Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 6

Written Answers. - Training Networks Programme.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

122 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 4 November 1999, she will give details of the £9 million funding for the pilot led training networks programme; the companies and actual programmes available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25117/99]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

I am making a sum of £9 million available up to the end of 2001 for a pilot training networks programme. In addition, a sum of £1.7 million has been committed to the programme for 1999 from the European Social Fund.

The training networks programme is a response to calls from employer representatives and to a commitment in Partnership 2000 to develop new approaches to enterprise training, with business taking the lead. The programme is founded on a recognition that the private sector is primarily responsible for identifying its own training needs. It focuses on mobilising groups of companies to come together in networks to identify their common training requirements and to develop strategies to address those requirements.

The training networks programme is administered by an enterprise led company called Skillnets Limited, which is managed by a board primarily representative of employers, business interests and trade unions. An official of my Department is also a member of the board.

The programme was launched on 9 June this year and was followed by a public call for proposals which was managed and delivered by Skillnets. Applications were invited under three categories: strand A – for existing networks which had already identified their training needs; strand B – for groups who wished to form themselves into networks to identify and address their training needs; and strand C – research type projects which would support the aims and objectives of the training networks programme.

I understand that over 150 applications were received from the first call for proposals and that, following an assessment process, approximately 40 projects have been approved for funding by the Skillnets board. However, as Skillnets is a private limited company, I have no function in regard to the assistance it provides to individual companies or networks.