A further 300 non EI employers will participate by end 2018
Richard Bruton T.D., Minister for Education and Skills will today launch a new skills audit tool and extra supports which will make it easier for employers to identify their skill needs. Minister Humphreys will announce that 300 employers in association with Enterprise Ireland will be first to participate in the initiative.
Minister Bruton has set the ambition to make Ireland’s Education Service the Best in Europe within a decade. Fulfilling the skill needs of the economy and ensuring that we are ‘future proofed’ to manage future skill needs, is an important part of delivering on this ambition.
“Skills for Growth” is a package of supports for employers to help them understand and plan for their skill needs. Each employer who participates in the programme will be given:
- Access to a new skills audit tool to capture robust and consistent data on the skill needs of their business
- One on one assistance from a Regional Skills Forum Manager to use this tool and plan for the future
Once skill needs have been identified, Regional Skills Fora will link companies with the education and training providers best suited to responding to their skills needs.
In working with enterprise and education providers in this way, Regional Skills Fora will be able to build a more complete picture of both regional and national skills needs, contributing towards a more robust national response to future skill needs. It is planned that as the project is extended, further education and training providers will also become involved in using the new skills audit tool.
Enterprise Ireland will be the first to participate in the initiative, bringing 300 employers on board immediately. As part of its involvement, Enterprise Ireland is running a series of “Spotlight on Skills” tailored workshops for client companies, to enable them to strategically assess the skills they need to grow and develop their companies.
Enterprise Ireland will be the first to participate in the initiative, bringing 300 employers on board immediately. As part of their involvement, Enterprise Ireland are running a series of “Spotlight on Skills” tailored workshops for their client companies, to enable them to think strategically about the skills they need to grow and develop and to give them the language to articulate these needs. A further 300 non – Enterprise Ireland employers will be brought into the programme by end 2018.
Announcing “Skills for Growth”, Minister Bruton said,
“Ensuring we are planning for the future skill needs of our economy is so important to delivering on our ambitions as a nation. The “Skills for Growth” initiative is a fantastic development which will greatly enhance the ability of our Regional Skills Fora to identify and indeed respond to these skills needs. If we want to be the best in Europe, we must ensure that the partnerships and links between the education system and enterprise are strong and continuously improved. I’m delighted that Enterprise Ireland are our first partners and I thank all those involved in bringing this together.”
Announcing Enterprise Ireland’s involvement and welcoming the Spotlight on Skills workshops, Minister Humphreys said,
“Regional development is a key focus for me and “Spotlight on Skills” is particularly welcome as it will see Enterprise Ireland run workshops across the country with the support of the Regional EI offices and the Regional Skills Managers. The workshops, which will be delivered in collaboration with the Irish Management Institute, are very practical and designed specifically to meet the needs of Irish companies seeking to grow their businesses.”
Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland said:
“Enterprise Ireland client companies employ over 200,000 people right across the country, and the growth and development of these companies will be influenced by having access to necessary skills. Our practical “Spotlight on Skills” workshops will allow Enterprise Ireland clients and LEO companies to strategically look at the critical skills they need for business growth. Having developed company skills plans, the Regional Skills Fora will work with our client companies and the education and training sector to respond to the skills needs of companies. This focused approach is an important part of our enterprise development, and we look forward to working with the Department of Education and Skills and the Regional Skills Fora in supporting our companies on how best to address their skills challenges.”