Irish workforce to upskill as Brexit transition period ends

As the Brexit transition period comes to an end, businesses across Ireland are bracing themselves for one of the biggest disruptors of the year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit earlier this year.

The impact of the end of the Brexit transition period will be heavy given that close to 95,000 Irish firms trade with the UK.

However, there is some reprieve as Irish businesses turn to experts, such as those at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Skillnet, for guidance on how to prepare for disruptions on the supply chain and logistics network in Ireland.

Through this partnership, Irish businesses will receive much-needed training support through Brexit and Your Business, a free webinar series aimed at keeping business in Ireland informed on how to trade with and through Britain which will begin on January 1, 2021.

Michael Fitzgerald, CILT Skillnet network manager said, “The combination of the Covid-19 pandemic along with the end of the Brexit ‘transition period’ is almost a perfect storm for businesses trading with or through the UK.”

He added that it is vital for Irish businesses to prepare for this change by equipping themselves with an arsenal of skills and knowledge.

CILT Skillnet is one of 70 training networks that operate under the umbrella of Skillnet Ireland, a business support agency of the government of Ireland, responsible for the promotion and facilitation of workforce learning.

The CILT Skillnet, established in 2016 provides a specialised learning network for enterprises of all sizes within the transport, logistics, and supply chain management sectors in Ireland.

CILT Skillnet’s most successful and popular training and education programmes are designed specifically to prepare businesses for Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

In addition to the Brexit and Your Business, free webinar series CILT Skillnet is also offering an initiative is a tailored programme called Customs Compliance and Trade Facilitation, accredited by IT Carlow and designed to help Irish businesses trade internationally faster, more easily and with lower costs.

This programme, is the first of its kind in Ireland to be accepted by Revenue as an approved training programme when assessing an applicant for Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status.

In a collaboration with Skillnet Ireland, the organisation has also been actively preparing Irish businesses for Brexit through the Clear Customs initiative, a free training programme delivered virtually, as part of Getting Ireland Brexit Ready.

The Clear Customs initiative launched in 2019 has since trained 995 people across 512 companies in customs clearance procedures.

This year they aim to more than double that number as the deadline looms large and businesses need to train for all aspects of dealing with the complexities of new customs regulations.

CILT Skillnet also offers off-the-shelf courses, specifically tailored to meet many of the training needs of businesses that are gearing up for Brexit.

Fitzgerald adds that CILT Skillnet rolled out COVID-19 centered programmes such as Returning to Work and Designated Person earlier this year and these courses helped logistics and transport companies bounce back once the lockdown lifted.

These training programmes will support Irish businesses reorientate themselves to face the challenges posed by the pandemic and the end of the Brexit transition period.