Garry Walsh, commercial director, Hodson Bay Group; Gerry McInerney, CEO Athlone Chamber; Pat Fleming, recruitment officer, LWETB; Ruth Allingham, deputy front office manager, Hodson Bay Hotel (participant on course); Miriam Furey, front office executive, Hodson Bay Hotel (participant on course); and Ronan Murray, area training manager, LWETB.

Free training opportunities with LWETB

Brian O'Loughlin

Published: Thu 17 Jun 2021, 1:55 PM

An announcement by Minister Harris of an additional 50,000 training places in further education and training provides a huge opportunity for the advacing the skills of the labour force.

Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB) provides a range of upskilling courses through full-time, part-time and online training in Westmeath and Longford.

With many courses available free of charge to employers and employees, there are wonderful opportunities available to improve computer skills, learn about digital marketing, gain leadership and management certification or enhance engineering skills.

LWETB recently announced a new programme in Leadership and Management under the Skills to Advance Initiative to cover areas including: change management; management communication; developing a culture to support innovation and improvement; and understanding performance management.

The programme is free of charge, delivered online with tutor support and is accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).

Antonine Healy, FET director at LWETB said: “Skills to Advance focuses on training programmes for those who are in employment and who would like to upskill, perhaps within their existing role or a potential new role with their employer.

“Leadership and management are essential skills for every organisation regardless of size. The development of leaders and managers can contribute to the ongoing success of any business.”

The Hodson Bay Group is participating in the programme and its commercial director Garry Walsh said: “As we speak, we have more than 40 members of our teams across the Hodson Bay Group benefitting from a course in leadership and management skills. The collaboration with LWETB has been a real positive during these times.”

Minister Peter Burke recommends that all business “consider the benefits of upskilling to meet the challenging times for business that lie ahead, but also to embrace the possibilities that exist for enterprise in a post Covid-19 landscape”.

He commended Hodson Bay Hotel for “the foresight to use the recent close of business period to such a positive end”.