Talent & skills
Ireland is an attractive location for talent, but founders face tough competition across sectors as demand for skilled professionals is high. Access to both domestic and international talent is essential for founders to keep their enterprises at the cutting edge of innovation and build products that meet real-world market needs.
Founders also need the capacity to continuously develop their skills and maintain their wellbeing, as both are critical to business success and to sustaining a diverse future pipeline of entrepreneurs.
Ireland’s innovation ecosystem, including mentorship, accelerator programmes, executive education, and peer learning communities, supports founders in building leadership, strategic, and technical capabilities. Ibec continues to advocate for rapid delivery of infrastructure, including housing, energy, and transport, as a central part of attracting and retaining talent.
Together, these supports ensure a sustainable and resilient entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ireland.
Key recommendations:
Introduce a voucher scheme to improve SME and founder-led enterprise access to National Training Fund supports. Assist founders to keep ahead of their skills needs.
Establish a successor to the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI), jointly funded by the exchequer and the NTF to support the development of shared national infrastructure as well as the day-to-day training and research requirements of third-level institutions.
Open up entrepreneurship to women and underrepresented groups by expanding supports in funding, networking, mentoring, peer learning, and wellbeing.
Support founder wellbeing by introducing a tax incentive for structured physical activity as part of preventative healthcare. Aligned with the National Framework for Healthy Workplaces, it would help small firms attract and retain a resilient, productive workforce.
Embed wellbeing and financial planning supports into enterprise programmes (e.g. coaching, counselling, tailored financial advice) through LEOs, Enterprise Ireland, and private sector partnerships.
Reduce personal founders’ financial risk with income supports, liability protections, and guarantees. The absence of income support, personal liability protections, and wellbeing services creates a systemic barrier to inclusive entrepreneurship. Addressing this gap is essential to unlocking Ireland’s full innovation potential.
Skillnet Ireland’s funding enables the Business Networks to collaborate in identifying existing and future skills needs. Without additional investment, Networks will be forced to reduce subsidies to companies and not fully meet training demand at a time when upskilling is most critical.
Provide an additional €15 million from the National Training Fund to meet demand and expand reach of existing networks.
Provide a higher percentage of state support to Business Networks to maintain affordability for companies.
Ensure Ireland remains a global hub for high impact innovation by keeping the Critical Skills Occupation List up to date to enable founders to access top specialist overseas talent, in emerging fields like AI.
Establish a bi-annual review process for the Critical Skills List, led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Create a “Emerging Talent” category within the Critical Skills framework, with flexible criteria to accommodate fast-evolving roles.
Introduce a streamlined visa and relocation support programme for overseas hires in critical innovation roles, including housing