Address by Mr. Noel Treacy, T.D., Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce at the Presentation of Certificates to Participants in the Advanced Computer Course (40) and Start - your - own Business (20) on Thursday 11th November 1999, 8.30 p.m. at Tuar Árd Centre, Main Street, Moate, Co. Westmeath.

I am delighted to be here this evening with people from the rural part of Co. Westmeath to recognise the great efforts of the course participants and the organisations involved in this venture. This occasion allows me particularly as Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce to acknowledge the excellent co-operation between Westmeath Community Development Ltd and FAS in delivering this innovative IT programme.

It is a good example of a twin approach between both agencies to deliver training effectively to as many recipients as possible. As Minister with special interest in technology matters, I am well aware of the use, benefits and potential of the IT course and how happy all of you must be here today to receive your certificates.

The pace of progress in Information Technology with new software, new hardware, new applications, and new combinations of telecoms which gives us new uses in our everyday lives, means that every citizen has to keep pace. Our schoolchildren will pick it up very quickly through exposure in schools and on television. However, the slightly older generation, who have never been exposed to I.T. in school, are at a real risk of being left behind, whether in terms of work or helping with their children's education or enjoying computer games at home.

Westmeath Community Development Ltd through the Leader Programme approached FAS for special consideration to use the special Community Response training programme to deliver IT training in rural parts of Co. Westmeath. FAS as usual responded in imaginative terms by drawing up training arrangements so that it could be delivered to many areas and people, and at the same time ensured that all of the training modules were certified.

Rural communities can be transformed by the use of electronic communications. In future, many businesses or community activities will operate from the remote house or country hall and keep in constant touch with the local town, Dublin, Brussels, London, Melbourne, New York or wherever.

The funding for the coordinators of the course came from FAS which they see as excellent value for money. The hardware and software together with other necessary arrangements were provided through the Leader programme. It also goes without saying that without the good will of local community committees in places like Rosemount, Delvin, Collinstown, Kinnegad, Delvin, Mullingar, Rosemount etc., these courses would not have been possible. They provided facilities to house the trainees and their co-operation must be acknowledged.

I am delighted to note that the Training Programme was aimed primarily at those who were looking to return to employment and also for those who were currently on Community Employment schemes. Others availed of the opportunity to update their IT skills and the record to date shows that over 1,100 people have participated in this excellent programme in 10 different rural communities. Most of these people have successfully completed various modules of the European Computer Driving Licence Programme. Compared to just a few short years ago there are now real options for people who wish to find gainful employment and courses such as these are a necessary and excellent foundation for the skilled work now available all over Ireland.

I want in particular this evening to acknowledge the achievements of the participants in Killbeggan and Rosemeount, who have completed their advanced computer training programme and are this evening receiving their European Computer Drivers Licence certification. Well Done to all of these very successful participants.

Many of you have already progressed to better and new opportunities and are in part helping to fill the labour shortages currently being experienced in the workplace.

I also have the pleasure of awarding certificates to Community Employment participants who have completed a Business Start-Up Programme in Mullingar. I note that some of the participants on this course have had excellent success and are now in many cases, employing their own staff. Westmeath Community Development Ltd through Leader funded part of the training for these Community Employment participants and this again shows how the Leader programme can be used for rural development of enterprise and the stimulation of Enterprise. Coming from a rural constituency myself, I fully appreciate how important it is to develop enterprise activities in rural areas, to keep people in those areas who are active in both traditional and non-traditional sectors.

Tomorrow morning, not far from here, in Tullamore, I will be addressing a Telework Ireland Conference called 'Prospering in the Knowledge Economy'. Access to the Internet is growing rapidly and the skills that you have picked up on your training, provided by these two agencies, will no doubt help you all to join the pool of skilled people who are urgently needed to drive the E-Commerce Industry into the next Millennium. Teleworking is just at its infancy and the next step for people in rural parts of Westmeath is to consider maximising the benefit of the Internet to create employment opportunities for the Community at large.

There are great opportunities out there in particular for women who are anxious to return to the workplace and many of you have taken the first step in that positive direction.

To conclude I would again like to heartly congratulate all of the recipients of certificates here this evening and I am confident that you can all go forward from here to create your own opportunities in the new IT era, and exploit the economic confidence and growth already being experienced throughout Ireland.