WORKING FOR YOU
Working for you- Limerick Chamber Skillnet “My vision is to make Limerick one of the best places to live and work,” Michael MacCurtain explained in a recent interview. The new Skillnet Network Manager for Limerick Chamber took up the role in late 2021 and has ambitious goals for the future of skills training for the Limerick area. The Skillnet organisation operating around Ireland is determined to deliver €100M worth of training to 100,000 people by 2025, and the Limerick Chamber Skillnet will contribute to that effort. “My role is a connector between the companies and the relevant training. It’s all about keeping them as competitive as possible. Whether it’s in the area, nationally, or internationally.” “My predecessor was excellent, and I have big boots to fill in that regard,” said MacCurtain, whose Limerick roots position him well to do just that. “My family comes from a long history of retailers in the city centre. Our family business was started in 1939 and went through every type of recession. We saw Limerick grow, and we saw Limerick get smaller.” That business finished up before the crash in 2008 and MacCurtain made his way into the banking sector before moving on to a series of recruitment and work placement roles. “Now I’ve found my way back to helping Limerick city centre thrive again,” he said, “Working with the Chamber is the ideal place for me.” Of course, Michael explained that his role doesn’t just involve the city centre but the entirety of the Limerick and Shannon areas. “My vision is to make Limerick one of the best places to live and work.” As Skillnet Network Manager, MacCurtain will be responsible for developing training options throughout the Midwest region for any and all members of the Chamber who wish to avail of them. “We’re very cognisant that commerce is delivered out in Shannon, out in the county, out in the retail parks. We want to make sure
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LIMERICK
CHAMBER CONNECT
no org, SME or blue-chip company, is ever in a situation to shut up shop.” The Limerick Chamber Skillnet is focused on delivering training assistance to retail businesses in particular. April will bring the launch of a retail apprenticeship programme in conjunction with a handful of other Skillnets and the Midwest Skills Forum. This will involve bringing retailers, grocers, bars, pubs, boutiques, and cafés in to demonstrate the benefit of that training initiative. Michael is also building a range of courses designed to help retailers and businesses around the areas of leadership, customer service, digital marketing, and coaching. These are designed to help businesses make themselves more competitive. Michael acknowledged that companies all over the greater Limerick area are currently facing hiring challenges and the Limerick Chamber Skillnet is working hard to help companies proactively address those: “The big challenge I find is that it’s very, very hard to get staff everywhere. If you can keep your staff engaged through concentrating on development, they’re not going to look anywhere else. They’ll be getting what they need in terms of responsibility, training, and development.” Additionally, MacCurtain said they aim to entice workers to come to the Midwest region by showing that “our members are best in class in terms of what they offer – it’s more than salary, it’s value-added in terms of that training piece.” If you have yet to avail of training via the Limerick Chamber Skillnet, Michael wants to assure members that the process is simple and straightforward. “If you’ve identified that there are a couple of gaps in terms of training for your team, we can engage with trainers in those specialty areas directly to develop a training plan that’s either bespoke to whatever your need is or more general training if there are needs that a few companies share.”
My predecessor was
excellent, and I have big
boots to fill in that regard,” said MacCurtain, whose Limerick roots position
him well to do just that.
“My family comes from a
long history of retailers in
the city centre. Our family business was started in
1939 and went through
every type of recession. We saw Limerick grow,
and we saw Limerick get smaller.
Once training needs have been identified, MacCurtain does the legwork of contacting other companies that might be interested in the same course, organising the trainers, and coordinating logistics. He has encouraged members to take up the opportunity to have the Limerick Chamber Skillnet supplement individual training costs that will make these valuable courses more affordable: “There is money there to be spent. It’s better to be spent on training that our members want and need than just sitting there. The door is open.” www.limerickchamber.ie/train
