asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce in the light of the recent OECD survey which was very critical of Irish industry's overall approach to marketing, if he considers that it is essential to take action to increase the pool of skilled marketing personnel available to Irish enterprise.
Written Answers. - Marketing Skills.
24.
Limerick East): I understand that the Deputy is referring to the European management foundation's world competitiveness report which was compiled with the assistance of 22 OECD member states and published in August. Based on the criteria adopted by the foundation, Ireland performed badly in relation to marketing.
I would like to inform the Deputy that these findings confirm the Government's own assessment in the last few years of industry's marketing shortcomings.
In July 1984 the White Paper on Industrial Policy identified the lack of marketing skills as a particular problem inhibiting the development of exports. That view was further reinforced in the report of the sectoral development committee on marketing in April 1985 which considered that a strategic marketing capability was a fundamental requirement for successful export business operations.
In general I accept that there is an urgent need for a strategic market-led approach by Irish industry to meet the needs of customers and the challenge of competitors in markets around the world.
Accordingly resources were provided to expand the existing employment support scheme run by CTT which assists firms to employ full time overseas sales personnel. In addition CTT, employing further additional resources which have been made available, has sought to redress marketing weaknesses by other schemes which include:
(i) a marketing manager grant scheme, which assists firms to employ marketing specialists to develop strategic marketing capabilities in those firms;
(ii) marketing training programmes organised by CTT and the IMI for existing managers in medium sized indigenous companies;
(iii) marketing traineeships involving work experience for graduates to help build up the marketing capability of firms;
(iv) The European orientation programme, organised by the CII and part funded by the financial institutions, CTT and the Youth Employment Agency, which is designed to improve the language proficiency and marketing skills of firms interested in the European market;
(v) country wide seminars and workshops on marketing to improve firms' awareness of marketing.
In addition to the CTT schemes, the Irish Goods Council have introduced a marketplace scheme which offers Irish manufacturing companies, which do not have their own marketing staff, the full time services of a marketing graduate for a one year trial period.