We will work tirelessly: Chamber CEO Karl positive as he looks ahead to 2021
IN TIMES when hope and the promise of positive developments to look forward to are needed, Sligo still has plenty to be optimistic about.
This was the message of Sligo Chamber of Commerce CEO Karl Kelly who said that despite the year starting on the wrong foot for everyone, the Chamber is committed to continuing the necessary work for unlocking Sligo’s potential.
“Sligo Chamber will work tirelessly to ensure that Sligo and the region will continue to be grow and develop as a vibrant location for tourism, business, investment and people,” he said. Sligo has a growing reputation as a location for an ideal work-life balance and in some ways, the circumstances of 2020 displayed this best as people managed their time to both work from home and pursue hobbies and activities. He also stressed the need to provide opportunities for the regional workforce to upskill which he is confident can be provided throughout the year.
“We will continue to work to promote Sligo and the surrounding region as the perfect place to carve out a rewarding career and enjoy a great quality of life. “Sligo now offers jobs and skilled positions that once only ever existed in the bigger cities. We have an affordable lifestyle for people of all ages and stages of life, whether they are young single people, couples or families.
“Sligo Chamber is also cognisant of the need to continue to upskill the regions workforce. Working closely with local, national and international training providers as well as third level institutes, we will continue to partially fund all training and upskilling via our Skillnet Network.”
Despite 2020 being a year to forget in many aspects, it was also a year when significant progress was made on major projects in Sligo while the county also received more visitors from around the country who opted to holiday closer to home.
Mr Kelly is hopeful these will be some of the highlights of 2021 as they further solidify Sligo’s standing as a place of growth and a place everyone wants to visit. “Sligo has never been in a stronger position, with three major infrastructure projects in progress, namely the N4 Collooney to Castlebalwin bypass, the Western Distributor Road and Hughes’s Bridge to Rosses Point junction. The completion of the WDR will enable IDA Ireland to showcase even more reasons to attract FDI investment and development in Sligo.
“2021 will be another year for the staycation and Sligo is so well placed to attract even more visitors to the county.
“Sligo Chamber of Commerce will continue to work in partnership with the relevant EU, national, regional and local agencies in order to create, maintain and develop an environment which is conducive to the expansion of business in the region.” “This will be done by providing a range of effective and efficient services to assist the establishment of business and investment in the region,” he added.