The South Leinster & Munster Food & Beverage Companies (SLM) Skillnet has been in existence since 1999, since the inception of the Skillnets initiative. It has broadened its base to not only support food production companies such as Glanbia, Dairygold, C & C and the SME Cill Ide Farm.

Our Promoter Representative, Peter Donohoe of Glanbia Meats, presented just one of our successes at the "Upskilling: Basics and Beyond" session of The Skillnets Conference 2004. He highlighted the SLM English Language for migrant workers programme - pictured here, and the current subject of a Return On Investment (ROI) impact study.

Mary Hennessy

087-6780565

maryh1@eircom.net

069- 61140

www.ciono.com

Mick McHugh &
Tommy Clancy

The South Leinster and Munster Food & Beverage Skillnet (the SLM) demonstrates what companies like ours can achieve through exploring new ways of organising and co-operating together in the design and delivery of training to address key skill requirements within our enterprises. This project represented a new departure for employers, trade unions and workers who pooled their experiences and resources together to identify and provide training for craftspeople, operators and front-line supervisors in the food and drinks industries.

The food and drinks industries are quite unique in the people they employ. Many employees remain with the same company for most of their working lives, so the sectors largely employ what could be described as ‘mature workers ’. Most of these mature workers would not have participated in much formal training previously, and while their ability in carrying out their specific jobs within their companies is undeniable and much to be admired. Any exposure to training would mainly have been job specific. Traditionally, the industries did not greatly encourage employees to seek either self-development or broaden their range of skills. [ more > ]

At a May 2004 SLM Skillnet seminar in Cahir, workers and employers gathered to identify the barriers and to seek solutions to a pattern of slow take-up of some of the networks' initiatives. We produced a useful synopsis of our findings which is now available in report form to inform policy and company initiatives.

The SLM Skillnet has to date filled over 1,500 training places - most courses certified by a FETAC Qualification - in programmes such as Food Safety, Health & Safety, Technical, Language Skills and Developmental areas (e.g. new charge-hand roles, Train the trainer and team-working).

The SLM Skillnet has over 40 participant companies within its network and has worked alongside many of the other skillnets in achieving objectives of each.