Economy demands upskilled workers

More than 2,000 people from businesses in Cavan and Monaghan participated in upskilling with Skillnet

In 2024, more than 2,000 people and 750 businesses in Cavan and Monaghan participated in upskilling with a Skillnet Ireland Business Network. “By supporting Irish businesses to upskill and reskill, Skillnet Ireland is helping to foster resilience and innovation, so that companies can adapt to and meet the challenges posed by the digital and green transitions,” said Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD.

The vast majority (95%) of companies in Cavan and Monaghan that upskilled their employees in 2024 were small and medium size enterprises. The greatest uptake came from the food & drink sector followed by health, services, agriculture, manufacturing, retail and financial services. They took part in more than 14,160 training days last year. 52% of those who undertook training were men and 48% were women, while those aged 30 to 39 availed of upskilling supports more than any other age group.

Skillnet Ireland Chief Executive, Mark Jordan, said: “We are proud to support employers throughout Ireland to both invest in their teams and strengthen Ireland’s position as a leader in innovation and sustainable growth.”

More than 24,000 businesses participated in upskilling programmes for their employees through Skillnet Ireland last year, amounting to 90,136 workers across the Irish economy. Through a cost sharing approach with employers, contributions from businesses represented €28 million, 37% of the total investment into upskilling for businesses, of €76million. This demonstrates a high level of confidence and buy-in from companies developing their teams in partnership with Skillnet Ireland.

Commenting on the uptake of Skillnet Ireland supports from businesses in 2024, Minister James Lawless TD, said: “As the national workforce development agency, Skillnet Ireland plays a key role in developing the talent that Irish businesses need through upskilling and reskilling. In 2024, it supported over 24,000 businesses, the vast majority of them SMEs, to address their skills needs in order to remain competitive."

As the national talent development agency, Skillnet Ireland is working to support businesses in Cavan and Monaghan, to build competitiveness through skills and to meet both the challenges and opportunities that owning and running a business brings.