Skillnet seeing more businesses investin training

MORE businesses in Wicklow are prioritising staff training and retention as they compete for the talent needed to expand their enterprise.

Last week Skillnets, the national agency responsible for funding and supporting training networks, launched its Annual Report for 2015 which showed that the number of businesses in Wicklow accessing Skillnets supported training grew by 13 per cent in 2015, with 228 businesses investing in their staff across a range of sectors.

In Wicklow, 572 trainees availed of 3,764 training days delivered to businesses during 2015.

Nationally, 85 percent of the businesses that benefited from investment in training through Skillnets in 2015 were SMEs, with 250 staff or under.

Skillnets Chairman, Brendan McGinty said that businesses are battling for talent in a competitive marketplace resulting in many looking inwards to develop existing resources to meet their growth objectives. ‘Behind the country’s pattern of economic growth during 2015, thousands of Irish and foreign-owned businesses have expanded to meet increased demand by investing in their workforce. A renewed focus on lifelong learning is also fast becoming a priority for employers as a key tool for retaining staff.

‘ During 2015, Skillnets member businesses invested € 11.7m towards programmes, with Skillnets investing a further € 13.9m, totalling € 25.6m investment in training for enterprise. By investing in subsidised training through Skillnets and developing their people, employers can harness the power of their existing internal resources to improve both the capability and competitiveness of the organisation.’

Skillnets CEO Paul Healy said: ‘For businesses, it’s not just about investing in workforce training alone, the quality and impact of the learning experience is critical for adding maximum long-term value. Undertaking detailed training needs analysis, forecasting market trends and projecting future skills requirements are all core elements of the Skillnet proposition. Ninety percent of participating businesses surveyed recently by independent consultants Indecon reported that the design of Skillnets training was highly relevant to their business development needs.’

In addition, Skillnets’ Management Works programme, which offers management development training and mentoring specifically designed to support the SME sector, increased the number of training days delivered to business owners and managers by 20 per cent during 2015. A recent independent evaluation indicated that half of those who had participated in Management Works training reported it had contributed to increased business turnover. Eighty-two percent of those surveyed reported that Management Works training had increased their competitiveness.

While Skillnets’ core mandate is focused on the provision of training to individuals who are in employment, Skillnets also provided valuable supports to 6,695 job-seekers who undertook 60,419 training days in 2015.

The 2015 Skillnets Annual Report is available to read online at www.skillnets.ie/publications