The downturn in employment is marked particularly in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors and, given the reliance on these sectors,
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), the Department of Environment 1 NUTS III level:
and the Gateways Investment Priorities,(Fitzpatricks Associates, Consultants, Doehlg and Forfã¡s 2004), and complements the NCC report:
ï§Informed the work of the Midwest Task force appointed by the Tánaiste and supported
from its endowment of natural resources, population, labour, its economic and social capital, infrastructure and its location relative to markets.
Enterprise Dynamic assessing the enterprise structure, employment and GVA, the contribution from agency supported enterprises,
labour/talent Leadership and Strategic Capacity outlining relevant organisations and indications of locally driven initiatives
This leaves a potential gap in terms of designated regional leadership and authority to ensure adherence to the RPGS post 2010.
ï§Rising unemployment and reskilling ï§The †new†unemployed ï§Innovation ï§Supports for SMES
Rising Unemployment and Reskilling The current economic downturn has resulted in a significant increase in unemployment across
the country, primarily within construction, retail/hospitality and manufacturing activities FÃ S and the VECS have the infrastructures in place to address the skills
which unemployment has been increasing and uncertainty have exacerbated fears and a call for action. Many identified the need for a more in depth understanding of the regional skills
employment that would in turn inform the type of training and/or reskilling required Much of this has been addressed by a recent Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN
report which acknowledged that regional skills differences do exist and highlighted challenges being experienced within regions19.
s contends that continued up-skilling for those IN employment is equally important 19 FGS Consulting (2008) Developing and Coordinating Skills at the Regional Level (unpublished report
are finding themselves without work and with uncertain prospects in the short term. The interest in entrepreneurship has increased significantly
are searchable by technology/capability and not based on a †research centre†promotion Fig (i) Activities that Stimulate Innovation
Much of this work is undertaken at national level, and cross -agency collaboration has been effective in this regard over recent years.
outside of the main gateway centres and to create significant employment and regional dynamic24, and is of vital importance
ï§There has been a reduction in the number of †unskilled†within the labour force over the
ï§Productivity levels (using GVA31 per worker as an indicator) are considerably lower than the State average
ï§70%of agency supported employment is in indigenous companies: substantially higher than the national average of 50
ï§The food sector (including fishing) remains a significant employer, although many companies are engaged in lower value processing,
Unemployment (Q1 2009) 11.7%10.2%8. 9 %Employment Growth 1998-2008 38%33%22 %GVA per worker (productivity) â 59,774 â 76,799 â 103,104
GVA per person â 26,566 â 36,606 â 51,596 Educational Attainment 3rd level 23.4%29.1%35.9
%HERD%of national total 0. 8%100%50.0 %BERD%of national total 3. 9%100%41.8
Marked decline in Mfg employment compared to national average (98-08 -13%-4%-8 %More dependent on growth in retail
employment than national average 22%15%13 %31 GVA †Gross Value Added †the value of the region†s output less intermediate materials and services
Manufacturing employment declined however over the 1998-2008 period in line with the decrease nationally ï§Medical Devices is the most significant employer within the exporting sectors and
continues to demonstrate strong employment growth. There is also a strong ICT software) base and a growing creative sector and activities (including digital media
This'combination'of sectors provides an excellent base for development within the context of increased convergence of technologies and sectors
Unemployment (Q4 2009) 11%10.2%8. 9 %Employment Growth 1998-2008 37%33%22 %GVA per worker (productivity) â 58,922 â 76,799 â 103,104
GVA per person â 27,469 â 36,606 â 51,596 Educational Attainment 3rd level 27.5%29.1%35.9
%HERD%of national total 13.7%100%50.0 %BERD%of national total 12.5%100%41.8 %Regional Differentiation
Public sector Employment 26%23%23 %Entrepreneurship (Early Stage as a %of the Population 10%8%8
commute to the GDA to work. The Midland's central location and close proximity to Dublin
The skills development and unemployment issues faced by the Midlands region mirror those which are being experienced nationally,
mid 2008-which is now having a significant impact on unemployment levels which at 11.7%(2008) is the highest in the State
Unemployment (Q4 2009) 11.7 10.2%8. 9 %Employment Growth 1998-2008 45%33%22 %GVA per worker (productivity) â 53,216 â 76,799 â 103,104
GVA per person â 24,496 â 36,606 â 51,596 Educational Attainment 3rd level 22.7%29.1%35.9
%HERD%of national total 0. 3%100%50.0 %BERD%of national total 9. 5%100%41.8
%of Employment Growth due to construction (1998-2007 31%26%21 %ï§The engineering skill-sets and materials research capabilities in the region are key assets
employees emerging from the declining construction sector in particular is required (FAS Skillnets ï§Efforts should be made to encourage professionals who have been made unemployed
and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively to achieve objectives Points of interest and potential
Unemployment (Q4 2009) 9. 9%10.2%8. 9 %Employment Growth 1998-2008 32%33%22
%GVA per worker (productivity) â 91,366 â 76,799 â 103,104 GVA per person â 42,961 â 36,606 â 51,596
Educational Attainment 3rd level 28.6%29.1%35.9 %HERD%of national total 20.7%100%50.0 %BERD%of national total 11.4%100%41.8
HEIS to consider work placement where students would take up opportunities in a flexible and cost effective way42
ï§Informed by employment trends and the existing enterprise base, the regionally based workshop highlighted potential in the areas of Medical Technologies, taking advantage of
Unemployment (Q1 2009) 11.4%10.2%8. 9 %Employment Growth 1998-2008 27%33%22 %GVA per worker (productivity) â 66,098 â 76,799 â 103,104
GVA per person â 31,859 â 36,606 â 51,596 Educational Attainment 3rd level 26.5%29.1%35.9
%HERD%of national total 8. 9%100%50.0 %BERD%of national total 11.9%100%41.8
Manufacturing Employment 18%14%11 %ï§The proportion of people with a 3rd level degree or higher in the Midwest is
44 Dell plans to retain approximately 1, 200 people in employment in Limerick FORFÃ S REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDAS:
45 This work has contributed to the deliberations of the Midwest Task force appointed by the Tá
but also presents an opportunity to work with this distinctive diversity through a more coordinated regional approach.
Unemployment (Q4 2009) 11.4%10.2%8. 9 %Employment Growth 1998-2008 40%33%22 %GVA per worker (productivity) â 57,864 â 76,799 â 103,104
GVA per person â 26,735 â 36,606 â 51,596 Educational Attainment 3rd level 23%29.1%35.9
%HERD%of national total 1. 6%100%50.0 %BERD%of national total 4. 4%100%41.8
Agricultural Employment 9%6%2 %Manufacturing Employment 17%14%11 %47 CSO Population & Migration Estimates, April 2009
FORFÃ S REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDAS: OVERVIEW, FINDINGS & ACTIONS 28 Key points of interest and potential
ï§The region has benefited from a strong international brands through the promotion of Waterford Crystal, Kilkenny Medieval City and Wexford Opera
ï§Contributing 9%to overall employment, the agricultural sector remains a significant part of the Southeast economy.
prominent sectors in employment terms are the public sector, the financial services sector, and the retail trade sector.
employment was not dominated by construction sector during Ireland†s period of rapid economic growth Points of Interest
ï§Employment in the East (Dublin and Mideast) grew by 32%between 1998 and 2008
However, unemployment has risen sharply over the last twelve months, rising from a rate of 4. 6%at the end of 2007 to almost 9%in early 2009
ï§ICT services accounts for over a third of agency supported employment, and has seen the
Unemployment (Q1 2009) 8. 9%9. 2%10.2 %Employment Growth 1998-2008 22%50%33
%GVA per worker (productivity) â 103,104 â 57,871 â 76,799 GVA per person â 51,596 â 28,387 â 36,606
Educational Attainment 3rd level 35.9%30.8%29.1 %HERD%of national total 50.0%4. 1%100
Tà snua (translated as †New Startâ€) is a response to the increasing number job cuts recently in
Education, Enterprise and Employment. Its website presents a comprehensive overview of the range of supports available, enables on-line requests for meetings with relevant agencies
involved in the promotion and encouragement of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the Southeast region. The Forum recognises that a critical element to the success of the South
The Department for Employment and Learning in Northern ireland, sought to drive the implementation of their Skills Strategy through six regionally based employer-led Workforce
Development Fora (WDF. The role of these fora was to identify and articulate the skills needs
and sub-regional employment and skills needs to ensure that appropriate responses are planned and delivered across NI
A report commissioned by the Department of Employment and Learning undertook a review of the WDF and outlines a clear mandate and recommendations to increase the effectiveness of
recruitment of a UK based company, H2o Networks (see link below), to provide a fibre
Employment by Sector and Region, Q4 2008 Source: CSO, Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) Database Direct
Employment in Enterprise Agency Supported Companies, Selected Sectors 2008 Source: Forfã¡s Annual Employment Survey, 2008
Table A2. 1 GVA Statistics by Region Distribution of GVA across Regions %GVA per Person at
Productivity Levels as measured by GVA per worker (State=100 %Source: CSO National Accounts, Database Direct
the impacts in terms of a decline in economic activity and increases in unemployment. The more recent downturn in employment is marked particularly in both the construction and
manufacturing sectors and has greater implications for the regions outside of the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) in the medium term
and will choose where they want to live and work. Quality of life factors take on a new dimension in this context
an attractive quality of life †basically a good place to work, live and to do business In this context it is important that a location
Enterprise Dynamic assessing the enterprise structure, employment and GVA, the contribution from agency supported enterprises,
labour/talent Leadership and Strategic Capacity outlining relevant organisations and indications of locally driven initiatives
The Southeast region exhibited strong employment growth over the period 1998-2008 and not unlike other regions in Ireland, this growth was driven by considerable expansion within
the construction and public sectors. Employment growth in construction activities was particularly strong in the Southeast and suggests that the recent and dramatic down-turn in
boosted manufacturing employment and have helped to offset decline in the more established manufacturing sectors. However, continuing cost pressures, particularly in more labour
intensive activities, combined with the deteriorating economic conditions globally present serious challenges in the immediate future
The agricultural sector contributes 9%to overall employment, greater than the national average of 6%.This is complemented by the employment provided by strong international
food processing companies Although the performance of the region in terms of High Potential Start up (HPSU) 6 companies
development needs of those employees emerging from these sectors and from the construction sector as they experience contraction in the current difficult economic
likely to achieve significant growth in 3 years (sales of â 1m per annum and employment of
region is to ensure greater co-ordination in the promotion and preservation of the natural
and perhaps also a missed opportunity to work with this distinctive diversity through a more
The industry profile for the region demonstrates high levels of employment in construction agriculture and manufacturing, coupled with relatively lower levels of educational attainment
needs of those employees emerging from sectors that demonstrated strong growth over the period to 2008,
stimulate employment opportunities in particular The areas outlined below were highlighted during the regionally based workshop9 and one-to
-one consultation, informed by employment trends and the existing enterprise base. The outline for each sector that follows demonstrates the suite of assets that provide a platform
overall employment. This is on a par with the West region and higher than all others.
significant employers and exporters. The map overleaf highlights some of the enterprise and research strengths of the agribusiness sector (particularly food in this instance) in the South
ilte Ireland is the primary state agency responsible for tourism promotion. In its most recent operational plan, the agency sets the objective of achieving revenues of â 600m in the
The continued development and promotion of such heritage sites in the region, of which there are many,
outsourcing, supply-chain/procurement, IT operations, human resources and finance/transaction processing In Ireland, services that are traded internationally currently account for 43%of Irish exports
region has a lower than average proportion of employment overall in services activities Moreover, services growth (excluding the public sector) contributed significantly less in terms
of employment creation in the Southeast (38%)than it did nationally (50%)over the past 10
While overall growth in the sector has been relatively slow, employment in internationally traded services has been far more rapid.
Employment levels in agency supported firms (typically internationally trading) almost quadrupled over the 1998 †2008
availability of skilled people as against a tighter labour market in Dublin, and a lower relative
The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, in its commentary on IFS noted that despite the
18 Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (December 2007) The Future Skills and Research Needs of the
With 160 active staff and students, the TSSG is a significant pool of specialist expertise within
the Southeast (and is itself a significant employer. The Group promotes a trans-disciplinary approach, combining mainly engineering, computing and business,
companies21 within the sector account for just over one-fifth of employment overall, having almost doubled between 1998 and 2008, to over 6, 500.
s, Annual Employment Survey, 2008 FORFÃ S REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDA: REALISING POTENTIAL: SOUTHEAST 20 ï¿
partnerships and through labour market dynamics The Southeast is placed well to leverage its particular strengths in manufacturing to support
and an ability to work in multidisciplinary environments22. The HEIS in the region will have a key role to play in developing and
face unemployment, many are stimulated to develop their own businesses and consider entrepreneurship as a realistic option.
involved in the promotion and encouragement of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the South -East region.
unemployment and the proactive Enterprisestart initiative currently being rolled out regionally by EI in conjunction with the CEBS
In addition, current labour market trends have seen increasing levels of highly skilled people becoming unemployed. Although the scale of the
researchers, sectoral experts and entrepreneurs for on the spot brain -storming and knowledge sharing on successful commercialisation strategies
configuration presents considerable choice in terms of housing, employment, recreation shopping, entertainment etc. From a regional competitiveness perspective, quality of life
unemployment, a focus on building a stronger community spirit throughout the region could have a very positive impact on quality of life in general.
positive benefits is the promotion of volunteerism. A high profile example of how volunteerism can reap significant benefits is the annual Spraoi festival in Waterford City
Large scale unemployment makes skill retention and development a daunting task. A number of issues are at play, the resolution
labour force to take greater advantage of an economic up-turn when it arrives The principal actors in such interventions will
Skills related labour market interventions at both national and regional level will need to realise the following aims
which will enable them to improve their employment prospects. Those still in education should be encouraged strongly to obtain minimum level qualifications before entering the
labour force Of paramount importance will be the role of third level educational providers in the region
increasing number of job cuts recently in Limerick and the Midwest region FORFÃ S REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDA:
workers whose skill sets are less in demand. Again, the Iots in the region will have a key role
government and it seeks to facilitate the supply of appropriately skilled labour to local employers by identifying regional skills needs
and the means to address them. Such a forum could be established in other parts of the country,
In the context of rising unemployment across a wide range of sectors and professions, the
Encourage an innovative mindset in the region through the promotion of examples of successful innovation from across the public and private sector
considering innovative delivery/access)- focusing on people in the labour force with basic/sector-specific qualifications who are seeking to broaden their potential
employment options Physical Infrastructures Broadband ï¿High quality and pervasive broadband is a fundamental enterprise and quality of life
indicators including increased exports, productivity, innovation and employment Enterprise Ireland Enterprise Ireland†s core objective is to drive export growth by creating and growing
accounts for approximately 8%of total employment in the region, and is dominated by firms 32 This overview represents a selection of existing agencies,
Employment in EI supported companies in the Southeast, by sector (2008 Source: Forfã¡s, Annual Employment Survey, 2008
Enterprise Ireland has supported the development of 15 Community Enterprise Centres across the region, with one in Carlow, two in Kilkenny, seven in Waterford, three in Wexford and
EI also works closely with the CEBS in the region, for example, enabling access to the EI
for approximately 5%of total employment in the region and is dominated by firms in the ICT
Employment in IDA supported companies in the Southeast, by sector (2008 Source: Forfã¡s Annual Employment Survey, 2008
A key activity for IDA in the regional context is the development of a strong value propositions
economic mission seeks to encourage new investment and employment opportunities in Gaeltacht areas The Gaeltacht covers parts of counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry †along the western
Cooperating and collaborating with other statutory bodies in the promotion and encouragement of oriented basic research;
and Employment Authority and provides training courses apprenticeship programmes and re-skilling/supports. The FÃ S Corporate Strategy sets out the
strategic direction taken by the Authority and outlines the action that it will take to progress
jobseekers and the unemployed, workforce development, labour market policy, social inclusion, equality and diversity, and customer service.
FÃ S has six employment services offices in the Southeast Region and two Regional Training Centres (located in Waterford and
outreach centres and also via an executive and management development programmes for the tourism industry
Skillnets provides industry specific training programmes to employees of networks of firms based on their defined needs.
Trade and Employment FORFÃ S REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AGENDA: REALISING POTENTIAL: SOUTHEAST 43 Appendix 2 IDA Business & Technological Parks
and learning techniques are offered Keywords: Digital technologies; Social media; Networked society; Mobile media Introduction Innovative uses of emerging technologies are enabling a fundamental transformation of the
As Thomas Kuhn noted in his seminal work, paradigm shift involves changing the basic assumptions that underlie an entire discipline (1962
immediate Industrial Age where information workers were prized In 2014 education is at the dawn of a third paradigm of education.
including the 1968 student strike, Prof. Edwin Armstrong†s invention of FM radio, and nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi†s early work leading to the
Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of engineering education, 93 (3), 223-231
-priate strategic employment of informa -tion technology (IT) may be essential in translating strategies (e g.,, innovation
Prior works, for the most part ignore the processes involved in the use of IT as a means of generating greater
SMES (6†499 employees) with the key respondent (owner, chief executive officer CEO, director) in a knowledge
employee category with a small minority of firms larger than 100 employees n=18. We tested for potentially con
-founding effects associated with cross -industrial surveys and found no statistically significant differences on the
number of IT employees; and (4 number of personal computers and ter -minals per employee Firm Performance.
The firms partici -pating in this study were SMES that were traded not publicly. Like many of
and to hire employees that are capable of utilizing IT to implement competitive business-level strategies
Organizational Factors, †Ergonomics 40 (2), 851†871 Cooper, J. 1998. â€oea Multidimensional Approach to the Adoption of Innova
Doesn†t Always Work: Continuing the Search for Consistency in Innovation Research, †Academy of Management
Academy of Management Executive 8 (4), 47†57 Freel, M. S. 2003. â€oesectoral Patterns of
that balance employee protection with the interests of employers. Moreover, public institutions in Switzerland are among the most effective and transparent in the
world (5th. Governance structures ensure a level playing field, enhancing business confidence; these include an independent judiciary, a strong rule of law, and a
subpillar), where a lack of flexibility in wage determination and the high cost of firing hinder job creation, particularly
during business cycle downturns. In addition, improving the quality of the educational system†where the country continues to trail its top 10 peers at 28th
wages, firing, and therefore hiring, more workers than in the other Nordics and than most European countries
more generally Canada falls two positions to 14th place in this year†s rankings. Although Canada continues to benefit
been successful in nurturing its human resources compared with other advanced economies (it is ranked 7th for health and primary education and 15th for
and a decline in the extent to which staff is being trained at the workplace Norway is ranked 15th this year, up by one
place and showing progress in a number of areas Specifically, the country features a notable improvement
111th both because of the strict rules on firing and hiring and the rather conflict-ridden labor-employer relations
in the country. The tax regime in the country is also perceived as highly distortive to business decisions
market efficiency, hindering employment creation Italy†s financial markets are developed not sufficiently to provide needed finance for business development (111th
must focus on building up its human resources base through better primary education and healthcare (63rd and higher education and training (74th), increasing the
R&d and technological capacity (118th) work against developing the country†s overall capacity to innovate and
in wage determination (144th) that does not match pay to productivity (143rd. As Uruguay†s economy moves
and firing staff (54th and wage determination (43rd), efficient financial market development (41st), and the intensity of local competition
46th). ) However, its competitiveness is hampered by a weak public institutional setup (130th) and hindered by
Addressing the unemployment challenge will remain the key economic priority of the region as a whole for the foreseeable future
sufficient to create the employment necessary to absorb the about 60,000 new entrants into the Jordanian
to increase employment in the medium term Sub-saharan africa Sub-saharan africa has grown impressively over the last 15 years:
and firing practices (143rd), a lack of flexibility in wage determination by companies (140th), and significant
tensions in labor-employer relations (144th. Efforts must also be made to increase the university enrollment rate in order to better develop its innovation potential
efficient†it has stringent hiring and firing practices 78th) and wages that are determined not flexibly (108th
reducing the incentive for job creation in the country Rwanda moves up by seven places this year to
to its human resources base. Education enrollment rates at all levels remain low by international standards and the quality of the educational system receives
human resources by improving the health and education levels of the country†s workforce, as well as encouraging
labor force (5th) and reasonable redundancy costs On the other hand, infrastructure in the country is underdeveloped (132nd), with low-quality roads and
unemployment, are investing in the healthcare system and primary education (137th) as well as higher education and training (138th
summarises the conclusions of this work 2 The Supergreen Project Supergreen1 is a 3 year Coordination
-turers, research and academic works, and the project consortium. The survey resulted in a list of 200 representative technologies of the following categories
The matrix was populated based on expert judgement from both inside and outside Supergreen. The results are publicly
After an extended review on industry and academic works 8†11, the impact of the 58 green technologies on the KPIS was quantified.
European Railway Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS), expert charging systems, single-window systems and other ICTS examined.
•Expert charging systems •Centralised transportation management systems •Decentralised transportation management systems •Broadcasting, monitoring and communication systems
scenarios were compiled by individual experts or subgroups of experts, during the Genoa workshop. The material was collected and processed, resulting in a corri
4. 3 Implementation of Expert Charging ICT in the Brenner Corridor We have selected to present one example among the scenarios of Table 4, on the
2 Brenner Road Expert charging 3 Brenner Rail ERTMS 4 Two seas Road Broadcasting 5 Silk way Maritime Emissions calc
4. 3. 1 General Description of Expert Charging ICT EC countries are implementing various ICT regarding nationwide road pricing
4. 3. 2 Expert Charging ICT Status on Corridor There are four countries involved in the corridor:
In Germany, an expert charging system for trucks is implemented already the so-called LKW-Maut. In January 2004, Austria introduced an electronic toll
4. 3. 3 Benchmarking of Expert Charging ICT As a result of the truck tolling program implementation in Brenner Corridor
This work revealed the need for adequate and consistent statistical information on transport corridor flows that would allow a precise quantification of the European
It is our belief that the results of this work support the general conclusion that the
Acknowledgments Our work was supported by the European commission within the 7th Framework Programme under project grant agreement TREN/FP7TR/233573/††SUPER
4. 3 Implementation of Expert Charging ICT in the Brenner Corridor 4. 3. 1 General Description of Expert Charging ICT
4. 3. 2 Expert Charging ICT Status on Corridor 4. 3. 3 Benchmarking of Expert Charging ICT
5†Conclusions 5. 1 Green Technologies and Corridors 5. 2 Smart ICTS and Corridors Acknowledgments
References
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