Tag: local

CCPC warns of surge in online scams for Irish consumers

Irish consumers are being targeted by increasingly sophisticated online scams, according to a new set of case studies released by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The warning comes as Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick off the busiest shopping period of the year, creating prime opportunities for scammers to steal from unsuspecting shoppers.

With recent research revealing that almost 40% surveyed expect to make a purchase in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, the CCPC is advising consumers to be extra vigilant and to stop and think before rushing into making a purchase.

The case studies, which date between November 2024 and August 2025, reveal losses ranging from €42 to €20,000 and highlight the wide range of methods used to scam consumers. These include fake websites, phishing emails, fraudulent job offers, rental accommodation scams, and investment fraud.

The CCPC is warning consumers to be especially wary of ads on social media, as scammers are using convincing clones of trusted websites and fake local shops to trick shoppers. To stay safe, always purchase through the retailer’s official website or app rather than clicking on the social media link.

Stop, search and stay safe 

To help consumers shop safely during the peak shopping season, the CCPC advises following three simple steps:

  • Stop: Scammers often create urgency to pressure quick decisions. If something feels off or too good to be true, stop and think before engaging further.
  • Search: Remember that logos, “about us” pages and imagery on websites can be fabricated. Always take a minute to check sites like Trustpilot or Reddit for independent reviews.
  • Stay safe:
    • Watch out for common red flags, including unusually large discounts – “up to 80% off”, unfamiliar websites, recently created social media profiles, and all five-star reviews.
    • Always use a credit card, debit card or trusted payment provider, rather than a direct bank transfer.

Grainne Griffin, director of communications at the CCPC said: 

“As the busiest shopping season of the year kicks off, it’s important that consumers avoid rushing into online purchases and transactions. Online scams have become more and more sophisticated, using convincing images and stories and carefully tailoring their ads to seem like they’re a trustworthy business.

“For the sake of your finances and your safety, take care when shopping online. Don’t let tactics like time-sensitive offers or countdown clocks pressure you into making a decision you might regret.

“Do your research, take your time, and don’t take risks, no matter how tempting the deal – you can lose an awful lot of money in just a few clicks. Always use a credit card, debit card or trusted payment provider like PayPal, rather than a direct bank transfer.”

What to do if you’ve been scammed when shopping online  

If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank or payment provider immediately. You may be able to initiate a chargeback and get your money back, and you may need to freeze your card to prevent further money being taken. An Garda Síochána are responsible for pursuing scam operators so contact your local Garda office and report it and of course you can ask us as many do each year.

For information on the different types of scams and how to spot them, visit ScamUniversity.ie.

Lidl Wins Top Award at the Inaugural Repak Resource Awards

Lidl has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Overall Repak Resource Award at the Repak Resource Awards 2025, Ireland’s National Environmental Awards. The event held at The Shelbourne Hotel, brought together leaders from across Ireland’s business, environmental, and community sectors to celebrate the positive impact of environmental initiatives all across Ireland.
The Repak Resource Awards, formerly known as the Pakman Awards, are Ireland’s National Environmental Awards and recognise exceptional achievements in waste prevention, recycling, reuse, circular design, and community-led environmental initiatives.
Lidl was honoured with the top award, Overall Repak Resource Award, for its leadership and impact in advancing Ireland’s recycling and circular economy goals. Each category winner is eligible for the Overall Repak Resource Award, which celebrates outstanding achievements in recycling, waste management, innovation, and grassroots environmental action.
Lidl was also the recipient of the Best Deposit Return Initiative Award, acknowledging its pioneering role in supporting and implementing Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Lidl committed to an early investment of €50 million for deposit return and implemented a customer-first rollout, featuring two reverse vending machines per store.
The retailer’s innovations, including bulk deposit return machines, efficient backhauling, and the integration of charity donations, have set new standards in sustainable retail operations. To date, more than 300 million containers have been returned through Lidl’s scheme, marking a major milestone in Ireland’s circular economy journey.
Lidl’s achievement reflects the spirit of ‘resource’, showcasing how businesses can innovate, lead, and inspire change through practical sustainability in action. Their success, alongside the 12 other category winners, highlights how Irish organisations are rethinking how resources are used, reused, and valued. From community-led initiatives to circular design breakthroughs, this year’s winners demonstrate the creativity and leadership driving Ireland’s transition to a more resource-conscious future.
The Repak Resource Awards introduced two new categories this year, the Circular Community Award, and the Circular Design Award, celebrating the innovation and impact of communities and designers driving Ireland’s transition to a circular economy.
FoodCloud were awarded the Circular Community Award for tackling food waste and insecurity by redistributing surplus food and educating communities, and by building a nationwide network of community-led food-sharing initiatives grounded in circular economy principles.
Other category winners included KWD Recycling, Killarney, who were awarded the Waste Recovery Operator and Facility Award. One of Ireland’s largest family-owned recycling groups, KWD Recycling have invested in a new Killarney facility to recover recyclables from general waste, diverting over 10% of plastics and 50% of organics from disposal.
The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices were awarded the Environmental Education and Community Initiative Award, for their national campaign which reached over 822,000 people, promoting better waste segregation through research-led messaging, gamification, PR, and ambassador Donal Skehan.
Minister Alan Dillon, Minister for State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with special responsibility for the Circular Economy commented: “Congratulations to all of this evening’s finalists and winners. Your achievements are a powerful reminder that innovation and the drive to do things better are thriving across every sector of society.
The work you do is paving the way for a more circular economy, delivering lasting benefits for our communities, our businesses, and our environment.”
Speaking at the 2025 Repak Resource Awards ceremony, Repak CEO, Zoe Kavanagh said: “We are delighted to celebrate this year’s award winners and to recognise the extraordinary efforts of businesses, organisations, and communities nationwide.
The standard of entrants, finalists, and winners was truly exceptional, reflecting best practice recycling, waste management, circular design, and grassroots environmental action.
I would like to thank our sponsors for their support and extend my congratulations to all our winners, especially the Overall Repak Resource Award for 2025, Lidl, for their exceptional leadership in environmental sustainability.”
The complete list of winners for the Repak Resource Awards 2025 includes:
·        Battery and WEEE Champion Award – Castletroy College, Limerick
·        Best Deposit Return Initiative Award – Lidl Ireland
·                       Best Single-Use Plastic Initiative Award – Glenpatrick Spring Water Ltd & Kilkenny Nutritional Ltd
·        Business Recycling Champion Award – Boots Ireland
·                       Circular Community Award – FoodCloud
·                       Circular Design Award – An Post
·        Environmental Education and Community Initiative Award – Regional Waste Management Planning Offices
·        ESG Leader Award – Jason Carolan, from Aldi Ireland
·        Innovation in Waste Resource Products or Services Award – Flamers Ltd, Mullingar
·        Tyre Champion Award – Addible Ltd
·                      Waste Recovery Operator and Facility Award – KWD Recycling, Killarney
·                     Waste Prevention Award – Rebox
The 2025 Repak Resource Awards are proudly sponsored by AMCS, Circol ELT, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, DNV, Environmental Protection Agency, European Recycling Platform, Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA), Local Authorities of Ireland, Panda, Repak Re-turn, and WEEE Ireland.
For more information, visit https://repak.ie/resource-awards

Ireland’s First Cybersecurity Apprenticeship for Local Government Launched

Local authorities are boosting their cyber-security systems with the official launch of Ireland’s first tailored IT apprenticeship programme for county and city councils.

Ten local authorities across Ireland have joined the initiative, which aims to equip staff with the skills and expertise to protect local government networks and data from cyber-attacks.

The Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Programme, which allows employees to train while they work, was officially launched by Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Marian Harkin and Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, John Cummins in Dundalk, Co Louth. Representatives from the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), which has collaborated with FIT (Fastrack into Information Technology) to deliver the programme, also attended the launch.

The scheme features a 70:30 split between workplace learning and off-the-job training. This means the participants are applying the most up-to-date theoretical knowledge to IT practice in local authorities.

When completed, the programme will equip participants with the skills and knowledge to work in cybersecurity roles within the local government sector, and they will receive an Advanced Certificate in Cybersecurity (NFQ Level 6).

The first cohort of 14 participants began in June, serving their apprenticeships in 10 local authorities and the LGMA.

Minister Harkin said the programme opens doors for new talent but also empowers local government’s existing workforce.

“This apprenticeship is a powerful example of how targeted education and training can support the evolving needs of our public sector,” she said.

“By investing in both new talent and upskilling existing staff, we are not only strengthening cyber resilience within local government, but also building a future-ready workforce equipped to meet the challenges of a digital society. In addition, this programme supports a number of Government priorities, including growing the number of apprentices within the Public Service.

Minister Cummins added: “The Government is committed to expanding apprenticeship and traineeship numbers on a sectoral basis alongside established primary recruitment processes. Today marks an important step in building cyber resilience within local government.

“As global vulnerabilities continue to rise in threatening the security of our IT systems, this pioneering programme showcases the dedication of public servants in safeguarding our communities through stronger cyber resilience. This programme demonstrates the commitment of the local government sector to achieve the targets set out in the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan to provide programmes that offer a route to qualifications and careers in a range of diverse areas and to establish the sector as an employer of choice by attracting, retaining and developing its staff.”

Training takes place online and in person in the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence in Dundalk, where the launch took place.

This initiative supports key goals outlined in the Local Government Digital and ICT Strategy 2030 and the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025, contributing to the development of a skilled digital workforce in the local government sector.

The training programme is being delivered by FIT. CEO Peter Davitt said: “We are proud to launch Ireland’s first workforce development apprenticeship for local government.

“By embracing tech apprenticeships, this model proactively addresses the challenge of skills obsolescence in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, ensuring that public sector digital services remain robust, secure, and future-ready for the benefit of communities nationwide.”

Chief Executive Officer of the LGMA, Pauline Mulligan added: “Upskilling current local authority employees is central to our digital transformation strategy, ensuring that they are equipped with the expertise needed to safeguard public services in an increasingly complex cyber landscape.

“This initiative reflects our commitment to inclusive growth, innovation, and excellence in public service.”

Director of LMETB’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence (AMTCE), Gerard Smith said: “This programme is just one of a wide range of training initiatives AMTCE provides to companies and employees in the cybersecurity space. From foundational awareness to advanced threat detection, our goal is to equip the workforce with the practical skills needed to protect critical infrastructure. Our state-of-the-art Training Security Operations Centre (SOC) enables us to simulate real-world cyber scenarios, ensuring learners are prepared for the threats they’ll face on the ground.”

Click to access the Local Government Digital and ICT Strategy 2030 and the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025

SCÁLA Can Accelerate Your Business Growth.

SCÁLA, the accelerator programme from Local Enterprise Office Donegal, is now open for applications. Scála is targeted at high-potential start-ups and business expansions in the county. 

This exciting programme is unique to Donegal and is built by investors for entrepreneurs. Applications are open for entrepreneurs and senior managers of businesses with the potential to scale their business from Donegal. 

SCÁLA Donegal will target start-up entrepreneurs with the potential for fast growth in a range of sectors such as Tech, Engineering, Blue Economy and Health Sciences. See https://www.localenterprise.ie/Donegal/Training-Events/Scala/

SCÁLA has a particular focus on businesses with the potential for fast growth in sectors such as Tech, Engineering, Manufacturing, Health Sciences and the Blue Economy. This programme also encourages potential spin-outs from existing firms in the county and region, while introducing participants to potential investment funds.

Speaking about the SCÁLA Accelerator, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr. Niamh Kennedy said: ‘’Over the past few years we have seen a number of very positive business expansion plans in Donegal across a range of industries. This programme provides an opportunity for further organic growth in these and other high-performing sectors.’’

 

Jon Geary of Little Mamma’s Gelato, who is a recent past participant of SCÁLA, pictured with co-founder Linda Geary. 

Jon Geary of Little Mamma’s Gelato, who is a recent participant in the programme, said: “SCÁLA provided me with the confidence to grow my business, by helping me to identify a market fit product, build a team and assist in finding relevant funding. The connections made and the expertise gained through this programme were crucial for us as we work towards scaling our business.”

Local Enterprise Office Donegal is collaborating with Skillfluence to implement the programme. Skillfluence provides bespoke training programmes designed to accelerate the needs of entrepreneurs and empower them to translate research into commercial opportunities.

Jamie McCallum of Skillfluence who is running the SCÁLA programme for Local Enterprise Office Donegal

Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office, Donegal, said: “SCÁLA focuses on giving participants a deep understanding of the factors that can drive success, along with the skills to build financial models that stand up to investor scrutiny and industry engagement. The programme will also provide mentorship from leaders in their field, so participants will get valuable insights and advice on ways to adapt their business model as necessary. We will select up to twelve businesses based on the scale of ambition of the founder(s), the potential opportunity in the market chosen, and, most importantly, the businesses we believe can be supported  the most through the SCALA programme. We would encourage potential candidates to apply now and give yourself the best possible chance to be accepted.”

Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office Donegal.  

The deadline for applying to this programme is midnight Friday, 11th April 2025. Following this, up to 12 businesses will be selected for the accelerator, which commences on April 30th, 2025 and will run for 11 weeks, concluding on July 16th, 2025. For more information on the programme and how to apply, visit: https://www.localenterprise.ie/Donegal/Training-Events/Scala/ 

TELUS Digital and Ringmahon Rangers Partner up to Promote Local Sports

For the second year, TELUS Digital has announced their sponsorship of the Ringmahon Rangers AFC, U14s/15s girls team. TELUS Digital has partnered with the football club in the Southside of Cork City, in an effort to support young women who are choosing to pursue sport.

Commenting on the community sponsorship, Miriam Manning, Director of Human Resources at TELUS Digital said: “Ringmahon Rangers FC is right on our doorstep in Cork. We are so proud to sponsor a team here in our community in Mahon. The team are absolute rays of sunshine and their love of the game is clear for all to see. We’re proud to encourage their continued participation, particularly in the early years of their sporting life.”

Ringmahon Rangers AFC was founded in 1951 and is based in the Southside of Cork City. The club offers training for a range of ages from 4 years old to seniors.

THE GIRLS IN GREEN LEGACY: Seeing Televised Professional Sport provides A Real Incentive To Take It Up, But Access To Local Clubs Is Vital

More than 2.4m people watched RTÉ television’s coverage of the Women’s Football World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last summer.  In that tournament, the Republic of Ireland’s game against Canada was the most watched women’s team sport event in Irish TV history with an average of 551,000 viewers.

New research from Royal London, the founding partner of the first British and Irish Lions Women’s Rugby Tour, shows the wider significance of viewing figures like these. Almost one in four (24%) of parents surveyed across Ireland say the more sport is shown on TV, the more likely their children are to take it up. Furthermore, 15% of parents in Ireland say their child took up a team sport after seeing it live professionally, and 15% say their child got into team sports as they were inspired watching a sporting role model on TV. However, the ability to play alongside their friends is also a big draw for children when it comes to sport, with more than one in three (35%) of the parents in Ireland surveyed citing the opportunity to play alongside their friends as the reason their children became interested in sport.

Over a fifth (23%) of parents in Ireland say their children have been involved in team sports due to having access to a local club. When looking at how realistic this is for children across Ireland, more than seven in ten (72%) of adults have a sports club within half an hour of their home. However, one in five (22%) have to travel longer than 30 minutes, while 6% don’t know where their local sports club is. Interestingly, while the numbers were low overall, of the women surveyed, they were seven times as likely as men not to know the location of their local sports club (7pc of women versus 1pc of men).

When reflecting on their own decision to take up team sports, 44% of adults in Ireland did so to play with friends and three in ten (30%) said it was a fun way to keep fit that wasn’t solo. A quarter (25%) were encouraged to play by a teacher or coach.

Shaunagh Brown, professional rugby player for England and Harlequins, says: “This Women’s Lions tour, the first of its kind, will allow more people to witness women playing rugby at a high level. I was interested, but not surprised, that the research showed more adults would consider taking up a team sport if they saw people who looked and sounded like them playing it. To believe you can do it, you have to see someone like you living, breathing and enjoying it. And, even if you don’t end up following a professional path with sport, the benefits you will feel from playing as part of a team in terms of greater confidence, resilience and improved social skills will be with you for the rest of your life.”

Susie Logan, chief marketing officer at Royal London says: “At present, through either a lack of airtime or wider exposure, some women’s sports have not yet been visible enough to inspire future generations.

The blend of seeing it played well on TV and taking it up with friends is key. Team sports create a community and can become an important part of a child’s development. We need to keep striving towards equality at all levels, whether that be what’s televised or at grassroots. Both are essential to create foundations for the future and give every child the inspiration and access they need to thrive playing team sport. This is why we’re proud to partner with the first British and Irish Lions Women’s Rugby Tour.

Royal London has been announced as Founding Partner of the first ever Lions Women’s team. The partnership will see Royal London invest in player development in each of The British & Irish Lions constituent Unions through the delivery of a special elite players’ Pathways Funding grant. The grants will support the elite women’s player and coach pathways in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England, to help Unions develop more players and coaches capable of being selected for the inaugural Lions Women’s Tour. In addition, Royal London will also be investing in women’s and girls’ grassroots rugby across the UK and Ireland in the run-up to the Tour.”

Local digital projects invited to enter the .ie Digital Town Awards 2024

.ie, the trusted national registry for over 330,000 .ie domain names, has announced that entries are now open for the .ie Digital Town Awards 2024.  Now in their 4th year, the .ie Digital Town Awards shine a light on local projects that have a digital element. Town groups, community organisations, regional and national collaboration projects and individual businesses across the country are invited to enter. There is a total prize fund of €60,000 across ten categories and the closing date for entries is Friday 1st March with winners being announced at a Gala awards ceremony in Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath on Friday 24th May 2024.

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD, welcomed the launch of this year’s awards, ‘Not only do these awards highlight the benefits and possibilities of digital transformation in Ireland, they are fundamental to promoting awareness, use and understanding of digital offerings for our communities, for businesses and for our citizens the length and breadth of the country. Since the foundation of the awards, it has been inspiring to see such positive change brought about in local communities across the country through digital innovation.’

Oonagh McCutcheon, National Director of the .ie Digital Town Awards Programme said ‘The .ie Digital Town Awards create a real sense of pride for towns and communities, big and small, that are making massive leaps with digital technologies. We saw a 15% increase in the number of entries we received in 2023 compared to 2022 and as we enter the fourth year of the awards it is incredibly encouraging to see entries coming in from towns and villages the length and breadth of the country’.   

‘We are also delighted to welcome our new pillar sponsor Square on board this year, a digital-first organisation which shares our passion for empowering small businesses and organisations to thrive online. Square joins our long-term supporter and category sponsor, Western Development Commission.

Business technology platform Square has been unveiled as the awards pillar sponsor for 2024. Square allows business owners to sell anywhere, work more efficiently, to support and empower small businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive online. Speaking about the announcement, John O’Beirne, Executive Director of Square in Europe, said ‘We are delighted to be partnering with .ie for this year’s Digital Town Awards. At Square we believe in the power of technology to bring about positive change, from small projects to large companies. We want to help all types of businesses and communities succeed on their own terms and look at what’s possible. Sponsoring the .ie Digital Town Awards allows us to help recognise and reward this digital success in all of its forms.’

The ten categories in the 2024 .ie Digital Town Awards are:

  • Digital Education
  • Digital Tourism
  • Digital Community
  • Digital Business
  • Agri-tech
  • Digital Sustainability
  • Digital Newcomer
  • Digital Rising Star
  • Digital Change Maker
  • Digital Local Hero

Digital Sustainability, Agri-Tech and Digital Newcomer categories were new additions to the awards in 2023.

The Digital Sustainability category recognises projects which harness digital transformation, such as enhanced connectivity and the Internet of Things (IoT), to improve the environment and support sustainable business operations. The winner in 2023 was Hollymount, Mayo with Eco-powered Cabinets: Two eco-powered cabinets were installed on Croagh Patrick, to securely store defibrillators and life-saving medications to treat cardiac arrests.

The Agri-tech category recognises projects which aim to help the farming community by using digital technology to improve efficiency and profitability. Clonmel, Tipperary were the winners of this category in 2023 with the Smart Skills for Farming Communities project. The initiative was developed to help farmers use new technologies to make their work easier, save time and money as well as improving the sustainability and profitability of their farm. 60% of farmers report that there are barriers to digital training and supports. This project addresses that problem by providing very practical digital training in areas such as soil fertility technology; grassland management technology; tech for time and labour saving; and farm management systems and useful Apps. This project was also selected as the overall winner in 2023.

The Digital Newcomer category is for projects at the early stage of development that are harnessing the benefits of digital to promote a local initiative. Portumna, Galway were winners of this category in 2023 with a project to give the gift of stories to future generations by recording Family Histories.

The 2023 winner case study videos are available to view here.

The Awards are open to community organisations, town groups, regional or national collaboration projects and individual businesses who can demonstrate positive impacts of digital strategies. All categories are now open to businesses that use a digital element within their service.

Closing date for entry submissions is Friday 1st March 2024.

 

Spencer Dock Transforms for Culture Night as Local Community, HubSpot, and A Playful City Celebrate a Year of Creativity and Trust Building

Through a series of hugely successful projects and workshops, A Playful City has been collaborating with young people from SWAN Youth Service living in Dublin’s North East City to transform their community by constructing pop-up spaces for them to socialise, interact and play with their peers in an exciting project funded by HubSpot.

Culture Night 2023, taking place on September 22, is the perfect opportunity to showcase how A Playful City through its collaboration with local partners including SWAN Youth Service, HubSpot and Dublin City Council, and especially the local youth community who have activated public spaces in hugely positive ways that are often overlooked.

On Spencer Dock on Culture Night, the young entrepreneurs, artists and chefs will be serving up a night of fun and culture for all the community. Rosemary, basil and rocket lettuce, all grown in nearby Mud Island Community Garden, will be harvested and used to embellish the pizzas cooked up on site for Culture Night. Poems that have been composed in workshops with award-winning performers such as FeliSpeaks will be exhibited in the public arena and an illustrator will top the night off with live drawing throughout the night.

Through vision, imagination and mentorship from HubSpotters, and with funding from key partners, A Playful City, a locally-based not-for-profit is helping to activate public spaces for the common good and giving a much needed outlet to young people in the local community.

“Culture Night 2023 is such a fitting way for all the community in the North East Inner City to come together and celebrate the many constructive and creative ways they’ve worked to help improve public spaces in their local environment,” said Neasa Ni Bhriain, Creative Director of A Playful City.

“Public spaces are so important in unlocking the talent and imagination of our young people,” Ni Bhriain said, adding that it was important we celebrate and champion what’s been achieved in the past year.

One of the stars on Culture Night will be the specially designed Enterprise Mobile, which will be utilised by local young people in conjunction with A Playful City. The nifty mobile unit, designed with sustainability in mind and managed by the young people from the community, can be turned into a pop-up stall and used for a variety of events such as showcasing their entrepreneurial endeavours. As well as being central to Culture Night, it will be used by young people in the North East Inner City for many years to come.

Working closely with HubSpot, based on Spencer Dock, A Playful City has coordinated a series of “Mentor Moments” in which HubSpotters from around the globe have provided valuable insights and shared ideas with the young people in a collaborative and creative way.

“It’s been hugely rewarding to meet and collaborate with the young people from our community,” said Eimear Marrinan, VP of Culture and ESG at HubSpot. “They’ve been as eager to learn as we have been to share our knowledge around entrepreneurship and skill development. We are really looking forward to coming together and celebrating their talents with the community we work and live in on Culture Night.”

Commenting on the positive results that come from when young people are entrusted with public spaces, Eibhlín Harrington, a project leader from SWAN Youth Service, said, “So often we hear negative stories about young people and public spaces, when in fact, here in the North East Inner City, they have accomplished so much, provided they are entrusted with spaces in their neighbourhood, and that we all work together as a community to foster trust, respect, and creativity.

“There is an incredible amount of talent, drive and creativity amongst the young people in the NEIC and Culture Night on Spencer Dock is the ideal opportunity to showcase this to the community and reimagine what is possible in our public spaces,” she added.

Google to host in-person digital training series for SMEs

Google has today announced a new training programme aimed at supporting SMEs in Ireland. You’re The Business Live Sessions, hosted in Google’s Dublin offices, will include five in-person training sessions suitable to SMEs at the early stages of their digital journey right through to those more digitally-sophisticated businesses who are ready to export globally.

The initiative is part of the You’re the Business programme, an initiative created by Google, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices last year to help upskill Irish SMEs. The You’re the Business programme aims to help accelerate Irish SME growth through digitalisation, which is in support of the Irish government’s ambitious goals around SME digitalisation and internationalisation.

Today’s announcement follows recent Google Search data which found that Irish people are increasingly seeking to gain new certifications, particularly in digital skills. The last year has seen increases in searches for certifications in UX Design (+80%), IT Support (+60%), Data Analytics (+60%) and Project Management (+50%).  There has also been a 180% rise in searches for “artificial intelligence courses” over the last five years, with an increase of 150% for data science-related courses.

Cera Ward, Managing Director at  Google Ireland  said:

“Our partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices was devised following research last year that identified gaps in the digital capabilities of Ireland’s SMEs. It found that only 45% of Irish SMEs had a website while 50% said they lacked the basic knowledge about which digital skills to prioritise and invest in.  Irish SMEs need support which is why we partnered with Enterprise Ireland to launch You’re The Business last year and we’re delighted to continue our partnership for the benefit of SMEs in Ireland in 2023.”

The first training session will take place on Friday 15 September with live and in-person modules occurring every two weeks in Google’s Dublin headquarters. The five online training modules will help Irish SMEs to:

 

  • Get your business online

  • Help your business grow online

  • Ensure your business is secure online

  • Get your business to go global

  • Boost your productivity with AI

 

To sign up for these live training modules or for further information, please visit: rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/ytblive.