Tag Archives: training

The first industry endorsed marine mammal observer (MMO) training programme which aims to train young professionals who are seeking fulfilling careers in marine ecology and sustainable energy has been completed by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). Five applicants who took part in industry-approved training courses recently successfully completed the course and it is hoped these professionals will be key components in the delivery of offshore wind projects over the coming decade. Ireland has a unique capability for such delivery given its prime location which will enable the country to take advantage of the potential of offshore wind. Support for the programme was provided by the Kilrush-based Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) along with the Marine Mammal Observer Association, and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. Participants in the initiative took part in MMO training provided by IWDG and spent two nights onboard the research vessel, Celtic Mist at Kilrush followed by a half-day at sea. Qualified MMOs …

“YOU guys should be proud of David Higgins,” comes the endorsement from Joseph Parker, as he praises the promoter with Clare links, who has been with him since he turned professional. Parker looks on the promoter almost as family nowadays. “It started off as promoter-boxer but now that I look at it, he’s like an older brother. The relationship is very strong , we’ve been working together for about five years and he’s made a big difference in terms of my life in boxing and in terms of helping me to achieve the goals I want to achieve. He took a chance in signing me up, not knowing if I was good or not. He’s put a lot of money behind me and into me over the years and now it’s paid off for us all.” When he spoke to The Champion, the WBO heavyweight champion was in Las Vegas, where his trainer Kevin Barry is based. Putting distance between …

Members of the Emergency Response Unit, Regional Armed Support Unit and Garda Air Support Unit as well as the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit were involved in a simulated anti-terrorism training exercise at Shannon Airport this Tuesday morning. The staged event saw the airport being stormed by an armed group, calling themselves the Doomsday Cult. During the simulated attack, the terrorist group fired blank rounds of ammunition at trainee gardaí who were acting as passengers in the departures lounge of Shannon Airport. As the exercise progressed it triggered a coordinated armed response from members of the Garda Air Support Unit, the Defence Forces, the naval service, the air corps, the EOD, and Shannon Airport personnel . The situation then moved to a hostage negotiation scenario where a tactical team was deployed to reason with the terrorist group and recover the hostages. The exercise was staged at Shannon Airport between 2.30pm and 4pm on Tuesday and involved upwards of 130 individuals. The …

A MEMBER of the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coastguard has helped to talk down “11 or 12 people” contemplating taking their own lives at the Cliffs of Moher. Thomas Doherty has been a volunteer with the unit for the last 30 years and he said that over the course of that time, he has talked down 11 or 12 people from the cliff edge “from an 80-year-old woman to a woman in her 40s”. The softly spoken and self-effacing Doolin man said, “Anybody that has been on the edge has come back for me. It is a good success rate actually. I hope it stays that way.” Asked what he says to people he suspects may be about to jump, Mr Doherty said, “I ask them straight out, ‘are they thinking about self-harm?’ You have to get straight to the point.” Mr Doherty has undergone specialist training to deal with such situations and said, “If they say they want …

More and more businesses in Clare are prioritising staff training and retention as they compete for the talent needed to expand their enterprise. That’s the message from Skillnets – the national agency responsible for funding and supporting training networks – as it launched its annual report for 2015 today (Wednesday). Figures from the report reveal that the number of businesses in Clare accessing Skillnets supported training grew by a massive 34% in 2015, with 398 businesses investing in their staff across a range of sectors. In Clare, 1,222 trainees availed of 9,556 training days delivered to businesses during 2015.Nationally, 85% of the businesses that benefited from investment in training through Skillnets in 2015 were SMEs, with 250 staff or under. According to Skillnets chairman, Brendan McGinty, businesses are battling for talent in a competitive marketplace, resulting in many looking inwards to develop existing resources to meet their growth objectives. “Behind the country’s pattern of economic growth during 2015, thousands of …

CLARE rugby clubs have until Friday, April 11 to enter Ulster Bank RugbyForce, an initiative which provides rugby clubs with the opportunity to win support packages to renovate their club and upgrade their facilities. This is the the fourth year of the initiative, which will see over €30,000 being awarded to rugby across the island of Ireland. All rugby clubs are invited to enter the initiative via Ulster Bank’s dedicated rugby website, www.ulsterbank.com/rugby One rugby club will receive a top prize of €10,000, as well as a special training sesssion with an IRFU coach and two Irish rugby stars. Four additional rugby clubs, one from each province, will each receive €5,000. Each winning club will be presented with their prize at the 2014 Ulster Bank League Awards, in April. All entries will also receive merchandise, for their clubs, to the value of €100. Since its inception inn 2010, the initiative has provided over €100,000 in funnding to over 160 rugby …

FOLLOWING on from the dog bite prevention article a few weeks ago, here are some tips for parents and dog owners to help keep children safe: THE three most important things to teach your children Some dogs don’t like hugs and kisses. Teach your children not to hug or kiss a dog on the face. Hugging the family dog or face-to-face contact are common causes of bites to the face. Instead, teach kids to scratch the dog on the chest or the side of the neck. Be a tree if a strange dog approaches. Tach children to stand still, like a tree. If children flap around, run or make squealing noises this can excite a dog even more. Trees are boring and the dog will eventually go away. This works for strange dogs and anytime the family dog gets too frisky or becomes aggressive. Never tease a dog and never disturb a dog that’s sleeping, eating or protecting something like …