Local businesses all over Ireland can take advantage of highly subsided, fully accredited training to help future-proof their organisations and develop their workforce. Further Education and Training (FET) programmes, developed under the Skills to Advance initiative, offer employees and employers targeted, flexible upskilling opportunities, all at little or no cost.
Skills to Advance, a national initiative created and funded by Solas, the FET authority, has been vital in providing targeted skill development for employees since 2018. Through the network of 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) across Ireland, small and medium-sized businesses can access Skills to Advance training courses – local, flexible courses designed to equip employees with the skills needed to adapt and thrive in their sector.
Mary Lyons, Director of Enterprise, Employees and Skills at Solas, says FET is actively supporting employees and businesses to update their skills for the rapidly changing world of work.
“Working with industry, our focus is on developing and delivering through ETBs more agile learning opportunities to meet the needs of employers and employees alike. Since the launch of Skills to Advance, we’ve seen a great appetite for upskilling and reskilling in enterprises, with more than 89,000 training opportunities availed of since 2019. We’re delighted to see that the demand for upskilling has grown year-on-year, and we have further increased the number of training opportunities available for 2025.”
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All Skills to Advance courses are delivered locally by the 16 ETBs around the country. Course content is available in online, in-person, and blended learning formats, with tutor support and online digital resources to enhance the learning experience. Programme delivery is designed to be flexible and is scheduled to fit around the operating needs of the business. There is a varied range of courses available, from healthcare and hospitality to digital skills, sustainability and more.
Included in the Skills to Advance offering are new FET micro-qualifications – bite-sized, accredited programmes that deliver targeted training in rapidly transforming skill areas. Each FET micro-qualification has been developed collaboratively between Solas, the 16 ETBs nationwide, and industry partners to ensure employees receive targeted, relevant upskilling for their sector.
To deliver on value and accessibility, FET micro-qualification courses are highly subsidised, delivered flexibly, and short in duration – amounting to around 50 hours of tutor and self-directed learning combined. FET micro-qualifications are available now in emerging skill areas, such as digital business skills, green/sustainability skills, business innovation, market development, robotics, and more.
New programmes are currently in development to target further emerging sectors, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), corporate sustainability reporting, and biopharma skills. These FET micro-qualifications, and more, will launch throughout 2025. They will be available through the network of local ETBs nationwide.
Employees who have availed of the 89,000 training opportunities to date under Skills to Advance are motivated by the need to update or renew their skill set. This goes to show the interest, and the need for, continuous, incremental, lifelong learning. With advances in technology, changing work practices, new reporting legislation, and market diversification, upskilling has never been more relevant and necessary for businesses to remain agile, adaptable and competitive.
Skills to Advance courses are a great opportunity for employers to access high quality, low or no-cost, accredited training for their teams, whose new skills can increase productivity, improve business solutions and future-proof enterprises. Employees benefit from career development within companies, gaining accredited training in targeted areas and diversifying their skills.
Contact your local ETB today to find out what Skills to Advance courses are available in your area. For more information on Skills to Advance and FET micro-qualifications, visit skillstoadvance.ie
