EMPLOYEES in Donegal were among 6,000 others who undertook upskilling with Skillnet Ireland in 2023.
Over 6,000 people and 1,500 businesses in counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo participated in upskilling with a Skillnet Ireland Business Network last year.
Figures from the Skillnet Ireland Annual Report 2023, reveal the national agency for workforce development delivered over 39,800 training days in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo last year.
Sixty per cent of those who undertook training were men and 40 per cent were women, while those aged 30 to 39 years were the largest group of people availing of upskilling supports.
The vast majority (97 per cent) of the Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo companies that upskilled their workforce with Skillnet Ireland in 2023 were small and medium enterprises.
The greatest uptake came from the Pharmaceutical sector followed by Services, Agriculture, Construction, Health, Food & Drink and Retail.
Companies based in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo 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 Tech Northwest Skillnet, Sligo Chamber Skillnet, Image Skillnet and National Organic Training Skillnet.
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 per cent 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.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD, said: “The Irish economy continues to benefit greatly from Skillnet Ireland’s delivery of industry-led upskilling initiatives for businesses of all sizes. More than 97,000 people working in companies across Ireland took part in upskilling with Skillnet Ireland in 2023, across areas of increasing importance such as sustainability, digitalisation, innovation, and leadership. These results demonstrate the significant work that is ongoing to nurture and support our nation’s greatest asset, our talent.”
Skillnet Ireland Chief Executive, Paul Healy, said by investing in staff, through the cost sharing approach with Skillnet Ireland, businesses locally and across the region are “more agile and adapt to technological advancements more seamlessly”.
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