Transforming business through talent
The primary challenges anticipated by business leaders globally at the turn of the decade just 12 months ago largely focused on disruptive influences including rapid advancement in technology, geopolitical issues and climate change. Few could have predicted the scale of disruption that would follow on account of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
The profound impact on societies, economies and workers has resulted in a seismic and almost immediate shift in the way businesses operate and the ways in which workers carry out their jobs. Skillnet Ireland believes that the business community in Ireland can take heart from how we have collectively adapted to the unparalleled change experienced over the course of the past year.
Our response to Covid-19 has highlighted the great capacity that exists within us all for renewal and invention. Through this time, Skillnet Ireland and its industry partners have fostered a renewed spirit of optimism among the business community about the challenges that we collectively face now and in the future. It is in that same spirit that Skillnet Ireland recently introduced Transforming Business through Talent 2021-2025, an ambitious and comprehensive strategy that will see Skillnet Ireland fulfil its full potential in shaping Ireland’s workforce.
“At Skillnet Ireland, we are building a world class, enterprise-led organisation to prepare businesses and workers for the future of work,” said Brendan McGinty, Chairperson of Skillnet Ireland.
“The experience and expertise Skillnet Ireland has gained over the last 20 years and models it has developed will support it in helping business to recover, transform and grow. Skillnet Ireland is ambitious for Ireland and for Irish enterprise, and our new strategy reflects the need for Ireland to have a highly skilled and agile workforce. Skillnet Ireland is doing this by setting itself ambitious targets, focused on the three key themes of workforce design, people development and strategic innovation.”
As working environments become more complex and greater mobility is needed, developing people is an essential route to achieving business goals. Lifelong learning has never been more relevant and will be a driving force in our recovery from this period of significant disruption that will require all of us to adapt and learn new skills. Companies and workers are central to this, as Skillnet Ireland firmly believes the skills that power Ireland’s economy are derived from within employment.
Paul Healy, Chief Executive, Skillnet Ireland said: “We are putting in place a five-year strategy that will focus on equipping businesses with the talent they need to tackle the significant challenges they face. This has never been more important than today, as we continue to grapple with the economic impacts of Covid-19. Skillnet Ireland has responded to the needs of businesses from the very beginning of this crisis, supporting organisations struggling because of the pandemic to pivot into new sectors.”
The future, although challenging, offers us a chance to transition and transform businesses, build new business models, or reengineer existing ones, and for those within the workforce to build new skills and career paths. Skillnet Ireland’s strategy responds to these challenges, outlining a clear and effective path to new people development supports that are tailored to a world of virtual working and often time-poor businesses and workers.
“Skillnet Ireland is putting in place a five-year strategy that will focus on equipping businesses with the talent they need to tackle the significant challenges they face. This has never been more important than today, as we continue to grapple with the economic impacts of Covid-19. We have responded to the needs of businesses from the very beginning of this crisis, supporting organisations struggling because of the pandemic to pivot into new sectors.”
Skillnet Ireland uses a highly specialised approach to people development. It works with employers, across more than 50 distinct industry groups, to determine future talent and upskilling needs and the solutions they need to meet them. With direct access to 18,400 SMEs, Skillnet Ireland, in collaboration with its industry partners, aims to increase its focus on the upskilling and management development programmes that drive growth and innovation in SMEs.
Operating at the intersection between the business sector, government, and the training and education system, Skillnet Ireland will enhance its role over the next five years as a coordinating body, to consistently drive continued collaboration between businesses, industry bodies and the training and education ecosystem.
Speaking about the impact of Skillnet Ireland’s role in the innovation ecosystem, Chief Executive Paul Healy said: “As we navigate the future and the challenges it brings, we must equip businesses with the right talent to ensure they are fit for purpose. Our activity over the next five years will deliver a fourfold increase in innovation themed workforce development projects. The digital agenda and climate action are key drivers of change, and our new strategy, and its enabling plans, speak to these in a really clear way.
“Skillnet Ireland looks forward to working with businesses to support the talent demands for building a low-carbon and sustainable economy through our enterprise-driven climate action upskilling initiative. We will also work with our partners to address the need for greater digitalisation of processes as we all move towards a more digital future.”
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Skillnet Ireland has intensified the collaboration with its industry partners, providing speedy and high impact solutions that are making a real difference on the ground. Its 70 Skillnet Networks have responded with a wide range of supports for businesses and adapted their business model rapidly to deliver their services online. Skillnet Ireland also launched new programmes, Rebound Back to Work Safely, and MentorsWork to help business owner-managers and leaders sustain and improve their business performance while addressing their specific business needs. Skillnet Ireland’s award-winning Clear Customs Scheme has also been central to Brexit preparations, helping more than 1,700 companies develop their capacity to deal with the additional customs requirements arising from the UK’s departure from the Customs Union.
Skillnet Ireland also has a range of industry-led back to employment programmes underway through its new Skills Connect initiative, which will play a key role in supporting re-entry to the workforce for those most impacted by Covid-19. Skills Connect is a practical employer-driven initiative that connects affected workers to new opportunities in the workplace, by building on their existing skills and experience. Over 500 companies from across the economy have already committed to supporting the Skills Connect initiative through the provision of work placements, mentoring and other supports.
Central to all of Skillnet Ireland’s work is its belief that enterprise-led learning can help business leaders, managers and the workforce meet the demands of the future, and enable businesses to be the best they can be.
To find our more about Skillnet Ireland’s Strategy ‘Transforming Business Through Talent’, visit www.skillnetireland.ie/strategy2025
