Proposed apprenticeship centre ‘a golden opportunity’ for the county

A proposed apprenticeship centre is “a golden opportunity” for the county “not to be missed out on” due to the huge demand for skilled labour at present, the January meeting of Roscommon County Council was told.

Councillor Gareth Scahill (FG) made the comments during an extensive discussion on the importance of a proposed training centre for the county town.

Tabling a motion at the meeting, Cllr Scahill proposed that the local authority call on the Minister for Education, Department of Education and the Minister Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to prioritise the delivery of the apprenticeship training Centre in Roscommon Town.

His motion outlined that Roscommon County Council and its representatives on the previous and current Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB) had been actively working on the delivery of this facility.

The meeting heard that Roscommon County LECP 2023-2029 had made provision for this as an objective and Roscommon Municipal District had also made provision for it in the Roscommon Town Local Area Plan. “Delivery was a priority to meet the demand within our national labour market and for the economic development of our county,” said the motion.

Cllr Scahill reminded his fellow councillors that it was said back in 2023 that the apprenticeship centre “was a golden opportunity for Roscommon not to be missed out” on due to the huge demand for skilled labour at present.

He said that the business plan had gone forward for the project and the sale had been agreed on an identified site, which was now back on the market.

“Myself and my colleagues on the GRETB, Cllr Larry Brennan and Cllr Domnick Connolly, have made several representations on this. We have a new Minister for Education. We have a new Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. We need to keep this on the table for County Roscommon. It’s imperative that it is delivered for County Roscommon.

“I don’t believe there is a councillor in this chamber that wouldn’t like to see this apprenticeship centre in their own town and in their own area. But if we are honest, Roscommon Town is the right place for this. The business plan that has been put forward and the ETB has said that we need to keep driving this message forward so I am asking the chamber if they would support this,” he said.

Seconding the motion, Cllr Larry Brennan (FF) outlined that Roscommon County Council had done everything it could to make this facility a reality. “The GRETB in the past and the present are doing everything they can. The GRETB wants the facility to happen. It’s a no brainer for Roscommon. We are the only county in Ireland that doesn’t have a third level facility and this is an opportunity to put Roscommon on the map with an apprentice training centre,” he said.

Independent councillor Laurence Fallon said that when he was a member of the GRETB in the last term, this project was being progressed very strongly. He said the site was identified and the then Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris was fully supportive of the project.

Cllr Fallon said that one of the main priorities for the development was that there was a train station within walking distance of the site and that there was intercounty bus transport as well.

Saying it was critical that Roscommon got this training centre, he said the concern was not with the Minister or with the GRETB. He said his concern was that there was “a body in between” called Solas that was “dragging its feet” on this because it had put “all types of obstacles up” in relation to the proposed site, “some of them unrealistic”.

Cllr Fallon said that if this site wasn’t deemed suitable, there was another site quite close to the train station which was available as well.

Pointing out that the project was not in his Municipal District (Athlone) but in the Roscommon MD area, Fine Gael councillor Domnick Connolly outlined that he was a current member of the GRETB, and with his colleagues on the Board, Cllr Scahill and Cllr Brennan, he would continue to push this development. “This is very dear to our hearts to get this into Roscommon Town,” he said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Moylan said there was a huge demand for skilled labour and he would be raising this project with his colleague, Deputy Martin Daly to ensure it would be on the table at Government level to get it across the line.

Fianna Fáil councillor John Keogh said Deputy Daly was very supportive of the apprenticeship centre and would work to try and get it delivered.

Echoing Cllr Moylan’s comments, he said that for some young people, third level was not the place for them. He pointed out that one of his nephews was starting an apprenticeship programme and that more young people were needed for apprenticeships because it was going to help drive down the cost of housing.

“Once we get the labour supply in place, it will certainly drive down the cost of housing once the staff resources are there to meet the demand. The Government and the GRETB are committed to this, and there should be no other organisation standing in the way of this,” he said.

Independent councillor Tom Crosby said he would like to support the motion but believed that Strokestown was also a suitable location for the development.

“Roscommon Town, let’s be honest, over the years, has got the cream. Look at the Civic Centre, it employs about 600 workers, indoor and outdoor staff, the town is very well catered for. When you compare it to my own town, Strokestown, there is virtually no employment, other than a couple of private enterprises,” he said.

Pointing out that Strokestown had a ‘Town Centre First’ plan, Cllr Crosby proposed that the local authority direct this investment into the town. “There are a number of very suitable premises for the apprenticeship training centre, both built and greenfield sites, that are suitably zoned for such a development.

“We are elected as county councillors to look after the county and not just the principal town in the county, which is more than catered for in terms of employment. It has ten times more than any other local town and Strokestown is definitely the poor relation. So we must set an example as county councillors that we drive it in that direction if we want to be fair and impartial for the people of our county,” he said. Fine Gael councillor Liam Callaghan supported the delivery of the training centre for Roscommon Town but did note that Strokestown was about to be bypassed very shortly along with the villages of Tulsk, Frenchpark, Ballinagare and Elphin.

He said that councillors had a duty to build up these towns and villages and “to give a future to North and West Roscommon”.

Independent councillor Tony Ward also supported the motion, saying that there was a bus and train service in the town to help the development.

Sinn Féin councillor Leah Cull said that in her voluntary work with Northwest Stop, she visited a lot of schools in her area. She said she was a glad there was a move away from the “one size fits all” approach when it came to young people deciding on their future. She feared that the county was losing talented people because there wasn’t such a training centre established.

The motion supporting the need for an apprenticeship centre was also supported by Independent councillor Valerie Byrne, who said it was so badly needed for the county.