The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) is an independent body tasked with advising the Government on the current and future skills needs of the Irish economy, as well as any other issues that impact on the national potential for enterprise and employment growth.
In June of last year the Group published its report “Addressing the Skills Needs Arising from the Potential Trade Implications of Brexit”, which was an important contribution to the evidence base on Brexit and the Government’s wider contingency planning.
Following the report’s publication my Department formally engaged with the responsible bodies identified in the report, including a number of Government Departments, agencies, and industry bodies, to action and formally progress its recommendations- the timelines for which, as per the advice offered by the EGFSN, were both short term and longer term in nature.
The recommendations of the EGFSN have been reflected in the work the Government has undertaken to ensure the enterprise base can respond to Brexit through enhancing its capacity to compete, innovate and trade. As far as my Department is concerned, this has been reflected in:
- The participation of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and its enterprise agencies in the Government’s national Brexit preparedness public information and awareness campaign, ‘Getting Ireland Brexit Ready’.
- My Department’s establishment of a dedicated “Getting Business Brexit Ready” web portal, which includes sections on advice and guidance, financial supports, and upskilling, and is linked to by my Department's Brexit social media campaign. This can be accessed at https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/EU-Internal-Market/Brexit/Getting-Brexit-Ready/
- The launch of Enterprise Ireland’s national and regional communications campaign urging companies to prepare for Brexit through planning, innovating, competing and diversifying their trade, which complements its promotion of the Brexit Scorecard, Be Prepared Grant, Brexit Advisory Clinics, and Act On support programme.
- The awareness raising and outreach, as well as Brexit supports, offered by InterTradeIreland and the Local Enterprise Office network, including the Brexit Planning Online Guide, Start to Plan voucher, the Brexit mentor programme, as well as Brexit related conferences, workshops and targeted radio and social media adverting campaigns.
- The publication by my Department of the Currency Risk Management for Irish SMEs guide, and support for financial and currency management advice and training under Enterprise Ireland’s Act On programme, InterTradeIreland’s Start to Plan voucher, and Enterprise Ireland’s Management Development training provision.
- Enterprise Ireland’s continued promotion of the Graduate Stayback permission scheme to international students, its GradStart language support, and International Graduate programme.
- The engagement by my Department’s enterprise agencies with the National Skills architecture more generally, to ensure that those trade related skills needs identified in the report, and amongst client companies, are serviced by the education and training system.
The EGFSN report also recommended the introduction or expansion of customs awareness and higher level customs clearance training and advice for third country trading.
My Department’s enterprise agencies have liaised closely with the Revenue Commissioners in the roll out of its Trader Engagement programme.
Customs training and advice offered by the mainly private providers active in this field is also eligible for support under InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Start to Plan voucher. A list of these providers can be found on the Brexit section of the InterTradeIreland website: https://intertradeireland.com/brexit/brexit-service-providers/
In December Enterprise Ireland launched its Customs Insights online course, which is aimed at helping businesses understand key customs concepts, documentation and processes. The course, which is available to both Enterprise Ireland and non-Enterprise Ireland client companies, can be accessed through Enterprise Ireland’s Prepare for Brexit portal: www.prepareforbrexit.com/customs-insights-course/.
As announced in Budget 2019, the Local Enterprise Offices are also organising the rolling out a series of ‘Prepare Your Business for Customs’ workshops.
These customs workshops are fully funded by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland and are open to businesses from all sectors and from all parts of the country.
‘Prepare Your Business for Customs’ initial workshops are being organised by Local Enterprise Offices over the next month- in Cavan on February 25th, Cork on March 8th, Dublin on March 13th and Laois on March 21st. Further dates and locations for workshops in every region will be announced shortly. It is envisaged that there will be a maximum participation level of 25 at each workshop.
