Leaving Cert rule waived for clerical positions

Thousands of local authority jobs have been opened up to disadvantaged groups following a Government decision to waive the traditional Leaving Cert requirement for clerical officer positions.

The change will allow for less formal competency tests to be used when assessing the suitability of candidates such as early school leavers, people with disabilities and others who until now have been automatically ineligible for such jobs. Relevant experience and competencies other than an academic qualification may be taken into account.

The changes could be extended to apply to an estimated 20,000 posts in health boards and the Civil Service. The ending of the Leaving Cert entry requirement was announced yesterday and followed the signing of an order by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr Cullen.

Ms Caroline Creamer, of the partnership group, Equal at Work, said yesterday that Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council had already agreed to an audit of entry-level clerical officer and general operative posts to determine what skills were needed to carry out these jobs.

The chief executive of the Equality Authority, Mr Niall Crowley, however, said there were still major barriers preventing marginalised people and minorities from entering the workplace.

He said research showed there were low levels of participation in the labour market by Travellers, people with disabilities, and significant difficulties for older people and minority ethnic groups in re-entering the labour market. "Our work has identified a range of barriers experienced by these groups including weakly developed equality policies within organisations."

Speaking via video link to the Equal Community Initiative conference, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said the Government was committed to making the labour market more accessible. "Creating a more equal labour market requires new thinking and an awareness of the richness of diversity in our society and in our workplaces. It also means embracing innovation and creativity and the creation of new opportunities for learning and employment growth," Mr Ahern said.