Cara Partners set to invest €6m in upskilling programme at Cork site

Cara Partners has operated in Little Island since 1978 and will upskill its 130 employees there

Stephen Kenny, Schwabe Group, Michelle Holland, Cara Partners, Rory Mullan,  IDA Ireland. Cara Partners, owned by the Schwabe Group, has announced a €6m training and development initiative designed to upskill employees at its Little Island facility.

Bulk pharmaceutical manufacturer Cara Partners has announced a €6m three-year upskilling programme for staff at its Cork facility in Little Island.

The training and development initiative is designed to upskill the company's 130 employees at the Little Island site.  Cara Partners is owned by the Schwabe Group, which owns several comprises across the pharmaceutical and health industry, employing 4,000 people worldwide. Cara Partners has operated in Little Island since 1978.

The €6m programme will run over three years and is supported by the Government through IDA Ireland and training will be delivered in collaboration with a range of academic and professional partners, including the Irish Management Institute, IBEC Academy, UCC, Munster Technological University, Irish Manufacturing Research, Trinity College Dublin, and Skillnet.

"This programme will support higher productivity and operational efficiency as our site continues to expand. We are also focused on developing future leaders through structured leadership development, succession planning, and cross-training opportunities," said Schwabe Group's Stephen Kenny.

Minister of state Jerry Buttimer TD said the investment in structured, high-quality training will help to ensure that valuable skills are developed and retained locally. "Programmes like this strengthen the talent pipeline, giving employees the opportunity to grow within the company while supporting long-term workforce stability at the Little Island site," said Mr Buttimer.

The chief executive of IDA Ireland, Michael Lohan, said the organisation's strategy of investing in training ensures companies can build resilience, enhance productivity, and support sustained regional growth.”