What is Hotbed?
* A network of owner-managed businesses at various stages of development from near start-up through to established.
* Our mission is:
a) To provide a peer support structure for owner/managers
b) To take advantage of economies of scale when accessing external expertise
c) To cultivate business.
Members of Hotbed Skillnet typically fall into two categories : early stage companies; or established businesses seeking to upskill in certain areas. Membership is open to any owner-managed business.
"..completely focused on me and my business, knowledge I can apply straight away, hasn't eaten chunks out of my schedule and has already paid for itself dozens of times over.. " Testimonial from Member Company
History
Skillnets is an enterprise-led support body whose mission is to enhance the skills of people in employment in Irish industry to support competitiveness and employability. Skillnets is funded from the National Training Fund and its stakeholders include leading employer and employee representative bodies - IBEC, CCI, CIF, SFA, ICTU.
Through the creation of enterprise-led Learning Networks, Skillnets supports groups of firms to come together and devise training and development initiatives to meet their collective skills needs. Networks receive grant aid and other forms of assistance from Skillnets through the Training Networks Programme.
Hotbed Skillnet grew out of the Hothouse programme (www.pdc.ie) offered by the Dublin Institute of Technology in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland. Hothouse is an incubator programme to help nurture high potential start-ups and bring them to market.
Hotbed Skillnet is funded in part by member companies and by the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded through the National Training Fund through the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment.
Members
Member companies transcend the complete business spectrum, and membership is open to all business sectors, except for retail.
As Hotbed Skillnet was started by participants on the Hothouse programme (year 1), we are pleased to welcome participants from Hothouse 10 and 11 who have chosen to join Hotbed.
We are also pleased to announce our first regional cluster as member companies from The Rubicon Centre in Cork have joined Hotbed.
Representatives from member companies are usually management level staff, most usually the owner-manager.
We take time to understand each member company's requirements and to ensure they are matched with peer companies for workshops.