Rural policy needs to focus on ‘active’ grants for job creation
The founding director of the Innovation Academy UCD cites Ireland’s rural policy as a contributor to its poor rural job creation record. She notes that 31% of UK farm enterprises have diversified into other areas, versus just 2% in Ireland.
“There are significant untapped resources in rural communities that have the potential to deliver jobs,” said Prof Jarvis, speaking at the launch of the academy’s Rural Entrepreneurship Programme, being delivered in Galway and Clonmel in 2013 and in Mullingar and Letterkenny in 2014. “Until we successfully integrate entrepreneurial education into these communities and understand the challenges facing potential and aspiring entrepreneurs, we will fail them and the wider population. This is why the Innovation Academy UCD is taking the rural entrepreneurship programme into the local communities who will benefit most.”
The UCD expert added that 72% of Ireland’s population is still living predominantly in rural regions, versus the EU average of 22%.
In order to create a sustainable economy and a stable society for Ireland, the State needs to provide “on the ground” supports for people in rural communities to create ideas, spot opportunities and to develop enterprises which will support local employment and wealth creation, she said.
“The OECD says that Ireland spends a significant amount of money on labour market policies, by international standards, but points out that most of this money goes on passive policies — such as income support — rather than active policies that try to get people into or back into the labour market. We are addressing this challenge by facilitating those in rural areas to take a fresh look at their resources and examine how they can best harness them,” said Prof Jarvis.
The Rural Entrepreneurship Programme will be delivered over 18 weeks and will be run, among others, by Roscommon entrepreneur Brendan Allen of ‘Castlemine Farm’, and Galway’s Ronan Byrne of ‘The Friendly Farmer’ — both of whom have worked to transform their own experiences of starting a rural enterprise into the design of an action-based learning programme.
They will also mentor course participants. The programme is open to Springboard applicants, and participants who complete the course will be presented with a University Certificate in Rural Entrepreneurship from UCD. There are no exams and participants “learn by doing”, working in teams to develop key entrepreneurial skills.
The Innovation Academy UCD’s first Rural Entrepreneurship Programme started in Galway in September. Clonmel will commence on Nov 5, and an information day will be held in the Park Hotel, Clonmel, on Oct 29 from 9am to 5pm.
