Skillnet Ireland has been awarded the Best Not for Profit Collaboration or Partnership at the 2020 Irish Institute of Training & Development (IITD) National Training Awards (livestreamed on Friday 25 September). Now in its twenty-second year, the IITD National Training Awards is recognised as the premier Learning & Development event for industry and promotes excellence, best practice and innovation in training and learning & development.
The award was given to Skillnet Ireland for its Clear Customs programme and recognises an innovative multi-stakeholder collaborative approach to building critical Customs capacity within Irish businesses as part of the Getting Ireland BREXIT Ready campaign.
In its 2020 form, Clear Customs offers free training, delivered via virtual live-classes and app-based learning, to Customs intermediaries and to private sector businesses in Ireland who frequently trade with or through the UK. The programme is designed by Skillnet Ireland and delivered by CILT Skillnet, in close collaboration with the Department of an Taoiseach, Enterprise Ireland, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Irish Exporters Association, the Irish International Freight Association and Institute of Technology, Carlow.
Clear Customs aims to boost capacity amongst many Irish businesses that regularly trade with or through the UK and will seek to help ensure that goods move smoothly on and off our island from 1st January 2021. Demand for the programme was unprecedented in 2019 and brought this innovative programme to 669 participants in 375 businesses. With a newly updated programme delivery via a mobile app and virtual classrooms, applications to the programme have been strong since it relaunched in early-September 2020, surpassing 1,000 applicants so far.
Commenting on the award, Tracey Donnery, Executive Director of Skillnet Ireland said;
“We are delighted that the Skillnet Ireland Clear Customs programme, delivered by CILT Skillnet, was recognised by IITD National Training Awards today. Clear Customs was designed in collaboration with key industry bodies in the trade and logistics sector, ensuring the programme was both innovative and delivers concrete value to businesses. Clear Customs is now available through a new mobile app. All businesses that trade with or through Great Britain are urged to avail of this free programme and be prepared for customs changes from 1st January 2021.”
IIFA was delighted to have had the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of this positive training initiative in 2019, providing the content for the academic learning and utilising its own Customs training methodology as blueprint. The Association continues to provide its own Customs training programme, currently delivered via Zoom Cloud Meetings against COVID19 restrictions.
Enterprise-Led Workforce Development
Skillnet Ireland is a business support agency of the Government of Ireland and supports over 18,000 companies nationwide and providing a wide range of enterprise-led learning solutions to over 70,000 people via our 70 Skillnet Networks and other funded initiatives. Visit their Networks page to find out how your company can benefit from being part of a Skillnet Network.
