Business Lunch: Launch of Appetite for Growth Report

Launch of Appetite for Growth: Insights into the skills needs of food and drink manufacturers in the West of Ireland.

Regional Skills West and Bia Innovator are delighted to launch Appetite for Growth, an in-depth report providing Insight into the Skills needs of Food and Drink Manufacturers in the West. The manufacture of food and drink products is Ireland's most important indigenous industry with a turnover of €27.5 billion and exports of €13 billion. This report highlights immediate challenges and future concerns for the food and beverage sector in the West, examining the skills deficits and offering potential solutions; it will be used to influence curriculum development to better reflect the needs of industry in partnership between local enterprises and education and training providers. Some of this work is already underway, and a number of new courses will be announced at the launch.

11.00 am Arrival & networking (Tea/coffee on arrival)

11.30 am Launch of report and new courses

11.45 am Summary of Learnings

11.50 am Photographs

12pm Light Lunch

- The BIA Innovator Campus clusters food sector incubation & innovation supports at one location with three buildings spanning 2301 square metres to support over 40 food-related on-site food businesses, hundreds of others will use the facilities. Co-located with Teagasc, Mellows Campus in Athenry, Co. Galway, the BIA Innovator Campus immediately connects into and benefits from an environment with a long and proud tradition of innovation, agriculture, rural development and rural sustainability.

- Regional Skills is an initiative of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Regional Skills West acts as A single contact point in the West to help employers connect with the range of services and supports available across the education and training sector. It also promotes Greater collaboration and utilisation of resources across the education and training system and Provides more robust labour market information and analysis of employer needs to inform programme development.