SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) have developed a new Leadership and Management training initiative, in collaboration with employers, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Regional Skills Fora. The highly subsidised training will be available to upskill staff during Covid-19.

This programme is part of the national Skills to Advance Further Education and Training initiative, which supports businesses to develop their workforce. It is being rolled out by the four ETBs in the North East and North West region initially - Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB, Cavan and Monaghan ETB, Louth and Meath ETB and Donegal ETB.

The Leadership and Management programme aims to upskill supervisory staff in areas including change management, motivating workers, digital skills and remote working.

Launching the initiative, Andrew Brownlee, CEO of SOLAS, said: “It’s vital that companies across all sectors and regions are given access to innovative training. Particularly during these challenging times, this new online programme will equip front-line managers with the right skills to sustain and grow their business. Strengthening management skills is critical to achieving greater productivity, competitiveness and growth."

“Supporting the skills development of the Irish workforce is a priority for SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards. Collaborating with companies, ETBs, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Regional Skills Fora, our ambition is to develop a strong talent pool in industry through our new Leadership and Management programme.”

John Kearney, CEO of Cavan and Monaghan ETB said: “This innovative programme is based on the key business needs of companies and represents a targeted response to boost management skills in the region to deal with both Brexit and Covid-19 challenges.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Aidan McKenna, Regional Director, North East and North West at Enterprise Ireland said: "Given the current challenges with Covid-19, international competitiveness and demand for highly skilled talent, this course will deliver benefits to Enterprise Ireland client companies in the region at a critical time. Enterprise Ireland was delighted to have partnered with SOLAS, the Education and Training Boards and IDA Ireland to deliver this initiative to companies in the region.”

Denis Curran, Divisional Manager, Regional Business Development at IDA Ireland, spoke of the initiative saying: “IDA Ireland is delighted to have partnered with SOLAS, the Education and Training Boards and Enterprise Ireland across the North East & North West regions to offer this training and development initiative for the benefit of local employers and employees.

Access to talent is one of the key criteria considered by investors when choosing to locate and grow their business in the regions. This initiative enables companies to upskill and develop their future leadership which will add to the productivity and competitiveness of the regions.”

Speaking about the benefits of taking part in training under Skills to Advance, Michael Conlon, Technical Manager with Masonite Ireland said: “Training is a win-win for your business. Your people will develop new skills, they will stay with your organisation, applying the new knowledge to improving processes and operations within your facility. And, as an employee, if you want to develop within your company, you need to be doing continuous training and development."

Alison Richie, Managing Director with Polar Ice Ltd., speaking about the firm’s experience of Skills to Advance training said: “Working with the ETB has been an incredibly positive experience. They brought so much to our table and I’m delighted to be taking part in the training they have to offer.”

SOLAS, the ETBs and their enterprise partners encourage employers across all industry sectors to avail of this opportunity to upskill key managers at this critical time for business recovery. Companies in the North East and North West region will benefit by having access to local high-quality online training to deal with the new business environment, its challenges and opportunities.

While this collaborative initiative is being rolled out initially by the four ETBs in the North East and North West regions, similar regional and sectoral Skills to Advance training opportunities are available from ETBs around the country.

Further information is available at www.skillstoadvance.ie or by contacting your local Education and Training Board.