Some of Ireland’s leading employers will gather in Dublin’s Convention Centre on Saturday to offer graduates up to 3,500 positions.

The restaurant sector has called for the Government to invest in 1,000 apprenticeships to address a “crisis” shortage of chefs.

A ringing endorsement of the State-funded training body Skillnets has been made by companies using the service, with 97% saying it has helped fill skill gaps and 87% acknowledging its contribution to a rise in productivity.

A state-funded enterprise group is to invest €250,000 in re-training the former workers at TalkTalk in Waterford.

The Government intends to apply for a European grant to assist the 575 workers axed from TalkTalk.

AROUND €20 million in funding is to be made available to assist unemployed and redundant apprentices’ training.

THE director of private training company, Empower Learning, which went into liquidation this week leaving over 1,000 students in limbo, has stated that claims he has “run off” with monies belonging to the firm were “ludicrous.”

EDUCATION accreditation body FETAC has defended itself against accusations of inaction after Empower Training ceased trading last week, leaving hundreds of students fearing they have lost more than €250,000 in fees.

A PRIVATE training company collected more than €250,000 in student fees despite the gardaí and the Government being informed over six months ago that it was believed to be operating illegally.

STATE-approved Empower Training closed its doors last Friday, leaving 25 employees with up to three months pay outstanding and about 1,000 learners concerned about what will happen to courses they have paid up to €4,600 to partake in.

A STATE-APPROVED private training company, which has administered hundreds of education courses for the public and private sector, is under Garda investigation for allegedly falsifying certification.

SERIOUS questions have been raised over the delivery of the state’s Skillnets programme after the C&AG report uncovered issues over the non-delivery of courses that were already paid for, financial irregularities and missing documentation linked to tenders.

DESPITE the recent Bord Snip Nua/McCarthyReport proposals which include a cut to its funding, the state-financed training body Skillnets showed its worth by investing more than €36 million in developing workplace skills in 56,000 workers last year, according to its annual report just published.

MOVES by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan to slash e10 million from a retraining scheme were branded disastrous by opposition parties last night.

A WELL-KNOWN building group has teamed up with a third-level college to invest in its people by developing the skills needed in a difficult construction market.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland’s (SJAI) Premier Series will go ahead again next year, though a new sponsor is in the pipeline.

LIMERICK chamber of commerce has received government backing for a skills training initiative.

THE Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment’s spending potential was increased by just under 3% to €1.427 billion in the pre-budget estimates for 2008.

Skillnets — the Government-supported initiative which assists companies with their training requirements — officially launches its latest venture, Construction Skillnets this afternoon at Croke Park.

THE Fresh Produce Skillnet, a business network training initiative funded by Skillnets and member companies, has been launched by the newly-appointed Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Mary Wallace.

THE Print and Packaging Skillnet - a network training initiative funded by Skillnets Ltd and members of the Irish Printing Federation - was launched over the weekend at the National Print Museum in Dublin.