Commuting study indicates that Carlow’s commuters are a valuable Economic Asset.
A collaborative research project led by Carlow County Council in association with the Institute of Technology Carlow & County Carlow Chamber shows County Carlow as a hotspot for talent with a significant potential for scaling and developing companies looking for access to talent.
The research shows that over 82% of commuters have a minimum of 3rd level qualifications with 58% of them having greater than 10 years professional experience in their chosen field.
Speaking about the research , Kathleen Holohan , Chief Executive of Carlow County Council said “Over 6,000 people commute from County Carlow to work across Ireland and we understand that this presents County Carlow residents and employers with a variety of opportunities, which will further enhance the county as a place in which to live, work, play, grow and learn” , Holohan continued to say “From consideration of co-working and hot desking solutions for employers who have employees living in County Carlow and looking for cost-effective expansion options, to companies looking for a base for operations which require talent, Carlow can provide a solution. Carlow has a wealth of talent and this commuter study demonstrates that the county is a significant economic catalyst for start-up, developing and locating enterprises” Holohan concluded by saying “County Carlow offers a mix of skills, infrastructure and excellent support for any company establishing or expanding operations. It is widely acknowledged that Carlow’s people are its greatest asset. The county has a dynamic, adaptable, innovative and high-quality workforce and a network which is engineered for success.”
Speaking about the research , David Denieffe , Vice- President for Academic Affairs and Registrar of Institute of Technology , Carlow said “This data proves that for any business considering locating in County Carlow, they can reasonably conclude that there is a very large pool of experienced employees available within the county from which to recruit. ” , Denieffe continued to say “we in IT Carlow are ideally placed to work with companies to build capacity of those graduates and diversify their skills base to suit the requirements of industry as part of our lifelong learning programmes”.
In respect of the importance of a skilled workforce , Brian O’Farrell , Chief Executive of County Carlow Chamber said “professional talent is an essential component in the development of successful enterprises and lay the foundations for competitively strong companies ” , O’Farrell continued to say “in business , employees are often the USP and bring essential skills and experience”.
Referring to County Carlow’s strategic location and proximity to Dublin, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Cllr. Brian O’Donoghue, said “Carlow has all the advantages of Greater Dublin, without the traffic, the overcrowding and the high price of living” , O’Donoghue continued to say “Carlow also offers an excellent quality of life which is greatly enhanced by the number of recreational and amenity projects developed by Carlow County Council which includes one of Ireland’s most innovative spaces in Visual” , O’Donoghue concluded by saying “County Carlow is progressively pro-business and the county welcomes and is fully supportive of investment in industrial, commercial and office development”.
Explaining how employers can engage and benefit from the data in the study , Kieran Comerford , Head of Enterprise with Carlow County Council’s – Local Enterprise Office said “we are delighted with the collaboration and engagement with this research project and we have not just built the research data but also a database of individuals who are seeking employment opportunities in County Carlow with whom we can engage on behalf of industry” , Comerford continued to say “over the coming year we will be developing a variety of research projects designed to enable growth in the business community”.
