Tipperary Education and Training Board’s third Explore Programme started in May 2019 in Thurles. The first two groups started in March 2019 and included the following companies; Ribworld, Gleeson Steel, Agritech, Cantwell Engineering and Timberlane Design.

The current group are based in North Tipperary and employees were nominated from two engineering companies: Purcell Engineering and Cantwell Engineering.

The purpose of the Explore Programme is to engage with those working in the manufacturing sector between the ages of 35 to 55 who are are interested in upskilling their digital capacity, or those employees whose upskilling will enhance digital capacity and use within the workplace.

Other employers who might consider Explore as a potential programme Ribworld Fethard provided the following recommendation for Explore:

“We took part in the Explore Initiative to upskill our employees. Five staff in all took part in the programme. Taking part in Explore increased confidence among our employees. It enabled them to acquire new skills in Excel and Powerpoint and gave them the opportunity to practice and use their presentation skills. This would never have had the opportunity to do this in their current role. Explore gave staff the opportunity to look at a task and look at new and better ways of doing work. It allowed them an opportunity to think outside of their current role and tasks and to be more innovative.

Ribworld benefited as it gave our employees an opportunity to upskill. It helps with our current plans to train our employees. They are more employable internally for roles that may come up in the future.

The instructors and those running the course were very well received by our employees. It was a very well organised and well-run programme. We would most definitely recommend it to other employers”.

Ann Harty, Personnel Officer at Ribworld.

Other employers interested in starting an Explore programme for their employees can discuss this opportunity in full with Lavinia English at: lenglish@tipperaryetb.ie or at 087 290 4160.

Tipperary ETB would like to extend a big welcome to the employees of Purcell Engineering and Cantwell Engineering onto our Explore programme