Company Development "Cluster" Programme

Source: Training and Employment Authority

In response to a recommendation in the report on the "Task Force on Small Business", FÁS has introduced a Pilot Programme to develop owner/managers of small business.

The scheme is aimed at small companies in an early stage of development, with turnover under £3m and less than 50 employees. In exceptional cases mature companies in an expansion phase will be included. The cost to FÁS of the scheme is £5,000 per company over a year with a contribution of £300 from each company.

The Programme is targeted at companies in the early years of their development. Training of a focused nature will be provided by clustering 10 companies in each region and will have available to them the services of a panel of trainers covering finance, marketing, production and quality control. Following an assessment of the company needs at the start of the programme in order to identify the areas in which training should be concentrated, each company will have at their disposal nineteen days access to the panel using one or more of the trainers over a twelve month period.

This approach will take into account the particular training needs of each company, which varies due to company size, rate of growth or the particular needs of the owner/manager. All of the training will take place in-company, but where a common training need has been identified e.g. costing, evening or weekend courses will be provided to address these needs.

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