FÁS Services to Business supports skills development in small businesses through the Excellence Through People standard which has been running for several years. FÁS Employment Services recently announced the Work Placement Programme which is designed to offer unemployed people, including unemployed graduates, the opportunity to obtain 6 months quality experience in a work situation. The benefit to employers is that they will, by giving someone the opportunity to gain work experience in their field, ensure the future supply of qualified and experienced people for their business or sector. Additionally, should a position become available within the business, they would have a prospective applicant with relevant work experience.
The Skillnets Training Network Programme is an enterprise-led programme providing training, upskilling and networking supports to persons in employment with a particular emphasis on the low basic skilled and on SMEs. In 2008 the Training Network Programme facilitated over 56,000 trainees in over 20,000 enterprises. It currently operates nationally across 103 separate sectoral and regional networks. In 2009 the Finuas Training Network Programme was launched to provide similar supports in the international financial services sector.
County and City Enterprise Boards provide a source of support to small businesses with 10 employees or fewer. Subject to certain eligibility criteria new and developing enterprises may qualify for financial support from the CEBs in the form of feasibility, employment and capital grants. All of the CEBs operate to the same criteria in relation to the assistance which they can offer i.e. they can support the establishment and/or the development of enterprises provided that the projects, which should generally be in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector, have the capacity to achieve commercial viability and which over time may develop into strong exporting entities. CEBs also deliver a range of non-financial supports, such as business advice and information services, management development programmes and mentoring initiatives, which are designed to help new and existing micro-enterprises operate more effectively and efficiently so as to last and grow.
The Employment Subsidy Scheme (Temporary) which is being managed by Enterprise Ireland, applies to vulnerable but viable companies in the manufacturing or internationally traded service sectors. It will involve the payment of a subsidy to firms to retain an agreed level of jobs. The principal aim of the Scheme is to maximise full-time employment in the first place by securing a multiple of jobs being subsidised. A further initiative both my colleague Minister Hanafin and I launched on the 27th May is the Short Time Working Training Programme. This new initiative offers individuals the opportunity to receive training that suits their specific requirements. With individuals who are on short time working, this Programme will provide two days training a week for 277 workers over a 52-week period.