Aisling Soden
Managager Talent Transformation & Innovation, IDA Irelad
Individuals engaged in upskilling and reskilling have the opportunity to transition to new roles and transform their careers within multinationals in Ireland.
IDA Ireland is the State Agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment into Ireland. For 70 years, it has partnered with multinational subsidiaries in Ireland to support the continuous transformation of their activities and grow their presence in Ireland.
Evolving business demands
Companies across all sectors have evolved from low-cost operations into specialised, innovative companies developing high-value, cutting-edge products and services. This has created new career opportunities where, for example, skills in data analytics, digital transformation, innovation, design, coaching, sustainability and leadership are sought after in business functions — from operations and engineering to marketing and supply chains.
Recognising talent as a key component of Ireland’s competitiveness, the State has responded to the changing talent landscape by investing in education infrastructure and initiatives that support the transformation of the Irish talent pool, many of which are unique to Ireland.
Talent development opportunities
The National Training Fund — into which employers contribute 1% of their payroll — supports agencies and initiatives that deliver workforce training.
Skillnet Ireland supports enterprise talent development by collaborating with businesses to identify critical skill needs and designing training and education programmes.
Companies across all sectors have evolved
from low-cost operations into specialised,
innovative companies developing high-value,
cutting-edge products and services.
SOLAS, the State agency for Further Education and Training (FET) works with industry to develop apprenticeships, traineeships and workforce upskilling programmes.
Nine Regional Skills Fora, led by Regional Skills Managers, bring employers and educators together to identify emerging skills needs and workforce training programmes. IDA Ireland ensures our client companies are fully engaged with the talent development opportunities available.
Upskilling and reskilling
A key priority of the Irish Government is to expand access to further and higher education and to provide opportunities for individuals to take ownership of their career path through upskilling and reskilling.
Springboard+ offers free and subsidised accredited courses in high-demand skill areas, such as ICT, engineering and manufacturing. The MicroCreds project is a collaboration between seven Irish Universities to develop enterprise-focused microcredentials that are stackable across universities, allowing learners to tailor their learning path to their career development goals.
IDA Ireland helps clients develop their talent across all levels of their organisations, building capacity in critical skills, creating learning pathways and supporting employee career progression.
Ireland has a collaborative, responsive and agile education and training ecosystem providing multiple upskilling and reskilling options, making it an excellent location to support career and company transformations.