“Excluding microbusinesses, there are currently approximately 17,000 SMEs in Ireland employing around 550,000 people. Enterprise Ireland client companies, the vast majority of which of course are SME’s, employ over 300,000 people in Ireland both directly and indirectly.

Job creation in 2015 saw record levels among our clients with growth in every region and 64 percent of that employment growth in regions outside Dublin. The international services sector continues to perform strongly and manufacturing sector is also on the rise.

Access to credit and global economic uncertainty are amongst the main challenges for SMEs at the moment. However, overall sentiment is still positive and this growth outlook is reflected in the monthly latest purchasing managers index – even among the majority of those companies that are directly affected by the recent Brexit decision. The recent fall in the value of sterling is the most pressing issue for companies exporting to the UK and Enterprise Ireland the day the referendum was announced immediately launched its 5 pillars of support for Irish businesses.

We have had extensive contact with the 1300 + Enterprise Ireland companies exporting to the UK and our advisers both in Ireland and in the UK have and are continuing to meet them both on a one-to-one and also on a sector-by-sector basis to support their growth plans.

This week Enterprise Ireland held an International Markets Week in Dublin where 140 of our market advisors from around the world were in Ireland to have over 1,400 meetings with our client companies specifically focused on assisting those companies broaden their export base and working with them to access new opportunities in international markets, including opportunities in the UK .

The Brexit decision also emphasised that companies should maintain a relentless focus on competitiveness and innovation. Enterprise Ireland has a wide range of supports to assist companies in these critical areas in developing and maintaining their competitiveness against international competition.

Companies targeting or exporting to the UK market should not however be put off by the referendum outcome as the UK is and will continue to be a very important and attractive export market across a wide range of sectors. It is not the first time that sterling exchange rate has been weak against the Euro and similar to on previous occasions when this has occurred companies with the right strategy and focus can and will respond successfully to this challenge.

We are currently continuing to help a large number of companies deepen their presence in Britain by identifying new opportunities and providing additional support in that area while at the same time working with them to grow and broaden their export customer base into other new international markets.

Our network of 32 offices around the world is working hard with companies for example undertaking an increased schedule of International trade missions and other international trade events assisting Irish companies to promote their world-class products and services and making connections and introductions to potential new customers.

Enterprise Ireland also launched this week a campaign themed ‘Global Ambition’, reflecting our clear message that Enterprise Ireland has supports and is here to help businesses with ambition at every stage of development to get export-ready and reach international markets.”

Career Zoo, Ireland’s premier career and networking event, takes place next Saturday, 15^th October, from 10am to 5pm in The Convention Centre, Dublin. 

Enterprise Ireland is one of the sponsors of the event, and will be running a series of workshops over the course of the day, focused on planning and identifying skills needs in SME’s and large companies.  The workshops will be a unique opportunity formanagers and professionals who are engaged in the skills agenda to network, share and learn from each other.  Three workshops will run over the course of the day at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Attendees can register their interest in advance by emailing daryl.regan@enterprise-ireland.com.  

Tadgh O’Halloran, Head of Group Human Resources at Lakeland Dairies recognises the strategic importance of staff skills development and recruitment and said: “Lakeland Dairies takes a structured and strategic perspective on developing staff skills and places importance on creating a supportive culture which recognises that employees are a key resource and strength in our business. With a portfolio of 170 dairy foodservice and food ingredient products, Lakeland Dairies exports to 78 countries providing many career opportunities.  We have an ongoing investment programme in the training and development of our people and the recruitment of experienced professionals and graduates”.

Colm Molloy, Director of HR Storm Technology also recognises the importance of taking a strategic approach to identifying and planning for their future skills needs and said: “At the beginning of each year we sit down with each Practice area to discuss future talent requirements based on the sales pipeline and growth plans for their areas. This allows us focus on the key competencies for the role but also the person, as attitude and behaviours are a key aspect for working in Storm due to the consultative nature of our business.  While we do hire for replacements we ensure during the process that we wear a few hats while meeting with candidates to ensure we see the future potential.  Ultimately we seek talent that are looking to grow into the role but also the business.  The industry is moving very fast with new technologies and client requirements and identifying these early allows us seek this in future talent in Storm.” 

Enterprise Ireland has a range of supports to help client companies to develop and enhance their skills base including Mentors, Advocates and short programmes, for example the ‘Best practice approaches to recruitment and retention’ workshop. At Career Zoo, Enterprise Ireland will take the opportunity to display a range of the supports on offer, highlighting the Graduate Programmes, both international (Graduate 4 International Growth) and domestic (Graduate Business Growth Initiative), to attendees on the day as Enterprise Ireland believes these programmes enhance the skills base of client companies and offers exciting opportunities for graduates and professionals.

The Career Zoo line-up will also include panel discussions focused on topics such as cyber security, FinTech, professional services, big data and BioTech. There will also be Allies Workshops, a series of workshops promoting diversity in tech. 

There will be approximately 50 employers in attendance at the event in total, showcasing opportunities in tech, biotech, finance, sales, marketing and more.

Admission to the event is free, and almost 8,000 people are expected to attend. To register, go to www.careerzoo.ie.