Jobs Available: People Wanted
A recent tweet from Invest NI announced it was supporting a Lisburn company to create 60 new jobs.
The jobs are to be created by a company called Kelvatec as a result of a £3.5 million investment.
The company designs, manufactures and supplies products to the rail and power industries around the world.
The Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster congratulated the company on its expansion and the creation of new jobs.
On the face of it this seems like a good news story and a small sign of hope for the economy.
Looking deeper, however, there is a much bigger story and potentially greater news for job creation.
It turns out that the man at the heart of Kelvatec, John Cunningham, is a serial entrepreneur having already successfully sold a previous business to a large US company.
He is also a man committed to creating jobs in Northern Ireland and sees no reason why more people cannot be employed, as he wants to continue to expand his business.
He argues that jobs are available in the economy but the difficulty is finding people with the right skills and, amazingly, finding enough of them.
He makes the point that this is also the case in other companies as they face similar difficulties when trying to fill vacancies.
In an economy crying out for jobs it seems extraordinary that local companies cannot get the people they need and are forced to look to other countries to recruit staff.
His solution seems perfectly achievable as he proposes that politicians, educational institutions and others work together to generate more people with the necessary skills.
SO, as extraordinary as it may sound jobs are available and more jobs will be created but only if we provide people with the right skills.
What do you think? Do you have the right skills? Get in touch!
If you have any comments email nicholas.oshiel@omaghenterprise.co.uk or contact via Twitter @nick_oec.
