Fás unit to upskill ex-Dell workers

ON the first anniversary of the Dell closure announcement, FÁS was yesterday given Government approval to set up a dedicated unit in Limerick to help former workers at the closed down computer plant to upskill and retrain.

Former Dell workers have already set up their own advice centre in Limerick.

The new unit will manage the €23 million EU fund allocated under the globalisation scheme of which €8.2m will be given by the Government.

Alan Kelly MEP, who helped secure the EU funding, has been highly critical of the delay by the Government in tapping into the fund.

All the funding has to be spent by June 2011.

Any money not spent by then will have to be given back to Brussels.

All 2,000 Dell workers who have lost their jobs will be eligible for assistance under the fund.

Others who were left go at Dell supply companies such as Banta will also be eligible for inclusion in schemes funded by the globalisation fund.

Junior Minister Daragh Colleary said yesterday he intends travelling to Limerick to meet with former Dell workers to discuss the manner in which the funding will be deployed.

The University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology have been working on special courses designed to suit the needs of workers as part of the globalisation-funded project.

More than 1,000 former Dell workers have already joined the Dell Workers Redundancy group, which earlier this week opened up an office in the Griffith College building at Upper William Street.

Denis Ryan, who heads the new group, said they are planning to meet with the Tánaiste Mary Coughlan in the coming weeks.