Around €52 million is expected to be spent this year on State-supported, in-company training schemes compared to €14 million in 2004.
The first report of the National Workplace Strategy High Level Implementation Group published today shows progress being made on skills development and flexible practices within the workplace.
The Government considers change in workplace practises central to its aim of making Ireland a knowledge-based economy consistent with the EU's Lisbon Strategy.
A National Workplace Strategy was launched in 2005 and a group made up of officials from various Government departments, trade unionists, employers and other sectoral interests was formed to implement 42 recommendations developed over the previous two years.
Today's report claims "key achievements" in five priority areas:
- Agreement in principle on a new workplace innovation fund
- The successful commencement of a number of funds and initiatives promoting leadership skills and new legislation on employee information and consultation
- The launch of a new wage subsidy scheme to increase the employment prospects for people with disability. Funding is due to increase to €10 million this year
- Agreement on the need to address quality-of-working-life issues, including research in the area to improve understanding
- A range of initiatives and programmes under the aegis of various agencies to develop in-company training. Investment across these programmes in 2006 will be approximately €52m
The Report, which was presented to Cabinet this week, was welcomed by the chair of implementation body, Minister of State for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen.
"In order to transform the Irish economy into a world-class, knowledge-based economy, we need to focus on where all of these characteristics can be honed - the workplace," he said.
"If we are to meet the challenges presented by the globalised 21st Century market, our workplaces must be geared for constant change and innovation. All of the people involved - employers, employees, policy makers, and social partners - need to create a shared understanding of what needs to be done, most importantly at the level of the workplace."