Could ReSHAPE Be Ireland’s Secret Weapon to Crushing Skills Shortages Once and for All?
Ever wonder if artificial intelligence could do more than just recommend your next Netflix binge or suggest the perfect playlist? Well, buckle up—because Regional Skills Horizon and Pathways to Employment (ReSHAPE) is stepping up as a game-changer in workforce planning, right from the heart of Ireland’s midlands. This isn’t your everyday tech gizmo; ReSHAPE smartly connects the dots between skills people already have, the opportunities on the horizon, and real business needs. Imagine a platform that not only spots skills gaps but arms employers and employees with personalized learning paths to stay ahead—not just surviving, but thriving in future job markets. It’s like having a crystal ball, but smarter, powered by AI combined with deep educational insights. Independent experts from Indecon Economic Consultants are already singing its praises, flagging how this €4.15 million investment is generating a €7 million economic impact and reshaping the way companies and learners navigate the career maze. If you think workforce innovation can’t be exciting, ReSHAPE might just change your mind—and the entire Midlands region is feeling the ripple. Curious to see what’s fueling this momentum? LEARN MORE
Regional Skills Horizon and Pathways to Employment (ReSHAPE), an AI-powered education support platform developed in the midlands, has been identified as a potential blueprint for the future of workforce planning.
An independent economic impact assessment by Indecon Economic Consultants highlights ReSHAPE’s ability to help employers identify skills gaps, retain talented employees and connect workforces with personalised learning opportunities through artificial intelligence.
ReSHAPE is designed to support communities across Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath by creating clearer pathways between existing skills, future career development opportunities and regional workforce needs.
Using a digital platform that analyses user inputs such as qualifications, work history and existing experience to identify current and transferable skills, ReSHAPE brings together employers, learners and education providers.
It then recommends personalised learning pathways, ranging from one-day courses, short micro-credentials and professional certificates to part-time and full-time higher education programmes, that help close identified skills gaps for both individuals and employers.
For employers, the platform provides valuable workforce intelligence, helping identify existing capabilities, anticipate future skills needs and show pathways to develop existing employees rather than replace them.
ReSHAPE is delivered by a consortium involving Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Munster Technological University (MTU) and University of Limerick (UL) and is co-funded by the government and EU through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021–2027.
The Indecon assessment report found that ReSHAPE has already delivered significant economic and social impact across the midlands, while also developing a skills intelligence platform with the potential to create a lasting legacy beyond the lifetime of the project.
To date, the €4.15m investment in ReSHAPE has generated an estimated economic impact of €7m, and 98 enterprises have been supported through the programme.
Participating companies represent an estimated 6,000–8,000 direct jobs across the region, and 2,064 learners have been supported through fully funded upskilling and reskilling opportunities.
Employees from approximately 80 Midlands companies engaged with ReSHAPE, with 82% believing it has made them more productive and 72% saying it has helped them to remain in the midlands.
The report highlights the ReSHAPE platform’s use of artificial intelligence alongside the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) framework to create a common skills language between employers, education providers and learners.
Carmel Halligan, programme manager at TUS said the independent findings demonstrate the importance of creating new approaches to lifelong learning and workforce development:
“ReSHAPE was developed to address one of the biggest challenges facing employers and workers across Ireland, ensuring people have the skills they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow, while giving organisations the tools to develop and retain the talent they already have.
“The independent Indecon assessment provides strong third-party validation of both the impact ReSHAPE is already delivering across the Midlands and its potential to become a new model for workforce planning.
“By combining artificial intelligence with education and industry insight, ReSHAPE is helping to build a more resilient, adaptable and future-ready workforce for the Midlands, with the potential for this model to be replicated nationally and internationally.”
Through strong collaboration with industry, education providers and regional stakeholders, ReSHAPE has established a new model for understanding skills demand and aligning training provision with the needs of a changing economy.
Geraldine O’Sullivan, ReSHAPE project manager at MTU, added: “In today’s labour market, where retaining skilled employees is just as important as recruiting them, ReSHAPE helps employers understand the capabilities within their workforce, identify future skills gaps and connect staff with personalised learning pathways that support both career progression and business growth.
“The strength of ReSHAPE is the connection it creates. Individuals can better understand their own skills and opportunities for development, employers can identify future capability needs, and education providers can respond with targeted training pathways. ReSHAPE has developed a platform and partnership model that can continue to support skills development long into the future.”
(Pic: Supplied)
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