Supporting businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic

Since mid-March, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted businesses in every sector. Supply chain disruption, operational restrictions and reduced demand have had a massive impact on Irish businesses.

Businesses, in particular SMEs, will need to address the current challenges, protect their business and put the necessary measures in place to help recover in the aftermath. Adapting to the new economic reality means developing and upskilling employees to allow the business to survive and succeed.

Skillnet Ireland’s Networks are playing a vital role in supporting organisations to ensure that they have the skillsets needed to respond to evolving challenges. Together we can assist you through this crisis and we will help prepare you for the recovery.

The following is a cross section of Skillnet Networks who are providing COVID-19 responses for Irish businesses. There are over 70 Skillnet Networks nationwide who are available to support Irish businesses, ensuring that they have the skillsets needed to respond to evolving challenges.

To find your Skillnet Network, visit https://www.skillnetireland.ie/all-networks/

ISME Skillnet

ISME Skillnet are offering a free webinar series called COVID-19: Preparing SME Managers to Recover and Succeed in conjunction with Griffith College.

These free online workshops will equip SME owners and managers with the necessary management skills, tools and techniques to advance their own personal performance as managers and to more reliably inform and guide the development of their SME through these unprecedented times.

More information: https://isme.ie/covid-19-preparing-sme-managers-to-recover-and-succeed-free-webinar-series/

Leading Healthcare Providers Skillnet

Leading Healthcare Providers Skillnet are a nationwide network providing a COVID-19 Emergency Management Education Programme to businesses in the private healthcare sector, with six free webinar sessions.

The programme delivers a unique emergency programme detailing what nursing homes need to know in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in their premises. LHP Skillnet is also creating a robust training scheme for unemployed individuals who would like to become Healthcare Assistants.

More information: https://www.lhpskillnet.ie/covid-19-update-for-the-private-healthcare-sector/

Taste4Success Skillnet

Taste4Success Skillnet, a national network in the food and drink sector, has created a programme of 24 online workshops during the month of April to assist businesses in responding to COVID-19 challenges and promote good remote working practices.

Their COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan programme is running throughout April and is aimed at assisting businesses in protecting their business, their teams and brand during the COVID-19 crisis. The programme provides businesses with the tools to create a COVID-19 Action plan, carry out a risk assessment and implement a crisis management plan.

Taste4Success Skillnet is also running a programme called the COVID-19 Mitigation Strategy for the Food Industry which covers steps that can be taken to protect businesses and the national and international food supply chain.

More information: https://taste4success.ie/

Restaurant & Hospitality Skillnet

The hospitality sector in Ireland has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Restaurant and Hospitality Skillnet are offering a free online training program for individuals who are currently unemployed or facing temporary layoff due to COVID-19.

This course covers the essential skills for working in a restaurant and on completion will have individual prepared to return to work when the time comes.

More information: https://www.rhskillnet.ie/training-programmes/

Image Skillnet

Image Skillnet have provided business owners in the hair and beauty industry with a series of workshops to help with the business strategy during COVID-19. Their three-part series looks at business planning, leadership and recovery. This programme provides business owners and managers with the opportunity to plan and concentrate on the future of their business at a time when the whole industry has been brought to a standstill.

More information: https://www.imageskillnet.ie/

ICBE Business Excellence Skillnet

During the COVID-19 crisis, ICBE Business Excellence Skillnet has been facilitating knowledge sharing between their member companies including practical guidance/policies on social distancing and contact tracing.

ICBE Business Excellence Skillnet are also offering a wide range of webinars to promote best practices in remote working and programmes to keep employees engaged during lockdown. The webinars focus on employee wellbeing and remote working skills.

More information: https://icbe.ie/training-programmes/about-skillnet/

M1 Drogheda Skillnet

M1 Drogheda Skillnet has delivered a series of online webinars called Thrive to Survive, that target the specific challenges brought upon the business community due to COVID-19. This innovative series is designed to support owners, managers and employees with HR solutions, problem solving skills, creativity and innovation to business.

Courses such as Technology to Support Working from Home educates all staff that are used to being office-based to work effectively and efficiently remotely. It helps maintain productivity and performance while the trainee adopts to the reality of working away from the office environment.

HR Guidance for Employers in Challenging Times gives business owners the necessary tools and skills to design and communicate reasonable and prudent protocols in the workplace. These are based on up to date COVID-19 Government and medical advice including what Government supports mean for business and employees.

More information: https://m1skillnet.ie/

Animation Skillnet and Screen Skillnet

Animation Skillnet and Screen Skillnet have collaborated to bring an exciting webinar series as part of the Screen Talks initiative. This series, delivered by industry experts, examines a broad array of sector-related topics and is being delivered to a large number of interested attendees. These webinars aim to provide an opportunity for Irish industry professionals to listen to experts from around the world as they discuss their careers, provide advice, and offer inspiration.

This industry specific webinar series complements other collaborative offerings by Animation Skillnet and Screen Skillnet which focus on COVID-19 responses such as Successfully Managing Creative Teams Remotely. The aim of the training is to work on preparing managers to optimise the performance of their team in the remote working environment, developing key communication skills, relationship management techniques and practical tools and solutions for effectively operating in remote working arrangements.

More information: https://animationskillnet.ie/ and https://screenskillnet.ie/.