Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2022
167. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will detail the total training budget allocated in 2021 to the 31 local enterprise offices for their local training initiatives for businesses, including training such as digital marketing, lean, mentoring and starting one’s own business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53554/22]
View answerThe Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are allocated a Training and Development budget to provide a wide range of high-quality entrepreneurial capability training and development programmes. Whether it is starting a business or growing a business, the LEOs tailor their offerings to meet the demand within their locality. The allocation is based on historical demand, as identified by each Local Enterprise Office.
The LEO Network has access to an excellent support network including qualified trainers and can quickly identify emerging trends and pivot their offering to meet the demand for services. Furthermore, where additional demand for training arises there is a mechanism to re-allocate funds throughout the network to meet the higher demand.
It should be noted that productivity measures such as LEAN4Micro, Green4Micro and the Digital Start initiative, which includes some digital marketing training, along with the LEO Mentoring supports are not funded through the Training and Development budget but through the capital allocation to each LEO.
Examples of the high-quality training and development programmes on offer through the LEOs include the following:
Start Your Own Business (SYOB) which aims to assist participants in assessing an idea, its viability and then making an informed decision on whether to proceed or take a step back. The programme is designed to guide participants through the various aspects of business and business planning and no prior business knowledge is necessary.
Accelerate Management Development which aims to provide a small business owner/manager with the management, leadership, business skills and knowledge to achieve sustainability and growth in their business.
Food Academy, which uses workshops and mentoring and also offers food producers the unique opportunity to pitch to one of Ireland’s leading retailers.
The LEOs also provide specific business capability training courses such as: the Access to Finance Workshop, which is designed to demystify the processes of raising finance for your business; Basic Bookkeeping for Small Business which is a practical workshop on developing the skills and know-how in basic bookkeeping; Business Finance & Bookkeeping, which makes small business owners aware of the basic requirements in relation to record keeping; and finally Digital and e-Business training offerings such as Search Engine Optimisation, Email Marketing, and Digital Marketing Strategy.
The Training and Development Budget allocation for each of the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in 2021 is set out in the following table.
|
LEO |
Training and Development Budget Allocation 2021 € |
|
Carlow |
466,736 |
|
Cavan |
220,000 |
|
Clare |
195,831 |
|
Cork City |
250,000 |
|
Cork North/West |
450,000 |
|
Cork South |
278,104 |
|
Donegal |
675,322 |
|
Dublin City |
819,308 |
|
Dublin South |
463,939 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown |
317,890 |
|
Fingal |
481,054 |
|
Galway |
443,396 |
|
Kerry |
325,457 |
|
Kildare |
470,575 |
|
Kilkenny |
310,842 |
|
Laois |
200,000 |
|
Leitrim |
200,000 |
|
Limerick |
400,000 |
|
Longford |
200,000 |
|
Louth |
415,257 |
|
Mayo |
261,940 |
|
Meath |
304,140 |
|
Monaghan |
224,145 |
|
Offaly |
195,000 |
|
Roscommon |
171,518 |
|
Sligo |
225,000 |
|
Tipperary |
472,898 |
|
Waterford |
360,000 |
|
Westmeath |
425,464 |
|
Wexford |
275,000 |
|
Wicklow |
328,689 |
|
TOTAL |
10,827,504 |
