A new five-year strategy from Skillnet Ireland aims to spend up to €100m per year on training and upskilling the workforce to combat challenges including Covid-19, Brexit, climate change, and automation.
The strategy, titled 'Transforming Business Through Talent 2021-2025', comes as it emerges that over 40,000 people have enrolled for online training and education programmes delivered by Skillnet Ireland since the emergence of Covid-19.
Skillnet Ireland plans to increase the number of businesses it supports from 18,000 to 30,000 a year over the next five years, as the strategy is implemented.
Around 100,000 workers will be supported each year to ensure they have the right skills mix - up from 70,000 currently.
Meanwhile, the strategy should deliver up to 100 innovation-themed workforce development projects.
Funding to meet these aims is expected to almost double from €52m at present to over €100m annually.
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Skillnet Ireland's mandate is to advance the competitiveness, productivity, and innovation of Irish businesses through enterprise-led workforce development - and its strategy has three key themes.
Workforce Design will involve identifying skills gaps likely to emerge in businesses in the future.
People Development will assist businesses in developing talent to adapt to a changing world and deliver better business outcomes, staff engagement and career opportunities.
The third element, Strategic Innovation, aims to boost creativity and productivity , as workers "future-proof" their skills.
Skillnet Ireland will also be targeting higher productivity in indigenous SMEs - which tend to display poorer levels compared to Foreign Direct Investment companies - as well as boosting regional economic and jobs growth.
It is currently funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science - though employers pay a contribution towards some training programmes.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris described the strategy as a "key milestone in Ireland's economic recovery".
"This strategy sets ambitious targets to prepare Ireland for the future of work, for the digitalisation of work, to future proof business against disruptive technologies," he said.
He said Covid-19 had shown how quickly the world of work can change, adding: "We cannot sit and wait for the next pandemic or the next challenge to arrive."
Skillnet Ireland Chairperson Brendan McGinty said they had identified two key initiatives in digital transformation and climate change - and highlighted the need for a "highly skilled and agile" workforce.
Chief Executive Paul Healy said the five-year strategy has never been more important, as the country continues to grapple with the economic impacts of Covid-19.
"We have responded to the needs of businesses from the very beginning of this crisis, supporting organisations struggling because of the pandemic to pivot into new sectors," he said.
It is understood that the 70 Skillnet Networks under the aegis of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Skills have all adapted their delivery methods to provide a wide range of online programmes from short modules to specialist online Masters - ranging from Technology to Energy Efficiency to Logistics.
Skillnet Ireland says demand for ICT skills has remained "consistently strong", while upskilling of those in hospitality, retail and the food sectors - areas badly hit by the pandemic - has also proven popular.
Over 300 companies have already committed to providing work placements, mentoring and other career development supports, while the Future in Tech "Connect" programme has enrolled over 200 candidates since its launch last September.
Since August, a further 1,000 people have undertaken training in Clearing Customs - a skillset that will be much in demand after Brexit.
