Vol. 537 No. 1
88 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the steps which have been taken to initiate a national human resources programme which will ensure the ready availability of strategic managers skilled in the various sub-specialities within the food industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15409/01]
On 9 May 2001 I launched the human resource development programme for the food processing industry. The programme, which will be managed by Enterprise Ireland, has been developed following discussions within the Food Agency Co-operation Council.
The initiative is financed from the allocation of £31 million provided under the national development plan to address the human resource needs of the sector in the period up to 2006. It will prepare the food industry for the challenges and structural changes being brought to bear by increased competition and globalisation. The following key areas will be addressed in the programme: food safety, competitiveness and improved productivity, management development; innovation management, information technology and logistics, food core skills, food marketing skills and micro food companies.
In the area of strategic management skills, Enterprise Ireland already has a number of development programmes in place to support the food sector. For example, programmes have been developed to upgrade the strategic management and business skills of recently qualified food science graduates, to increase the international marketing skills of executives in Irish food manufacturing companies and to improve the strategic management skills of board members of dairy co-operatives. With regard to innovation and research and development, development management, Enterprise Ireland will issue a call for proposals for the delivery of training human resource development programmes in this area within the next two weeks.
The measures which I have outlined, together with future initiatives by Enterprise Ireland and other agencies involved in the sector, will help to contribute to ensuring the ready availability of strategic managers for the Irish food industry into the future.
