Minister Martin Announces an Additional €16 Million Programme to Promote Training in Private Sector Companies

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin today (Thursday 13^th October 2005) announced that it is to make an additional €16m million available through the National Training Fund and the European Social to promote in-company training. The fund, called the Accel Initiative will be managed by Skillnets Services and will apply to training being undertaken outside the public sector from now until the end of 2007.

Making the announcement Minister Martin said “A particular focus of this €16 million initiative will be identifying those most in need of vocational advancement and addressing this by giving access to suitable training grants of up to 75% to participants. Approved participants will be assured quick access to funding with precise support rates to be determined by the characteristics of approved proposals, and the extent to which they can contribute to realising the overall objectives of this new scheme”

“The availability of these grants will encourage companies and businesses to develop the skills of workers at all levels. Such development should improve career progression options for these workers and complement broader national initiatives that have been introduced to respond to productivity and competitiveness challenges now facing the economy,” the Minister added.

Minister Martin highlighted that currently Irish companies invest only about 2% of turnover on training. Larger and foreign owned enterprises outstrip the performance of indigenous companies in that regard. “That situation is not sustainable in the longer, or even in the medium, term. International research and practice suggests that investment in training of the order of 5% of turnover is a benchmark that should be achieved to underpin general economic and social progress”, the Minister said.

Minister Martin placed particular emphasis on the importance of having an enthusiastic and engaged response from companies and businesses throughout the country and, in particular, from smaller undertakings. Past experiences suggest that such responses have not always been forthcoming. Accordingly, the Minister asked that all enterprises, particularly those that have not to date benefited from Government and European Social Fund financing, to support in-company training, should positively consider doing so on this occasion.

The Minister drew attention to the findings of research on future skill needs undertaken by Forfás. It identified particular sectors and categories where skills are now deficient, or may become so. “Accordingly, the ACCEL – Accelerating in-company skills – scheme has a necessary and timely role to play in contributing to meeting those needs” he said.

Examples of projects that could positively respond to contemporary and emerging skills needs would include provision for sales, marketing and business development training in indigenous companies. They would also include information technology up-skilling for workers that is central to productivity and viability in companies that must now change production and manufacturing processes from mechanical to electrical and computer-bases systems.

Minister Martin also drew attention to a usage to which ACCEL might positively be put in responding to the work-based implications of significant immigration levels in recent years. Training initiatives can be funded that respond not only to the skills development and related needs of people from other countries and cultures working here, but also that address management approaches that, perhaps inadvertently, hinder that population in making the fullest contribution in the work-place, and one that is reflective of individual qualifications, skills and talents.

Assistance in making applications and, for those successful applicants, in progressing training plans through identifying up-skilling needs and devising the most effective means of addressing them, will be made available.

Commenting on the new launch, Alan Nuzum, Acting CEO of Skillnets Services, the managers of the fund said; “ Traditionally, Irish companies have not dedicated enough resources to training and this fund aims to make the process easier for employers by providing them with the expertise, guidance and importantly financial support. Instead of being forced to purchase off-the-shelf training projects which may only be partially relevant to them, they can now develop specific training programmes which are 100% relevant to their needs.”

Interested parties are invited to attend a public information seminar which will be held on Wednesday 19^th October at the Berkeley Court Hotel in Dublin.. Full Details along with a pre-registration form are available at www.acceltraining.com.

ENDS/ETE 1433

For further information please contact

Accel,

Skillnets Services Ltd,
Level 1, Frankfort Court,
Dundrum Road,

Dublin 14.

Telephone: +353 1 207 9630
Fax: +353 1 207 9631

www.acceltraining.com