Address by Mary Harney, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment at the Launch of the Winter Programme of the South-East Chapter of the Irish Institute of Training & Development at Jury's Hotel, Waterford, on the l5th September, l998 at 7.30 p.m.

I am delighted to be in Waterford this evening to launch the "Winter Programme" of the South-East Chapter of the Irish Institute of Training and Development. It also gives me great pleasure to be able to present certificates to graduates of the Institute's programme.

As the 21st. century approaches, the world is in the middle of deep and fundamental economic and social change. This change is rooted in new technologies, new forms of work organisation, increased liberalisation of international trade and new forms of communication.

The economic consequence of these changes is increased competition. The intensity of competition will continue to grow as the movement of goods, services, capital and labour between countries increases.

It is now widely recognised that one of the keystones to being competitive and remaining so in this rapidly changing environment lies in the skills of the workforce. No matter how sophisticated the developments in technology, the work still has to be carried out by people. More and more it is the workforce, in terms of their skills, competencies and ability to adapt and change, that will create competitive advantage.

It is important that we invest in the continuous development and training of our workforce if we are to sustain our strong economic performance and compete in global markets.

Of course, the quality of training provided to the workforce is ultimately a function of the skills, knowledge and qualifications of those who provide the training. The development of human resources is just as important an issue for training and education providers as it is for other workers.

In this context, I commend the Institute of Training and Development for its contribution to raising the standards of training in firms and to developing the skills of training practitioners. Its efforts in promoting the development of training practitioners and in providing Certificate and Diploma courses for trainers will have an important role in ensuring the quality and relevance of training provided to firms.

Unfortunately, many of our small and medium sized enterprises are not aware of the importance of upgrading skills on an ongoing basis. It is important that company management appreciate the value of training employees if they are to survive in an increasingly competitive market place. I am aware that the Institute has been making progress in attracting an increased number of small businesses and people involved in local development to their programmes and I hope that they will continue to encourage participation from these areas.

Training must be a continuing process to ensure that, as the needs of customers and the focus of the company changes, so too does the skills-base of its employees.

The enterprise of tomorrow must be flexible and adaptable to the needs of the customer and the demands of the market-place. In future, employees will have to have a range of skills to contribute to the prosperity of the firm.

It is essential, therefore, that a culture of life-long learning is created and nurtured to help us cope with changes in the workplace. Training practitioners must also continuously up-grade their skills to ensure that they can deliver the training required by industry. That is why programmes such as the one I am here to launch this evening are valuable to those who undertake them and to their companies.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all those receiving certificates this evening and to wish them well in their future careers. May they reap the rewards of all their hard work.