Road to riches

Paved with gold: Under half of the Gypsies and Travellers in the report worked in traditional Traveller work areas compared to the large majority of their parents

After a year of research and a hundred interviews, a new report from the Irish Traveller Movement in Britain has highlighted the achievements and experiences of Gypsies and Travellers in various forms of work, education, training and employment. Launched last week in the Houses of Parliament, the ‘Roads to Success’ report has been written by Andrew Ryder and Dr Margaret Greenfields

Yvonne MacNamara, Director of ITMB, said “the report has explored and highlighted the difficulties and barriers experienced by the communities to achieving economic inclusion, however, it also shares and highlights the success factors and values identified by the communities in attaining economic inclusion.’

Among its many findings, the “Roads to Success” report found that: 

• Britain’s Gypsies and Travellers earn a living in a wide variety of work areas. These ranged from traditional practices such as recycling scrap metal and trading at markets to mainstream professional work areas such as journalism, lecturing and community development 

• 60 percent of the Gypsy and Traveller interviewees were in waged employment

• 75 percent of the interviewees in the report had experienced racism in their adult lives which negatively impacted on their educational, employment and training opportunities

• Well under half of the Gypsies and Travellers in the report worked in traditional Traveller work areas compared to the large majority of their parents

• Only 9 percent of the interviewees had third level qualifications, such as a university degree

• The severe shortage of Gypsy and Traveller sites has negatively impacted on work and education opportunities for the communities 

• Interviewees with secure stable home bases were more likely to have successful business or careers   

• 35 percent of Gypsies and Travellers in the report returned to further education to improve their literacy or gain vocational skills

For more information on the report go to www.irishtraveller.org.uk