Established in 1998, Athy Investment, Development And Employment Forum was established to identify and act on the needs of Athy in relation to enterprise, job creation and infrastructural developments.

The Forum consists of representatives from, Kildare County Council; Athy Town Council; IBEC; Action South Kildare; Athy Resource Centre; Athy Community Council; Athy Chamber of Commerce; IDA Ireland; County Kildare Failte; Kildare European LEADER Teo.; Enterprise Ireland; Kildare County Enterprise Board and FÁS.

Athy Investment, Development And Employment Forum brought together the local authorities, local community, business organisations and state agencies. The unique association between the members of the Forum ensures a balance of community and commercial input into initiatives that are undertaken.

The aims of the forum are to:

• Highlight the acute needs of Athy
• Identify actions that can be implemented to address identified needs
• Encourage and secure new investment in Athy in the areas of enterprise, job creation and infrastructure
• To focus local organisations involved with the Forum to work cohesively on initiatives to reverse the general decline experienced in Athy and stimulate employment and enterprise creation

Major recent achievements for the Forum since its inception include:

• Publishing a promotional brochure “Athy – A Place For Business And Leisure”
• Securing funding to construct at the edge of the town a Centre to deliver accredited training
• Commissioned and published reports for presentation to Government Departments and other agencies, e.g. A Case For A De-centralised Government Department, Athy – A Unique Case For Government Investment
• Conducted an appraisal of the available local labour market
• Completed and reported a Skills Survey among the people that are employed in Athy, this provided a comprehensive profile of the talent that has to travel from the town in order to find suitable work
• Recruited a full time Development Executive to develop the work of the Forum
• Secured recognition for Athy to be designated as a location for support under the RAPID programme
• Worked to declare Athy as the County Kildare base for a cross-border INTERREG III application
• Developing a 12,500 sq ft Community Enterprise Centre for new and expanding businesses, which is marketed a safe clean and modern location in which to locate.

During the lifespan of the Forum, it has worked on initiatives that add value to the community, the most recent being the completion and opening of the Athy Community Training Centre. The Centre has embarked on a programme of up-skilling members of the community so they will be able to take up work locally when jobs become available. The Centre also provides short-term advice and training to people who may be motivated to enter the labour market in the medium term.

For further information on Athy Investment Development and Employment Forum please contact Dorian Marks at 059 8640945 or 086 3893337.