CRAIGAVON-based Moy Park – Northern Ireland’s largest food processing company – has announced a £6 million investment.
The news came from Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster during a visit to the premises, one of Europe’s leading poultry companies, now employing over 5,000 people in the Province.
Invest NI has offered Moy Park almost £1.5million of support for a comprehensive two-year training programme. The aim is to improve skill sets across the company and ensure all employees deliver ‘best in class’ performance.
Announcing the investment, the Minister said: “This significant investment in training reflects Moy Park’s understanding that a high skills level within the company is fundamental to sustainable growth and, in particular, to continued success in international markets.
“The investment coincides with Invest NI’s launch of two new skills initiatives that are designed to encourage and support skills development across the wider business base.
“The Skills Growth Programme will provide discretionary financial support for training activities focusing on higher skills, with an emphasis on those which are essential to the development of the economy, such as management and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based subjects.
“In addition, a new Skills Accelerator Grant has been launched specifically for small companies which currently export or are ready to begin exporting. The scheme will provide funding of 50% of eligible training costs up to a maximum grant of £10,000.
“These initiatives underpin the NI Executive’s and Invest NI’s drive to increase investment in skills to drive productivity and business growth.”
Nigel Dunlop, Moy Park Chief Executive, said: “Through this significant investment in training, we aim to improve competitiveness and profitability and deliver more innovation through high performing people and great teamwork, so that we can continue to grow in the UK and international markets.
“Our objective is to be the most effective, efficient and safe organisation of our kind in Europe through the skills and commitment of everyone in Moy Park. Invest NI’s support has been vital in enabling us to take forward this ambitious training programme.”
