Members of Dundalk Chamber Skillnet Steering Committee - Eamonn Kelly (Promtetric), Aidan Callan (Network Manager), Lorraine Kirke (Bellurgan Precision), Aidan Browne (Regional Development Centre), Pat McCormick (Chamber President), Riona McCoy (LEO), Paddy Matthews (Matthews Coaches)Dundalk Chamber Skillnet held it’s regional launch on Wednesday 12th June in the Ballymascanlon Hotel.
Over 100 delegates attended, with guest speakers Rose Tierney and Orla Rafferty offering guidance on Tax & HR Rules for Cross Border workers and employers.
Speaking at the launch, Aidan Callan Dundalk Chamber Skillnet Network Manager took the opportunity to introduce the audience to the Skillnet model, outlining how the network can support companies in the region by part funding & facilitating inhouse & public training courses.
“Skillnet is internationally acclaimed as a model of best practice in that it enables businesses to work together to identify the skills gaps and assists in delivering relevant & impactful solutions to fill those gaps.
A steering committee made up of local business leaders meet on a monthly basis to advise on the strategic direction of the network, the companies include UHY FDW, Prometric, Anord Mardix, Bellurgan Precision, PayPal, Servisource, DKIT, Matthews Coaches and the Local Enterprise Board. The focus is training for the region by the region”
Aidan went on to outline his commitment to bringing affordable, accessible & quality training to the area, outlining the real sense of optimism businesses in the region are currently feeling.
However he did encourage employers to invest in their staff:
“A recent CIPD Ireland survey revealed that 84% of Irish companies struggle with skills shortages. With the economy almost at full employment, it’s important businesses don’t get left behind, help attract & retain staff by investing in your people through upskilling & building career pathways”.
Dundalk Chamber Skillnet has been fully operational since April and to date has supported over 30 companies, trained 60+ staff with 800+ training hours over a combination of inhouse & public courses.
For more information on our training schedule click on www.dundalkskillnet.ie or contact Aidan on skillnet@dundalk.ie if interested in subsidised inhouse training.
Who are we
Skillnet is the national agency dedicated to the promotion & facilitation of workforce learning in Ireland.
Our approach
Skillnet Ireland networks operates under a joint investment model whereby learning networks can apply to receive up to 50 percent of the cost of training from Skillnet Ireland, and the remainder of costs are funded in matching contributions from participating businesses in the learning network. The approach has received international recognition as a model of best practice from the OECD, amongst others.
