignons.
Recently, largely thanks to Brussels loans, Ireland has been experiencing economic growth. Amid growing production, the issue of attracting labor has become acute. And since Ireland is one of Europe's largest suppliers of agricultural products, the demand for workers is high precisely in this area. Well, Tanya herself will tell us what exactly she will have to do and under what conditions.
- Tatyana, why suddenly champignons and why specifically Ireland?
- First, I had been looking for an opportunity to work abroad for several months: I want to see the world and improve my financial situation. But I wasn't very satisfied with the firms that provide employment services abroad. And then in February I found an organization that inspired my confidence. This is a state structure, the Kyiv Youth Labor Center (KYLC). I learned about it completely by accident.
- How did everything happen?
- KYLC has been involved in similar programs for young people (under 30) for quite a few years. Last year, for example, a large group of Ukrainian boys and girls went on a summer strawberry-picking program to Great Britain. And in the fall, as I heard, two more agricultural programs are planned in Ireland.
I came to the KYLC office, filled out a questionnaire, and had an interview. I was warned that there might be a competition. Honestly, I was a little worried - I don't know English very well. And I was heading abroad for the first time. But fortunately, I was accepted. The supervisors - "brigadiers" - are young people who know the language well; they will be the ones communicating with Irish employers. Mostly girls participate in the program, mostly students of agricultural universities.
- What documents were needed for the paperwork?
- A foreign passport, photographs, and several certificates. The medical certificate of health requires conclusions from almost all doctors: therapist, cardiologist, dermatologist, neurologist, dentist, etc., plus a blood test. We were arranged to undergo the medical commission at the same time: half a day was allocated for the entire group at the polyclinic. If you have a work record book, you need to provide its copy - KYLC specialists will translate it into English. It is advisable to provide a reference from your place of work and a copy of your diploma. You also need a certificate that you are related to agriculture or have experience in agricultural work. And finally, a certificate of no criminal record is required. All visa issues are handled by KYLC staff. Each program participant must have a guarantor (usually a family member) who guarantees the participant's return to Ukraine upon expiration of the contract.
- What will you be doing in Ireland?
- We will work on champignon farms; there the harvest goes on all year round. The work is physically not difficult, but monotonous: picking and sorting mushrooms. We will live in so-called "caravans" - small cottages. Accommodation is like in a dormitory, 6-8 people per room. There is a kitchen, so we will cook ourselves. You can also use a washing machine and shower. We will work from 5 to 10 hours a day. On average, as they say, everyone works 6-8 hours. A certain output norm is established, but they say that all our people cope, and the employers are very satisfied. One day off per week is provided, and during the year - two weeks of vacation. By the way, we were promised a trip to England.
Payment is weekly. The money will be transferred to each person's bank account, from where you can withdraw the necessary amounts for food and other needs. As we were told, on average, after tax deductions and expenses for accommodation and food, about $650-900 per month will remain.
The employer provides each person with the necessary documents for opening a work visa - this is legal work. A KYLC representative goes with us; he will live there for about two or three months, help open a bank account, make sure that everything is fine with us and that there are no problems with the job.
- Is this a paid program?
- Yes, I paid $1,860. The cost includes round-trip air tickets, medical insurance, consultations with KYLC specialists. In addition, all program participants attended three preparatory seminars. KYLC can provide a loan for participation in the program. There is an agreement with a bank that provides the loan. Then, already in Ireland, part of your earnings is deducted to the bank to repay the loan. Of course, the issue of granting a loan is decided individually.
-What did you do at the seminars?
- These were three-day training sessions held at resort hotels in Koncha-Zaspa and Puscha-Voditsa. Each meeting was attended by about 120 program participants. In total, more than a thousand people from all over Ukraine are going. The young people came from various cities: Bila Tserkva, Sumy, Cherkasy, Chernihiv... We all got acquainted, which is very important, since we have to work and live together abroad for a whole year. Secondly, we were given a detailed explanation of what we would be doing. We were told about the upcoming work, about Ireland in general, shown a video, and had interviews with psychologists. By the way, it was after watching the film that I realized how different farming in Ireland is from what we understand by it. We were shown how mushrooms are grown in greenhouses. There are computers and air conditioning systems there. All workers live in a specially built house. In addition to living quarters, there is a common recreation room with sofas, armchairs, and a TV. There is also a special laundry room with a washing machine, a dryer, and an ironing board. There was a short English language course, mainly studying work-related terminology. We were also taken to a mushroom farm in Vasylkiv, where we saw the entire process of growing and picking these mushrooms. We had meetings with young people who had already participated in such programs: we could ask them anything we were interested in.
- Have you met anyone who has already participated in such programs?
- Yes, we invited young people who went on similar programs last year. They also did agricultural work - picking vegetables, working in greenhouses - and not only in Ireland, but also in England. Of course, we bombarded them with questions. According to them, there are no villages in Ireland in our understanding of the word. Roads are almost everywhere asphalted, every house has hot water, sewerage, convector heaters, and electricity. Of course, heating is worse: there is no central heating, and using a heater is expensive.
- Did you sign any contracts?
- Everyone who goes on this program signs two contracts: one with KMTS and one directly with the employer. The contract is for a year, and the term is counted from the moment of departure. We pay part of the amount when signing the contract with KMTS. By the way, from that moment it's better not to 'back out': the contract specifies penalties in case you refuse to participate. At this stage, confirmed job positions from Irish employers are already in place. The remaining amount is paid when signing the foreign contract. After both contracts are signed and the program is fully paid for, groups take turns leaving for the place of work.
- Has anyone already left?
- Yes, the first group of our young people is already there. My friend and I submitted documents together; we even indicated in the application that we would like to work on the same farm. But I had a delay in getting my foreign passport, while my friend had her passport. As a result, her contract came earlier, and she is leaving for Scotland in three weeks. I will go to Ireland a little later and with a different group. Fortunately, we all got acquainted at the training sessions. I believe that while you are young and have the strength and desire, you should try to change your life for the better.
Tatiana is eagerly awaiting her documents. As she was told, the group's departure is planned for the end of July. She promised to write about how she will fare in Ireland. Well, let's wish Tatiana good luck! And I would be interested to see the day when Irish young people come to pick mushrooms somewhere in Vasylkiv or Zhashkiv...