February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
“We want to find a way to help younger colleagues,” said John Egan, a Dublin native.
Although the membership is multicultural, all 16 founding members are experienced Irish building managers. “Some of us are in all of the societies, but we felt there was a need there,” Egan said.
New York’s tall buildings are becoming increasingly high-tech, he said. “The new wave of high-rise buildings are fully automated and computerized. And you have to know everything.”
Society president Desmond Beglin said that only a small percentage of employees have had the necessary training to work in these new buildings. But he said that a major focus will be to provide immigrants — Irish and non-Irish alike — with the basic skills necessary to getting a job in the first place and to help others move up.
“There are guys who have talent, but they send out resumes that wouldn’t get a second look,” said Beglin, a native of County Sligo. “We’ll have classes in interview techniques as well as industry training.”
Experienced members, he said, would also be available on the phone to help those starting out with mechanical problems or labor issues.
“Some of the societies aren’t that friendly. We want to have something that’s for the ordinary guy,” Beglin said.
Another area in which there is increased awareness and training in the post 9/11 world is security, Egan said. He pointed to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “New York Safe and Secure” initiative, a labor-management training program launched with the support of BJ32, the SEIU local that represents managers, superintendents and doormen.
“We have 100 members already,” said Egan of the Hibernian Provident Society. “We expect to have well over 200 by next year. It will be a great way to network”
The society’s grand opening night will take place on next Tuesday, Sept. 27 , at O’Lunney’s, 145 45th St., (between Broadway and Avenue of the Americas), beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Beglin, at 646-418-8795.