Business
Ibec hosts free Galway event for businesses from across the region
Ibec Galway, the group that represents business in the region, has announced plans for an upcoming business seminar in Galway on Thursday, May 14, at the G Hotel, which is aimed at addressing the skills needs of businesses in the region.
The event, entitled ‘The skills gap: Making the right connections’ runs from 11am to 1pm followed by a networking lunch and it is part of a series of events taking place around the country throughout May.
It will bring together key businesses in the region and the main training and education providers.
Speakers at the Galway event will include broadcaster Sinead Ryan; Managing Director Ireland West Airport Knock Joe Gilmore; Dean of the School of Business at NUIG Kieran Conboy; GMIT Acting President Jim Fennell; Operations Director of Ingersoll-Rand Cormac MacDonncha; General Manager DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland Maureen Walsh; and Ibec CEO Danny McCoy.
“As the region starts to recover, skill shortages are emerging in some key sectors. This will hamper growth unless the education and training system is better aligned with the needs of employers, particularly at a regional level,” said Ibec West Director John Brennan.
“While there are examples of good practice, companies and education institutions are not cooperating enough. The seminars are a chance for companies to discover new ways of addressing the skills gaps in their businesses and in the wider region.
The Ibec Galway event aims to suggest new structures for aligning education and training providers with regional skills needs; to outline the key success factors, the drivers and barriers behind a successful partnership, and to set out how education institutions can better contribute to regional growth
“Cooperation among employers, policymakers and education institutions at a regional level is critical if we want to help those currently out of work. We need to provide the right training and education so that they can take up the new jobs which are being created.
“Cooperation will benefit not only employers and jobseekers, but also serve to reduce unemployment, improve competitiveness and foster inclusive growth for the benefit of the wider region.
“The involvement of employers in training and education can take many forms. It could include exchanging information on the skills needs of the local labour market, employer involvement in the design and delivery of programs, the placement of graduates in local businesses, advice and services to SMEs, facilitating networks in business clusters and incubating spin-offs in science and technology parks,” added John Brennan.
For more information and to book a place see www.ibec.ie/0/skillsgap.
The new President of Local Ireland, the association representing local news publishers around the country, is Head of Irish Times Regionals Dan Linehan.
Mr Linehan takes over the presidency from Declan McGuire of the Connacht Tribune. His appointment was confirmed at the recent Annual General Meeting of Local Ireland at Bloomfield House Hotel near Mullingar, Westmeath.
Mr Linehan, who has served as Vice President of the organisation for the last two years, said: “The coming years are a very important time for local publishers with many important issues to be addressed, including the implementation of the Future of Media Commission recommendations, defamation reform, the role and support for local publishers in public service reporting and helping publishers develop commercial digital offerings.”
Speaking at the AGM, Mr McGuire acknowledged the work done by the Executive in the past two years under the direction of Executive Director, Bob Hughes, on several projects related to the publishing industry but most especially the successful conclusion of the long-running campaign for the abolition of VAT on newspapers.
He also wished Mr Linehan the very best in his new role as President of the association for the next two years.
Mr Hughes thanked Mr McGuire for his leadership and support during his term of office and said he looked forward to working with Mr Linehan on the key policy priorities for the association, including Government supports, Government advertising, fair remuneration for content from the tech platforms and the reform of the legislation for defamation.
Local Ireland members also elected Seán Mahon, Managing Director of the Southern Star, as Vice President for the next two years.
The shortage of affordable housing is the single biggest impediment in attracting and retaining workers in the West, according to business group Ibec.
At a ‘Regional Insights Series’ meeting in the Galmont Hotel in Galway last week, employers were told that capacity constraints and labour supply are the key challenges facing business growth in the region.
Ibec Head of Regional Policy Helen Leahy said: “There must be greater focus by government on enhancing quality of life issues such as housing and infrastructure which are driving labour shortages in the region.
“Ibec’s vision for the West is to realise its potential to become a globally competitive location. An inadequate supply of affordable housing is now the single largest impediment to attracting and retaining talented workers, without whom business investment and expansions are not possible.
“Labour shortages are a real concern for businesses in the region. People decide where to live and work based on quality of life and access to high quality services and amenities. Industry tends to follow talent, and in this regard, the region needs to have all the building blocks in place as the attraction and retention of world-class talent becomes increasingly competitive on a global level,” said Ms Leahy.
Amongst Ibec’s priorities for the West are:
- Addressing housing and infrastructure challenges
- Transitioning towards a new growth model with Net Zero energy powered by Atlantic offshore wind resources
- Adapting businesses to the new economic realities
- Enhancing capacity and skillsets to achieve sustainable development objectives
- Investment in people and skills
- Creating competitive advantage through digitalisation
- Innovation as a key driver of productivity growth
One in five Galway businesses want to go fully cashless, as the move towards card payments and tapping continues unabated post-Covid.
In all, 22% of Galway businesses would like to be fully cashless, according to a survey carried out by BOI Payment Acceptance (BOIPA), a provider of payment technology solutions, which asked Irish businesses about the current payment landscape as well as business confidence and concerns.
Over one-third (36%) of Galway businesses were unaware there is no contactless limit on mobile wallets – just below the national average – while 54% believe the increase in card over cash transactions has helped them run their business.
Six out of ten Galway businesses expect to grow this year despite the cost-of-living crisis and running costs dominating as key concerns; 62% believe their business will grow over the next twelve months despite global economic uncertainty.
Unsurprisingly cost-of-living increases and running costs were the main concerns the majority of businesses had.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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