Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan Monaghan, Brendan Smith has welcomed the launch of a new Regional Skills Information Campaign. 

The campaign is aimed at businesses of all sizes and offers a range of services and supports available across the education and training system and a structure for employers to become more involved in promoting employment roles and opportunities for career progression in their sectors. 

Deputy Brendan Smith commented, “Skills Northeast is one of the nine Regional Skills Fora and covers Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. As we have all seen, COVID-19 has had a serious impact on employers throughout the country.   

“The Regional Skills Fora work with enterprise to identify immediate, new and emerging skills needs and work with further education and training providers to help people reskill and to best position themselves for our post COVID-19 economy.” 

Deputy Smith added: “The Fora have already helped thousands of businesses across the country. They are there to assist, free of charge – please take advantage of it.” 

The network of Regional Skills Fora is in place to help businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to be prepared and have the necessary skills for the challenges ahead. Whether it’s identifying the skills gaps in a business, upskilling, or accessing Government funding, Regional Skills helps to facilitate and future-proof companies nationwide. 

With nine Regional Skills managers across the country, employers can be assured that they can access the necessary expertise from a professional who is familiar with the business landscape on both a local and national level. Regional Skills can also help businesses who have been impacted by COVID-19 and guide them to education and training providers and government supports.  

They are guided by, and work closely with, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and with the National Skills Council, to ensure that skills challenges, and responses to them, are addressed coherently and comprehensively.