Upskilling us softly
More than 12,400 people from businesses across county Cork participated in upskilling last year, a new report has revealed.
Figures from the Skillnet Ireland Annual Report 2023, show that the agency delivered over 75,500 training days in Cork in 2023.
Skillnet said that 56% of those who undertook training were men and 44% were women, while those aged 30 to 39 years were the largest group of people availing of upskilling supports.
The vast majority (93%) of the Cork companies that upskilled their workforce with Skillnet Ireland in 2023 were small and medium enterprises.
Skillnet also said the greatest uptake came from the pharmaceutical sector followed by agriculture, services, technology, food and drink, retail, and tourism and travel.
Companies based in Cork undertook upskilling programmes with more than 50 of the 70 Skillnet Business Networks based on the sector in which their company operates, or with one of the networks in their region, which include Cork Chamber Skillnet, BioPharmaChem Skillnet, Tech Industry Alliance Skillnet, and Duhallow Skillnet.
Commenting on the figures, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD, said: “These results demonstrate the significant work that is ongoing to nurture and support our nation’s greatest asset – our talent.”
In 2023, Skillnet Ireland provided upskilling and training programmes to the value of €83.4 million to over 26,600 businesses and more than 97,700 workers nationally, across the Irish economy.
Companies contributed €31.4 million or 37% of the total investment towards upskilling their staff, a €4.9 million increase on 2022, signalling a high level of buy-in from industry sectors to develop their teams in partnership with Skillnet Ireland.
Skillnet Ireland Chief Executive, Paul Healy, said: “There is increasing recognition among employers of the importance of upskilling in a competitive and rapidly evolving business landscape.”
Mr Healy continued: “By investing in staff, through the cost sharing approach with Skillnet Ireland, businesses in this region, and throughout the country, are more agile and adapt to technological advancements more seamlessly.
“Upskilling is proven to increase employee retention and creates a pipeline of future talent,” Mr Healy added.
As Ireland’s national talent development agency, Skillnet Ireland said it is making substantial progress in futureproofing businesses in Cork, as well as enhancing the specialist skills of the Irish workforce through talent development.
Established 25 years ago this year, Skillnet Ireland provides programmes to businesses of all sizes in areas such as digital skills, skills for a green transition, and enterprise leadership.
The upskilling and lifelong learning supports offered by Skillnet Ireland’s 70 Business Networks and National Initiatives - Skillnet Climate Ready Academy, Skillnet Innovation Exchange and MentorsWork – are all designed to bridge skill gaps, empower individuals, and drive innovation.