Farm machinery centre boosts skills

THE €500 million a year Irish farm machinery industry has a new training centre to serve the island of Ireland.

It is based in Naas, Co Kildare, and will provide training and development for the sector, which employs 3,800 people and has annual exports valued at €200m.

European Commissioner for Internal Markets and Services Charlie McCreevy, who officially opened the centre, also announced a €500,000 training budget for it during 2008 and 2009.

He said the FTMTA’s successful application for Skillnets funding from the Department of Trade and Enterprise represents a great opportunity to raise the level of skills of those employed in the sector.

The new facility will enable machinery dealers and their staff to gain the necessary training to maintain competitiveness in Ireland removing the need for overseas educational development.

FTMTA chief executive Michael Moroney said the centre is the first development of its kind in Europe.

Large scale farm machinery manufacturers are based mostly in continental Europe providing extensive product and service training on-site to those selling and maintaining their products.

Mr Moroney said the new centre will eliminate costs associated with overseas training in mainland Europe.