Chairperson Foreword
The rapid change globally in both work practices and future skills needs highlights the urgent need for companies, of all sizes, to provide their labour force with access to relevant upskilling opportunities. This not only enhances the progression opportunities for their employees, but also ensures each individual business entity can enhance their productivity and adapt to an ever-changing external environment.
The Regional Skills Fora are a key enabler of developing strong collaborative links and co-operation between industry and educational providers. All parties share a common goal of growing our local economies, ensuring our people have the appropriate skills to meet the needs of their employers and underpinning the vibrancy and sustainability of our local economies.
In the Mid-West Region we are fortunate to have developed a strong and robust collaborative environment driven by a passion to develop a progressive and forward looking educational environment which benefits employees and employers. This has enabled the development of many innovative educational courses and modes of delivery aligned to the needs of employers. Equally, employers themselves are also collaborating and being a catalyst for new innovative, and mutually beneficial, upskilling opportunities.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain global environment, new technologies, rising costs, changing work practices, and changing consumer habits, the capacity of employers to continue thriving is dependent on the capability and skills of their labour force at all levels of the business. We need more employers in the Mid-West to engage with the Regional Skills Forum and understand the significant variety of upskilling options available to them and their employees. Employers also need to articulate the challenges they face and the skills they require into the future so that as a Regional Skills Forum, we can then work with the educational providers to meet that need. This is the essence of the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum, collaboratively working together to ensure the Mid-West Region remains a robust and resilient economic driver for future prosperity. I would encourage those of you that have already benefitted from the work of the Mid-West Regional Skills Fora to become ambassadors for the role we play and promote the work of the Forum at every opportunity.
The Mid-West Regional Skills Forum has demonstrated over the years the added value it brings to employers in the Region and its capacity to be a key enabler of developing agile and innovative solutions to meet the everchanging skills needs of our employers. This ensures the Mid-West is a leader in ensuring employers have access to a highly skilled and productive labour pool. Affording employees the opportunity to progress and enhance their employment opportunities enhances the loyalty and commitment of the employee to their employer.
As an engaged and collaborative Regional Skills Fora we have the structures in place to ensure we can achieve our shared ambition of a resilient, dynamic and successful Region supporting employers, employees and our communities.
Padraic McElwee
Who we are
The Mid-West Regional Skills forum (MWRSF) is part of a national network of nine Regional Skills Fora supported by the Skills Policy Enterprise Engagement (SPEE) unit within the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
The Regional Skills Fora bring people together at local and regional level, to identify, interrogate and validate skills needs, and to ensure that employers / enterprise are linked to the right places, to get responses they need. The Fora provide hugely valuable bottom-up information and insights, which feed into the work of the National Skills Council, to ensure that we have a skills agenda, at national level, which is evidence-informed and serves its purpose for people across the country.
A key challenge on skills is the huge number of small, medium and micro enterprises and how to unlock upskilling and embed lifelong learning in those workplaces. The RSF have been at the front line of meeting this challenge since the structures were established in 2016.
Enterprise Engagement
Individual engagements with companies throughout 2023
of Enterprises by Company Size: Source: CSO
1,985
Medium 50-249: 293
Large 250+: 50
Source:
Skills Policy & Enterprise Engagement
Programme Co-Creation – Apprenticeships
One of the key roles as Regional Skills Managers when engaging with employers across industry sectors is to respond to new or emerging training needs. During the course of 2023 two new potential apprenticeships were identified, namely, software testing and baking and confectionery. Once these opportunities were identified the Forum was able, through our extensive industry contacts, to bring together employers and education providers to begin the process of creating these new apprenticeships.
To further the development of a Software Testing apprenticeship the forum brought together members of the Digital MidWest network and the Technological University of the Shannon. Work is currently underway in the design of a two year Level 6 programme.
Baking has a long-standing and proud tradition in Ireland. However, in recent years the industry has been experiencing significant challenges with many bakeries no longer able to source skilled and talented staff to learn the trade. Following discussions with a number of bakery companies and Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board a consortium was formed to create Ireland’s first baking and confectionery apprenticeship. Work on developing this new apprenticeship programme is now underway.
Arts to Industry Initiative – University of Limerick and Digital MidWest
A recurring theme amongst ICT companies in the Mid-West region has been that you don’t need to have a tech qualification to work in a tech company. There are a wide variety of roles available within the ICT industry and ICT companies are actively seeking non-tech graduates to work with their companies as they bring valuable transversal skills to the table. In order to create a pathway for non-tech students/ graduates into the industry Digital MidWest and the University of Limerick are working together on an initiative called ‘Arts to Industry’. This initiative will create a variety of options for students, graduates and job seekers to pivot from arts careers to careers in the tech industry.
European Year of Skills
May 2023 to May 2024 has been designated the European ‘Year of Skills’. The aim is to address skills gaps in the European Union and boost the EU skills strategy, which will help reskill people with the focus on digital and green technology skills. This will require helping people get the right skills for quality jobs and helping companies, in particular small and medium enterprises, by highlighting national efforts as well as existing and new EU initiatives and EU funding possibilities. It will support skillsrelated activities and events across Europe. Throughout the year, various stakeholders are working together to promote skills development.
In an ever-tightening labour market, employers can no longer rely on new hires to meet their skills needs. We must look to upskill those currently in the workplace to ensure we have the right people with the right skills. To do this we need to transform the learning culture in Ireland. Enterprises need to instil a culture of learning in their organisations so that lifelong learning becomes the norm. This will help to future proof organisations and lead to greater talent retention.
Under the remit of European Year of Skills, the Forum hosted a series of collaborative talent development and retention events including:
Upskilling the Mid-West Roadshow:
A series of Upskilling Roadshows were held throughout the Mid-West region in 2023. Education and training providers met with employers and employees onsite in Ei Electronics, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Modular Automation and DELL EMC to showcase the wide range of government funded upskilling options available both in the Mid-West region and nationally.
With one of the central tenets of the European Year of Skills being lifelong learning, events such as these create a vital link between industry and education and foster a culture of learning and development within organisations.
Building Better Business Roadshow
In 2023 the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment hosted a series of events across the country to help businesses navigate their green journey and boost its performance through digital transition. The Mid-West event took place in the University of Limerick in May and attendees heard about the range of government supports available to help companies with their green and digital transitions.
The event featured opening remarks by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney and panel discussions with experts and businesses on the opportunities and challenges presented by digital transformation and the transition to a low carbon economy.
Grow Your Local Talent
In November Mid-West Regional Skills in collaboration with the South-East Regional Skills, Tipperary LEO, County Tipperary Chamber Skillnet and Tipperary Education and Training Board hosted a talent retention event in the Anner Hotel, Thurles. This event saw local businesses describe their experience of engaging with government funded providers to upskill their employees.
Valuable insights were shared by businesses large and small to highlight the positive impact of participating in upskilling programmes and how it helped their business to both attract and retain talent in a very competitive market.
Attracting and Retaining Talent – Building the Workforce you need
Mid-West Regional Skills and South-West Regional Skills collaborated to host an industry roundtable discussion in the Charleville Park Hotel in November on the issue of attracting and retaining talent. Chaired by Patrick Buckley, MD, EPS Group, the roundtable included a presentation from Conscia Talent to help organisations develop a plan to attract and retain talent. Best practice examples of successful approaches and an overview of government funded supports to help businesses recruit and retain employees were presented on the day..
EI & IUA Ways to Engage – Skills & Talent for the SME Sector
A major part of the role of the Regional Skills Fora is to help industry engage with the education sector in Ireland. A conference on ways to engage was hosted by Enterprise Ireland and The Irish University Association in the University of Limerick in September. Forum Manager Joe Leddin took part in the panel discussion to inform businesses about the ways in which Regional Skills can facilitate engagement between enterprise and education providers.
Mid-West Apprenticeship Careers Showcase 2023
In line with the government policy to promote and increase apprenticeship numbers to 10,000 per annum, the forum collaborated with Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board to host an apprenticeship careers showcase in November. The event was held in the Radisson Hotel Limerick, with over 3,000 attendees engaging with employers and education providers.
With over 70 Apprenticeship programmes now available, this model of learning offers more opportunities to employers in terms of attracting new hires and upskilling existing employees.
Manufacturing Workshop Digital Manufacturing Ireland
In May 2023 the forum collaborated with Digital Manufacturing Ireland to arrange a workshop for small and medium manufacturing companies in the region. Companies were given an overview of the role of DMI in the region and how the organisation interacts with manufacturers to help them on their digitalisation journey.
Other events hosted by the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum in 2023 included:
• Employer webinars for the Springboard+ and HCI 2023 call
• Career Guidance information sessions with employers
• Retail Apprenticeship Employer Briefing
• Logistics and Supply Chain Careers Briefing as part of Logistics and Supply Chain Skills Week
National Logistics and Supply Chain Group
The Logistics and Supply Chain Skills Group (LSCSG), of which forum manager Joe Leddin is a member, was established in 2019 to support the promotion of careers, skills development and sustainable employment in the Logistics and Supply Chain sectors in Ireland. The LSCSG was set up following recommendations made by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and includes key stakeholder representatives from government, academia, and industry. The Group provides a forum for practical action and collaboration aimed at addressing the skills needs of the sector.
The focus of this cross-departmental group is to increase awareness of and interest in careers in the Logistics and Supply Chain sector. The first annual National Logistics and Supply Chain Careers week took place from 27th March to 1st April 2023 and the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum hosted a series of events including an industry panel event in the region to highlight the challenges and opportunities in the sector and the wide range of careers available. Panellists included Sean O’ Reilly VP Logistics DELL EMC, Denis Doyle Snr. VP Operations Syncreon, Jerry Hallissey Head of Business Development Shannon Foynes Port Company, Yvonne Delaney President IPICS, The Supply Chain Management Institute and John Drysdale Business Development Manager Shannon Group plc and was moderated by Lorcan Sheehan, CEO PerformanSC.
Ireland’s Skills Ecosystem
OECD Skills Strategy Ireland: Assessment and Recommendations
The OECD review of Ireland’s skills ecosystem concluded in 2023 and their report was published in May of this year.
The review outlined the importance of the impartiality of Regional Skills Fora and their links to industry at a regional level which allows for greater engagement between industry and education providers both regionally and nationally.
It identifies priority areas for action and provides tailored recommendations for improving Ireland’s skills outcomes to better serve the needs of both industry and learners.
The Forum played an integral role in this review at both regional and national level with meetings between the OECD, Regional Skills Managers, Regional Skills Forum Chairs and other stakeholders.
Changing Learning Landscape:
2023 saw a number of positive developments in the learning landscape which will facilitate greater participation in lifelong learning. Three initiatives were championed this year:
Micro Credentials
MicroCreds is a collaborative initiative between seven Universities, led by the Irish University Association, to establish a coherent National Framework for quality assured and accredited microcredentials. The aim is for MicroCreds to address the barriers to participation in lifelong learning, including time constraints for learners and inflexibility in current programme provision and delivery. The inherent flexibility in micro-credentials means that learners can access learning in discrete small units, at a time and pace which allows greater balance with both life and work commitments.
The MicroCreds website was launched in 2023 and has information on all short, accredited courses currently on offer in Irish Universities.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
The National Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in Higher Education Project is a five-year project, funded by the Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3 and co-sponsored by the Technological Higher Education Association and the Irish Universities Association. The main aim of the project is to continue to embed, streamline and promote RPL, particularly the recognition of non-formal and informal learning, across the sector; and to work with employers to increase access and progression opportunities in areas of skills needs.
RPL means an educational institution recognises that you already know or understand how to do something through informal and non-formal learning before you embark on a course and credits can be awarded for this to avoid you having to relearn something you already know. It is hoped that the expansion of RPL can lead to the formalisation and accreditation of learning that employees already have.
National Tertiary Office
In late 2022 Minister Simon Harris launched a new policy for the Unified Tertiary sector and in early 2023 the National Tertiary Office was established. The office was established to develop new pathways through further education to higher education which is central to the government’s ambition for a unified tertiary system. This system will provide an alternative route to a degree programme outside of the CAO points system
23 tertiary courses were launched for the academic year 2023/24. A tertiary course is one that commences in an Education and Training Board (ETB) and continues in a Higher Education Institution (HEI), culminating in the award of a degree.
These courses are available across 11 locations and 5 fields of provision including Business, ICT, Arts, Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction and Health & Welfare.
Skills Audits
The forum undertakes skills audits with enterprises to assess their employees’ current skills and what future skills are required within their company. These audits also capture a snapshot of the difficult to fill vacancies in the region. These audits are submitted to the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit in Solas in order to provide bottom-up insights into the future skills requirements of the Mid-West region which feeds into national skills policy.
Samples of difficult to fill positions in the Mid-West region in 2023 include:
Chefs
Housekeeping staff
Bar staff
Electricians
Electrical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers
Welders
Maintenance Fitters;
Operations/Production
Managers
Managers/Supervisors
Project Managers
CNC Machinists
Aircraft Technicians
Technical Records
Health and Safety Managers
Stock Control Staff
HGV Mechanics
CVRT Testers
General Operatives
CAD Technicians
Samples of the skills and training needs in the Mid-West region in 2023 include:
Communication
Timekeeping
Teamworking
Excel
Digital Skills
Social Media
Conflict Management
Supervisory Management
Technical Writing
Safety Management
Manual and Computerised Payroll
Mentoring
Customer Experience
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Network Participation
Good Manufacturing Practice
Project Management
Cyber Security
Data
Green
Leadership
Lean Management
The Forum plays an active role in many networks both regionally and nationally. Participation on these networks informs and frames our strategic workplan on a continuous basis as it widens our understanding of the skills needs of business and provides us with a platform to inform business of government strategies in the upskilling sphere.
2023
Year in Review
Government Funded Upskilling Tools and Supports
www.gov.ie/regionalskills Homepage of the Regional Skills For a
www.microcreds.ie
Details of all micro-credential courses on offer across the University system in Ireland
www.skillsforbetterbusiness.gov.ie
Online assessment tool for SME’s to assess their management and leadership capabilities and address specific skills needs.
www.climatetoolkit4business.gov.ie
Government funded website providing cost-effective actions that every business can take to support their green transition and build resilience.
www.gov.ie/therightcourse
Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. One stop shop website with details on courses, training and funding supports available.
www.apprenticeship.ie
Generation Apprenticeship website with details of all apprenticeship programmes, how to become an apprentice/apprentice employer and grants/jobs available.
www.nto.hea.ie
National Tertiary Office, details of new tertiary education courses and pathways from Further Education to Higher Education
www.priorlearning.ie
National Recognition of Prior Learning website with resources and tools to help higher education staff and employers
www.solas.ie/programmes/skills-to-advance Upskilling and reskilling opportunities to employees in jobs undergoing change and to those currently employed in vulnerable sectors.
www.springboardcourses.ie
Government funded upskilling courses. Up to 90% funded, short, flexible learning opportunities.
www.climatereadyacademy.ie
Skillnet funded courses to help companies transition to more sustainable work practices.
www.ecollege.ie
National online learning service. Free online courses, particularly in digital skills.
www.careersportal.ie
Ireland’s National Career Guidance website with details of careers, courses, and upskilling options
Mid-West Regional Skills Forum members:
Geraldine Carroll
Maria Kyne
Eimear Brophy
Colin Cummins
Graduate Professional Studies Manager UL
Dean of Engineering TUS
Enterprise Manager LCETB
FET Director Tipperary ETB
Fiona O’Reilly IDA
Dermot Kelly
Colette Whelan
Gordon Daly
Padraic McElwee (Chairperson)
Mary Ryan
Tom McGrath
Mairead Crosby
Martin Ryan
Graham Burns
Tom O’Connor
Una Quinn
Gerard Murray
Kate Lonergan
David Ward
Fiona Gilchrist
Michael MacCurtain
Irish Hotels Federation MidWest
Dept of Social Protection
Limerick City & County Council
Chairperson Head of Enterprise Clare LEO
Tipperary Local Enterprise Office
Retail Employer Representative
IBEC
Logistics Sector - Martin Ryan Haulage
CPL
Conack Construction
Regional Skills Liaison Officer
Aaron PCB Manufacturing
Employer Liaison Tipperary ETB
Training Manager, Atlantic Aviation Group
Jaguar Land Rover - ICT
Limerick Chamber Skillnet
Mid West Regional Skills Forum MANAGER
Joe Leddin - 086 8160569
joeleddin@regionalskills.ie @skillsmidwest
Joe Leddin www.gov.ie/regionalskills