This article is from page 14 of the 2012-06-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
CLARE’S vast Diaspora is to be tapped in an effort to create new jobs in the county, with the Clare County Development Board throw ing its weight behind the project being promoted by the Connect Organisation.
“We will succeed. We can deliver jobs in Clare by using our contacts abroad,” Connect Ireland’s Alan Gallagher said when address a meeting of County Development Board.
In backing this drive at stimulating jobs growth in the county, Clare County Council enterprise officer, Majella McNamara revealed that “many leading companies have already chosen Clare as a location for investment.
“The purpose of this new initiative is to attract smaller, more mobile companies to locate here too. The smaller companies can set up operations more quickly with the result that new jobs can be created a lot faster in smaller locations, such as Ennis and other parts of the county.
“What we need is to have suitable, attractive business space and to showcase and sell all the attractive aspects of the county,” she added.
Connect Ireland is the company appointed by the government and the IDA to deliver the Succeed in Ireland initiative with the aim of creating 5,000 jobs in Ireland within five years as part of the Government’s 2012 Action Plan for Jobs.
The initiative works by encouraging ordinary people and businesses to use their international connections to encourage companies to set up in Ireland.
An individual who introduces a company that subsequently invests in Ireland and creates new jobs will receive a financial reward of € 4, 500 if three jobs are created up to a max- imum of € 150,000.
“We would urge the people of Clare to think about the people you know all over the world: friends, family, old school friends and teammates, neighbours and business contacts.
“Just check in with them, you might be surprised at where they work, who they know and just what that quick email or phone call could result in in terms of job creation in Clare,” added Ms McNamara.