The European Commission has designated 2023 as the European Year of Skills, with the aim of boosting competitiveness, increasing workforce participation and expanding the pool of talent available to employers. Other objectives are to assist companies to address skills shortages, and to promote a culture of reskilling and upskilling which will help people to get the right skills for quality jobs.
“The aim is to make Europe more competitive, and help it become a better place for investment,” says Skillnet Ireland director of business networks Dave Flynn.
Launching the European Year of Skills, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pointed to a need for much more focus in the investment in professional education and upskilling. She also called for better co-operation with companies, because they know best what skills they need, as well as a requirement to match those needs with people’s aspirations.
“In Ireland we enjoy an advantage, in that we already have very good co-operation between businesses and the state in relation to the skills agenda,” Flynn said. “Last year, more than 20,000 businesses participated in Skillnet business networks in every sector and region of the country.”
Some 745 businesses participated in the survey, which produced very strong evidence of the positive impact made by Skillnet Ireland
That participation produces tangible benefits for the companies involved. “We conduct regular independent evaluations of our work,” Flynn said. “The latest study was carried out by Indecon and will be published in the coming weeks. Some 745 businesses participated in the survey, which produced very strong evidence of the positive impact made by Skillnet Ireland.”
Fifty-eight per cent of the participating businesses believed that Skillnet training had enhanced their firm’s service or product quality; 50 per cent stated that it had improved the long-term performance and sustainability of their business; another 50 per cent said it had contributed to innovation within the business, particularly in relation to product and services; and 49 per cent said it improved the productivity of their business.
He also points to the strong evidence that Skillnet Ireland has contributed to growing the talent pool available to employers in Ireland. “Overall, 78 per cent of the people who participated in Skillnet Ireland conversion programmes have progressed into employment. This is very good news for both the people involved in those programmes and the businesses who employ them. That is something we are quite proud of.”
These companies recognise that they are facing the same challenges in terms of rising costs, the need to be more sustainable, and digital transformation among others
Collaboration is at the heart of the Skillnet model, he notes. “The European Commission has called for greater co-operation on training. Companies who are members of Skillnet business networks around the country are collaborating with each other and with the higher education system. These companies recognise that they are facing the same challenges in terms of rising costs, the need to be more sustainable, and digital transformation among others.
“They also recognise the importance of investing in people as they struggle to retain talent. By bringing them together they can share their knowledge and experiences, see the gaps in their own training efforts, and identify opportunities where training can make a real difference to their businesses.”
Skillnet Ireland supports companies in availing of opportunities. “Skillnet Ireland provides access to funding to develop new programmes and qualifications with higher education and institutions,” said Flynn. “They work in partnership to design the content of the programmes and how they are delivered. Delivery needs to be both synchronous and asynchronous, part-time, at weekends, need to be provided in a way that suits the needs of businesses and their employees. That can be accommodated by the Skillnet model. That’s why the model works so effectively.”
Peer learning is a critically important facet of Skillnet programmes. “We deliver education and training programmes, but we also bring people together and people learn from the peers in other companies when they are participating on our programmes,” said Flynn.
“SME managers place a lot of stock in what other owner managers of other firms say to them. They are dealing with the same challenges and the same issues, and they tend to be very forthcoming and open about how they navigate those challenges. One-third of all learners we support are supervisors, managers, owner managers and so on. They need our support. That is part of the broader national challenge of raising the productivity of Irish SMEs.”
The appetite for training and education remains strong. “Despite the economic uncertainty, demand is very strong across all sectors for Skillnet Ireland education and training programmes,” says Flynn. “This year, more than 90,000 learners will participate in Skillnet Ireland programmes, and we will probably have more than 23,000 companies involved. We are also looking to bring on some new Skillnet business networks in areas like sustainability and innovation.”