Kildare County Council has this week launched an initiative to give the county’s commuters an opportunity to register their skills. The register will facilitate companies which want to locate their businesses in Kildare and will give commuters a better chance of spending less time on the road.
The initiative was officially launched last Tuesday 22nd April, by Niall Quinn, Mary Glennon (Mayor of Kildare) and County Manager Michael Malone
Kildare is one of the most rapidly growing counties in Ireland, with a population increase of 38% from 1996 to 2006. The county has also been a top choice for young families putting down roots outside of Dublin. This growth is accompanied by increased commuting, as more Kildare residents make the daily trip to work outside the county, with many of them travelling up to three hours a day to get to their place of work. For example, the M4 and M7 carry an estimated 70,000 vehicles per day as they approach Dublin. The daily toll of commuting has been shown to affect work and home life.
Commuters who wish to register can do so at www.itsyourtime.ie. Registration is open to all commuters, whether or not they are currently resident in County Kildare.
By registering on the website, commuters will be clearly stating that Kildare has a large and experienced labour force and potential labour force, of which businesses relocating to the county can take full advantage. Commuters who wish to register their interest on the website will be asked to provide employment and skills details. All information obtained is strictly confidential and will be used only for statistical analysis.
The thinking behind the website is that if people can cut out long commuting they will have more time for themselves, their families and their communities.
Registered users of the website will receive periodic updates from Kildare County Council on relevant newsworthy events in the county such as organisations establishing or expanding significantly in the region. This will be in the form of an electronic newsletter on the site, e-mails and or text messages. Further development of the website may see certain organisations, such as recruitment agencies etc., permitted to have a link on the site.
The project is supported by IDA and NUI Maynooth.