Business

The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs 2012 document was published on Monday, with the aim of creating 100,000 new jobs in the next four years and a net total of 200,000 by 2020. Here’s a brief synopsis of the plan announced by Richard Bruton, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

2. It includes 270 defined "actions"

-          These will be put in place by the end of 2012 by the 15 Government Departments and 36 State agencies

3. The 100,000 jobs to be created by 2016 are broken down as follows:

-          30,000 jobs directly created in internationally traded services

-          20,000 jobs directly created in manufacturing

-          50,000 jobs additional ‘spin-off’ jobs, indirectly created

4. Key actions include:

-          Design and launch a new Development Capital Scheme, to address funding problems for “mid-sized, high-growth indigenous companies” with significant job creation and export potential

-          Overhaul of Enterprise Boards by

(i)                 Establishing a Potential Exporters Division

(ii)                Create Micro Enterprise unit centrally and Local Enterprise Offices nationwide

-          Extend corporation tax exemption for start-up companies until 2014

-          Help for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to win Government and multinational contracts

-          Offer 950 managers to receive long- or short-term development programmes

-          Secure750 buyers for exporting Iris companies in 2012

-          Bridge credit gap by partially guaranteeing loans for small businesses, and generating up to €100m extra in micro finance for small businesses

-          Approximately €60m will be invested in small Irish high-tech companies under Innovation Fund Ireland

-          Launch of “Diaspora Finder’s Fee” initiative to generate more inward investment (This is reported to amount to €4,000 per job to any individual who persuades a foreign entrepreneur to invest in Ireland)

-          Establish Global Irish Network of advocates of doing business in Ireland

-          Several initiatives targeting key areas for innovation, including:

(i)                Manufacturing

(ii)               Health (establishment of a “Health Innovation Hub”)

(iii)              Green Economy (cross-Departmental plan to be drawn up)

(iv)              Agri-food

(v)               Cloud Computing (establishment of a research centre and plan for cloud computing strategy in public sector)

(vi)              Digital gaming

And that’s just a breakdown. The full document is available to download here.

[Picture credit: focusmeireland.com]