Ambitious Action Plan for Jobs 2016 puts key focus on competitiveness

The Government today (18/01/16) launched the 5th Annual Action Plan for Jobs showing strong commitment to supporting SMEs and with the aim of creating 50,000 jobs in 2016.

Commenting on the launch, Karl Fitzpatrick, President Wexford Chamber said, “The Action Plan for Jobs contains genuinely ambitious goals. The disruptive reforms that have been targeted for action in 2016 have real potential to support the expansion of Irish enterprises and to further boost job creation. Programmes to create a new generation of SME exporters, increased funding for apprenticeship schemes and greater investment in our digital economy will help Irish SMEs to scale up, compete internationally and create jobs.”

“There is a welcome acknowledgement in the plan that maintaining our national competitiveness must be a key area of focus for 2016. Growth projections amongst many of our international trading partners are flat and we cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that as a small open economy we need to retain our cost competitiveness, labour market flexibility and invest more strongly in capital projects.”

“The strong focus on regional development initiatives and the establishment of world class industry clusters through the National Clustering Initiative will drive economic growth in our regions will help ensure that the economic recovery is felt throughout the country.”