Skillnet Ireland will receive €57 million in Budget 2027 to support skills development in Irish businesses, with up to €25 million of employer matching funding lifting total 2027 investment to €82 million. 

The funding will run through 73 Skillnet Business Networks and national initiatives, giving companies of all sizes subsidised training as AI and digital adoption reshape workforce needs.

That compares with €54.2 million in exchequer funding and up to €26 million of private sector matching announced for 2026, a total of up to €80 million.

Skillnet Ireland, the national workforce development agency, is headquartered in Sandyford, Dublin, and invested €74 million in workforce development in 2025, with companies contributing €26.5 million. Its Skillnet Business Networks are industry-led, with each network promoted by a sector or regional body and delivering subsidised training to member companies.

The structural driver is Skillnet Ireland’s three-year strategy, Empowering Enterprise, A Strategy for Next Generation Capability 2026 to 2028, which targets AI capability, digital transformation and responsiveness to changing market demands, with 2027 as the second year of rollout.

Chairperson Brigid McManus said Skillnet Ireland has seen “strong demand from businesses of all sizes” for workforce development supports that help them adapt, innovate and compete.

Chief executive Mark Jordan said the agency is committed to being “a strategic partner to employers,” with its strategy designed to help enterprises “harness AI, accelerate digital transformation” and respond to changing market demands.

The 73 Skillnet Business Networks support businesses across sectors in building the skills needed for a more digital, sustainable and strong economy, with participating firms co-funding training through their contributions. The network count has risen from 70 under the 2026 allocation to 73 for 2027.

For the sector, the near-€3 million increase in exchequer funding confirms that state-backed, employer-matched training remains a central route for Irish firms to build AI and digital capability.

Source: skillnetireland.ie / shannonchamber.ie