Inishowen Development Partnership Joint CEOs Shauna McClenaghan and Andrew Ward were delighted to welcome such a large attendance to the second event in the #INBusiness series, recently held for the Inishowen Construction, Manufacturing, Transport and Engineering sectors.
Commenting on the success of the morning, Shauna McClenaghan, says, “it was great to see a diverse range of local businesses from the sectors attend this event; we had building contractors, manufacturers, engineering firms, architects, renewable energy companies, electricians, plumbers, and project management staff in the room. It demonstrates how strong a network that exists in Inishowen in terms of future needs as they arise including retrofitting, sustainability, and the opportunities for working together and collaborating that will be needed to meet the challenges in the area.”
The event was opened by Gareth Whitmore, General Manager of Inishowen Co-Op, Director of IDP and Chairperson of Inishowen Skillnet. The engaged attendees listened attentively to information provided throughout the morning.
Keynote speaker and Quantity Surveyor, Claire Irwin, of RTE’s ‘Room to Improve’ provided invaluable insight and expertise into the construction sector and having availed of SEAI opportunities for previous clients; shared her experience and knowledge on accessing grants. Claire also discussed developments coming down the line including new trends in the construction sector that are taking place throughout the country and she advised all contractors in the room to contact Inishowen Development Partnership for assistance in getting registered with SEAI for future projects and obtaining the relevant upskilling course for their employees.
L – R: Gareth Whitmore (Inishowen Co-Op), Eve-Anne McCarron (Donegal LEO), Aine McLaughlin (IDP), Claire Irwin (Irwin Consulting), Shauna McClenaghan (IDP Joint CEO), Ana McColgan (Inishowen Skillnet) and Andrew Ward (IDP Joint CEO). Photo Brendan Diver, Photos From Ireland.
Q & A Section
Eve-Anne McCarron, from Donegal Local Enterprise Office, delivered a fantastic presentation with details of financial supports available to the sector including supports offered such as The Feasibility Grant, Green for Micro and Innovation Vouchers. Details on the work of the Donegal Engineering Cluster was also discussed. Those present were encouraged to contact the organisation directly for further details.
IDP’s Andrew Ward presented information around LEADER supports and reiterating that we are a “listening organisation” and encouraged attendees to come talk to us about their potential projects. Aine McLaughlin delivered a talk on the developments of the SEAI award winning ‘Inishowen SEC’ and the projects included within the Energy Master Plan. Ana McColgan, Inishowen Skillnet, introduced upcoming training and development opportunities relevant to the sector, including collaborations with North West Regional College for an Event Management course and the very much in-demand BER Assessor and Auditor programmes.
Staff from local manufacturing firm, Andoras, commented on the benefits of attending on the day, “it was a really informative morning, we were pleased to attend as we found out about potential supports that could help our business grow and also about training courses that will be of interest to our management team and to our wider staff”.
The aims of the INBusiness series are to bring businesses and entrepreneurs together, to collectively identify gaps and the needs of the Inishowen business community, while allowing IDP and other partner organisations to demonstrate how we can further support you and your business.
To keep up to date with the next INBusiness events follow Inishowen Development Partnership on social media or visit our website: www.inishowen.ie.
See all the photos below by Brendan Diver, Photos From Ireland: