Enterprise & Employment

Introduction to Enterprise & Employment

South Kerry Development Partnership (SKDP) sees enterprise development, as well as protecting and increasing employment,as being a key pillar of our activity.

Objectives

We aim to promote economic development by protecting and increasing employment, by fostering the development of new and existing enterprises and by helping individuals to access employment in the area.

Objectives and key strategies are outlined below:

Protect and sustain the income of farmers and fishermen

a)       Increase the number of farmers using fixed assets for non-agricultural activities.

b)       Assist 100 farmers to gain off-farm employment and/or self employment.

c)        Assist farmers to optimise income from existing farm activities

d)       Increase the percentage of fishermen using fixed assets for non-fishing activities.

e)       Support farmers and fishermen to participate in group enterprise activities.

f)         Encourage farmers and fishermen to participate in supported employment

Support the development and creation of business in rural areas

a)       Provide capital and technical investment in enterprise space.

b)       Provide a range of supports for new and existing enterprises.

c)        Support unemployed and under-employed people into self employment through the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance.

d)       Provide lobbying and advocacy to improve business opportunities in South Kerry

Support the development of tourism

a)       Identify and address infrastructural needs for Tourism and Countryside Recreation.

b)       Support the utilising of existing infrastructure for countryside recreation.

c)        Support the development of ‘niche’ tourism in South Kerry.

d)       Support collective marketing and local branding initiatives.

Provide employment supports to the unemployed and under-employed, in particular those most distanced from the labour market

a)       Assist clients into employment, self-employment, further education and training.

b)       Maintain and develop links with employers.

c)        Support farmers and fishermen to access supported employment programmes

d)       Provide post employment supports to clients.

Funding programmes

South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd accesses a number of state & EU funded rural development programmes in order to implement the actions listed above:

Local Employment Service (LES)

Local Employment Service (LES) provides advice support and guidance to enable those who are unemployed to re-enter the labour market.  Information is also available on all education and training opportunities. Through the South Kerry LES weekly job sheet, clients of the LES are provided with up to-date information on available job opportunities.

Back To Work Area Enterprise Allowance Scheme

Back To Work Area Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) Scheme encourages those who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments to establish their own business by allowing them retain their social welfare benefits for a two year period.

Find out more here about the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance

South Kerry Skillnets

South Kerry Skillnet

South Kerry Skillnets provides subsidised training to enterprises in South Kerry.  Through the South Kerry Skillnets, businesses can avail of discounts of up to 25% on training costs and can also access networking opportunities through various events organised by South Kerry Skillnets.  Training is provided to those at all levels in the business, be they owners, managers or employees.  Since 2009 the programme has been opened to jobseekers.

Rural Alliances

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Rural Alliances is an EU Interreg funded programme that supports the formation of alliances between enterprises and local communities, to mobilise rural residents to work together to help their communities adapt to the changing demography in modern rural society

Collabor8

Collabor8  is an EU Interreg funded programme that supports businesses in the tourism sector to work collaboratively to improve the product offering to visitors, to facilitate and take advantage of collective marketing opportunities.  The Collabor8 programme recognises that an areas uniqueness / distinctiveness can confer competitive advantage and the programme seeks to encourage those businesses in the tourism sector to utilise this local distinctiveness and work collaboratively to exploit market and product development opportunities.

Walks Scheme

Walks Scheme supports landowners along National way marked ways (in Kerry –The Kerry Way and SKDP sections of the Beara Way) to maintain the sections of the way marked ways on their lands by providing for a small payment in return for which each landowner undertakes necessary maintenance work.