Relative to our international peers, as an economy Ireland currently stands to experience significant competitiveness challenges from Brexit and international tax reforms, as well as from our existing laggard status in completing the low carbon transition.
Protecting our competitiveness will be key to weathering an exceptionally volatile external environment and reaping the long-term opportunities that economic reopening can bring. This can only be done by controlling costs where we can and prioritising strategic investments in innovation, digitalisation and skills.
Recognising these challenges, the Ibec Academy offers innovative and dynamic courses designed to further support organisations to adapt and thrive in the changing world we live in.
'Investment in human capital is the cornerstone to ensuring our workforces are equipped with high-quality skillsets'
Says Jenny Hayes, head of Ibec Academy: “As one of Ireland’s leading providers of premium management development programmes for over 30 years, Ibec recognises that people are at the heart of vibrant, sustainable and prosperous societies.
“Investment in human capital is the cornerstone to ensuring our workforces are equipped with high-quality skillsets that are so crucial to sustaining the country’s long-term national productivity and economic competitiveness. The evolution of the Ibec Academy will more effectively support businesses adapt to this change.”
Ibec’s recent HR Update 2021 report on workplace trends and insights highlighted these changes. This extensive report identified two overall dominant trends: skills shortages combined with upward wage pressure are leading to an increasingly competitive talent market, while hybrid working is increasingly seen as key to securing talent.
The report highlights that investment in leadership and social influence skills and self-management skills (eg resilience, stress management) are the two most popular areas of investment, at 42 and 41 per cent respectively. Skills in communication (38 per cent), managing remote teams (37 per cent) and teamwork/collaboration (34 per cent) are also popular and will be important for effective hybrid working.
Salient trends
The Ibec Academy offers programmes that address the most salient trends now shaping the future of work and the top management topics and challenges in areas such as remote and hybrid work, leadership and managing people. Other courses are also available in key areas such as environmental, social & governance (ESG), strategy, innovation, diversity & inclusion, emotional intelligence, leading through change, resilience, and wellbeing strategies.
The uncertainty posed by Covid disruptions over the past 20 months has also increasingly shone a light on challenges to the mental and physical wellbeing of our communities. A positive, proactive approach to the promotion of mental and physical wellbeing can lead to benefits for individuals and organisations alike, including improvements in productivity, employee engagement and reduced levels of absenteeism among others. The KeepWell Mark™ from Ibec recognises and lends support to those organisations that put the wellbeing of employees at the forefront of company policy.
What sets the Ibec Academy apart is Ibec's unique ecosystem of diverse members, experts and trade associations
The Ibec Academy is part of Ibec, Ireland’s largest lobby and business representative group. Our purpose is to help build a better, sustainable future by influencing, supporting and delivering for business success. With more than 250 employees, Ibec engages with key stakeholders in Ireland and internationally through our six regional offices and our Brussels office, along with an extensive international network in the UK and US.
Ibec’s unique position is shaped by our diverse membership, which ranges from small to large, domestic to multinational, and our 40 trade associations, which cover a wide range of industry sectors. Ibec members employ more than 70 per cent of the private sector workforce in Ireland.
With its deep understanding of Irish business and industry and its strong partnering culture, the Ibec Academy delivers impactful learning by bringing real-world application and emergent thinking to its Management, Employment Law, Industrial Relations, Occupational Health & Safety, Human Resource Management, Executive Development, Strategy and Innovation programmes.
In 2021, the Ibec Academy ran more than 64 accredited diploma and certificates programmes and 300 open programmes, with more than 6,000 managers trained online. More than 300 proud graduates also received their Ibec/TU Dublin accredited awards on completion of their management and OHS programmes during 2021.