Duhallow Skillnet Skillnet Ireland was established in 1999 to provide a structure within which the Training Networks Programme would operate, along with its 70 networks, it is funded by the National Training Fund through the Department of Education and Skills.
Louise Bourke, IRD Duhallow Skillnet Manager, Padraic O’Connell IRD Duhallow Enterprise Working Group, Maura Walsh CEO IRD Duhallow & Michael Twohig IRD Duhallow Enterprise Working Group attending the Skillnet Ireland ‘The Future Works 2019 National Summit’ in Dublin.
Run by IRD Duhallow, our Skillnet is the approved network for the Duhallow area and wider region. Collaborating with the local businesses IRD Duhallow Skillnet develops and facilitates low cost, customised, and locally based training solutions for businesses in the greater Duhallow area.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this past year saw a major transition in training delivery models across the region and created a move from inhouse and classroom style training to online and virtual instructor led training. This change happened very quickly and effectively and is working very well with huge support from Skillnet Ireland under their CEO Paul Healy and our Development Officer Eoin O’ Dwyer. Our steering group, through the Enterprise Working Group, meets regularly and is instrumental in leading the way for change for the companies we serve.
IRD Duhallow Skillnet Manager Louise Bourke and Acting Manager Geraldine O’ Connor.
Bachelor of Arts in the James O’Keeffe Institute The first half of the year saw the launch of the first Degree Programme in the James O’Keeffe Institute in Newmarket. In partnership with the Institute of Technology Carlow 35 students from the Duhallow region studied Level 7 Bachelor of Arts in Applied Early Childhood Education and Care. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic exams were taken online and graduation is planned for later in 2020. As a result of the success of that first degree programme in the James O’Keeffe Institute, IRD Duhallow Skillnet will now run Level 8 Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care starting this September and finishing in April 2021.
QQI Level 5 Health Care Assistant, based on the requirements from local businesses. Solutions to training during Covid 19 With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, we received a fund allocated to providing additional, easily accessible and relevant training to help businesses through the crisis and beyond.
Maura Walsh, CEO IRD Duhallow, Anne Marie Bourke, Board Member, Mairead Duane, IRD Duhallow Enterprise Working Group, Louise Bourke, Helen O’Sullivan, Bernie Collins, Twohig Group & Eileen Linehan, IRD Duhallow attend the Skillnet Women in Business Seminar.
The fund was used to ensure seamless transition from in-company and classroom training to virtual and online training. It also provided training for the local businesses that were severely affected by COVID-19, including Infection Control, HR, Construction Compliance, Food Safety. IRD Duhallow will have a pivotal role to play in kick-starting the rural economy post Covid 19, and our Skillnet Programme is well positioned to offer solutions to the demands of the new environment within which rural business operate. Since the lockdown in March, over 200 people have participated on our online classes and this is set to increase substantially in the last quarter of 2020. Future Planning As we look ahead to the second half of the year, with a full training brochure of readily accessible training programmes, we are also exploring more innovative approaches to training and incompany learning. While we may have become comfortable adapting to different training delivery models it is clear that both in-house and classroom training will return with social distancing guidelines in place. These traditional methods of training will co-exist with blended learning and remote participation for the foreseeable future.
Liz O’Loughlin and Mary Brennan, who graduated with distinction, at the graduation evening.
IRD Duhallow Board Member Anne Marie Bourke with Assistant Manager Eileen Linehan at the Skillnet Ireland Women in Business Event In Cork.
At their graduation ceremony, students from the QQI Level 5 Healthcare Support Program with Guest Speaker John Lonergan, CEO IRD Duhallow Maura Walsh, Chair of the IRD Duhallow Board Breeda Moynihan Cronin and Development Officer Louise Bourke.
Training for the Employed and Unemployed Following the established training needs in the area we ran successful Boom Sprayer courses and Tractor Training for Teens, as well as always popular and pertinent classes; First Aid, Lamh, Sugar Craft, Excel, and Social Media. With our on-going support to sustaining employment in the Duhallow area through the Skillnet Employment Activation Programme, we provided several courses; Reception Skills and a series of modules for
Caoimhe O’ Donnell of Skillnet Ireland presents the Best Women Led Business Award to Theresa O’ Sullivan, Eilis Hourigan and Alison Fitzpatrick of Blkack Hut Crafts at Duhallow Enterprise Awards 2019.
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