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Paschal McCarthy, Managing Director, GE Healthcare & President of Irish Exporters Association; Thomas Hunter McGowan, CEO, InterTradeIreland; Jobs Minister Richard Bruton and Simon McKeever, CEO, Irish Exporters Association

The Irish Exporters Association’s National Export Hub in partnership with InterTradeIreland today announced the launch of the Export Knowledge Programme, a new educational programme aimed at supporting SME’s to improve their exporting capabilities. Jobs Minister Richard Bruton launched the exciting new initiative at an event at the Irish Office of the European Commission.

The Export Knowledge Programme aims to take selected participants through an educational and support led journey to improve their capability to export into existing and new markets on the Island of Ireland and internationally.

Applicants are initially assessed to ensure that their business has the structure and resources to support growth and entry into new export markets. A total of twenty businesses will be selected in early 2016 to embark on a seven month educational workshop programme covering every aspect of the export journey.

Minister Bruton commented:

At the heart of the Action Plan for Jobs has been the basic aim of trying to build a new economy based on exports and innovation to replace the failed model based on property and debt which collapsed. As part of this we have put in place a range of new supports to help companies sell more goods and services abroad. This initiative, supported by InterTradeIreland as well as the Irish Exporters Association, will make a real difference to SMEs’ abilities to grow their markets overseas.