Chamber Policy Committees:

The first meetings of the newly established Economic & Enterprise Committee and the Transport & Infrastructure Committee took place in recent weeks.  In 2012, the Chamber implemented its new policy structures and now has two strong policy committees in place to develop and promote policy recommendations that create an enabling and facilitative business environment for our members. 

E & E Committee

Chaired by Ronan Murray, Ernst & Young, the work of this committee is focused on supporting and advancing strategic economic and enterprise policy recommendations and is taking prioritised action on the following areas:

T& IS Committee

Chaired by Denis Healy, Port of Cork, the work of this committee is focused on supporting and advancing strategic transport & infrastructure policy recommendations as follows:

 The Chamber would like to take the opportunity to express its gratitude to the many members who have taken advantage of the engagement opportunities with the Chamber’s policy activities. Everyone’s input is very much appreciated and has a very valuable and beneficial impact on our engagement and advocacy with decision-makers at regional and national level.  Should you wish to become involved in the Chamber’s policy activities, please contact Siobhan Bradley, Policy and Research Manager (Acting) siobhan.bradley@corkchamber.ie

Chambers Ireland launches Annual Corporate Social Responsibility Awards:

Applications are now open for this year’s Chambers Ireland CSR Awards.  In their tenth year, the Awards are run in association with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, partnered by Business in the Community and kindly sponsored by BAM.  These Awards recognise the commitment of the Irish business community to the values of corporate social responsibility.   

Award categories include:

• Excellence in Environment
• Community (divided in Charity, Volunteering and Community Programme)
• Workplace
• Marketplace
• International CSR
• CSR Communications
• Best SME
• The Overall Outstanding Achievement in CSR Award.

For further information and to apply please visit www.csrawards.ie.  The closing date for nominations is Thursday 25^th April 2013.  

Finance for Non-Financial Managers

Course Dates: 20^th & 27^th March

Member Rate: €250.00

This highly participative two-day workshop provides practical and enduring knowledge of financial statements, how they are used to assess business performance and how they are shaped by everyday business decisions and events. Put simply, participants will be able to understand “accountant-speak”. If you understand the language, you can provide an input to the process. If you don’t – you may find yourself outside the decision-making process. This course is ideal for anyone working in business who wishes to gain a sound overall understanding of finance, those who have limited existing financial skills and advisers and managers in specialist disciplines who want to understand how business and finance works.

This course includes:-

• Why it is important that everyone in business should understand finance;
• The purpose and content of Financial Statements;
• How business activities and decisions determine the values shown in the financial statements– and how they are not divorced from reality;
• The core elements that determine business performance;
• The main techniques used to assess business performance
•  Cost behaviour and Break even;
• Budgeting and Financial Modelling;
•  Business and International Finance.

The course is highly interactive and uses blended learning to deliver enjoyable effective learning situations. Participants ‘learn by doing’ so as to embed the knowledge for the long term. BOOK HERE! 

MS Powerpoint - “Beyond the Basics” - 2007/2010

Course Date: 22^nd March

Member Rate: €100.00

This one day programme will teach you how to produce and run professional looking slide shows. The course reviews the basics of PowerPoint to quickly run through shortcuts and speed keys, working through from text based slide content through to alternative options - inserting ClipArt, pictures, photos, diagrams, movie clips etc.

The course includes:

• The Do’s and Don’ts of PowerPoint
• Working with slides
• Formatting the Presentation
• Logos/Clipart/Pictures
•  Working with Charts
•  Diagrams
• Drawing Tools
• Multimedia
•  Adding the Finishing Touches
• Creating a Slide Show

This course is suitable for those who are already familiar with the basics of MS PowerPoint and would now like to build on that knowledge. BOOK NOW!

See our full range of courses at www.corkchamber.ie/training

Bookings can be completed through the website and enquiries should be directed to Aoife@corkchamber.ie  (Training Services Administrator)

BUSINESS SCHOOL CALENDAR

March

• Finance for Non-Financial Managers – 20^th March
• MS Powerpoint – “Beyond the Basics”  – 22^nd March
• Introduction to Technical Writing – 28^th March

APRIL

• Microsoft Visio Professional 2010 – 3^rd April – NEW COURSE!
• Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt) – 4^th April
• Digital Media for Business – 9^th April
• Networking for Success – 16^th April – NEW COURSE!
• Microsoft Project 2010 – 30^th April – NEW COURSE!

MAY

PMI Exam Preparation – 7^th May

Funding Opportunities

Under the FP7 Artemis programme, funding opportunities exist for projects using embedded computing technologies for industry, sustainability and societal needs. Projects should relate to research and technological development activities and the applications must have a focus on one of the programme’s industrial priorities - reference designs and architectures; seamless connectivity and interoperability or other design methods and tools – and at least one of the sub-programmes that relate to: healthcare and wellbeing; smart environments; manufacturing and process automation; security and critical infrastructures  protection; methods and processes for safety; computing platforms and human-centred design. The deadline for applications is 6 June. For further details, please contact Eimear@corkchamber.ie


Committee of the Regions Irish Presidency brochure

The Irish Regions Brussels Office has been involved in the production of the Committee of the Regions (COR) official brochure to mark Ireland’s current Presidency of the EU.  It profiles the COR’s role in European policy-making both in theory and in practice, what the expectations of the Presidency are from the perspective of Europe’s regions and cities and what the key policy fields are likely to be in that regard. Region by region investment and funding is profiled and it also provides information on the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and socially-inclusive growth. The brochure may be accessed here

Partnering opportunities for EU projects

Requests have been received to source partners for the following current EU projects:

• To create and strengthen a network of territories hosting Protected Areas in coastal zones to define and implement a joint promotion strategy and to create supporting tools for the development of sustainable tourism activities.
• To promote transnational entrepreneurial and innovation networks on aquaculture through the development of knowledge transfer between companies and research centres.

For further details on these or other partnering opportunities for EU projects, please contact Eimear@corkchamber.ie

What are the obstacles that your company faces in doing business internationally?

As part of the OECD’s International Business Dialogue, businesses are being asked to complete a survey entitled, “What are the obstacles that your company faces in doing business internationally?” The OECD International Business Dialogue 2013 brought together government officials and business representatives from OECD member countries, as well as major emerging economies, to identify the most pressing obstacles to international trade and contribute to informed policymaking based on first hand insights.  The survey is available here and will remain open until 20th March. The final results will be available on the OECD website in April. 





 

The Children’s Leukaemia Unit currently based at the Mercy University Hospital, Cork will relocate to the Cork University Hospital in the near future.  This new Leukaemia Unit will be part of a new Paediatric Unit which will be a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for Paediatric medical care in the Munster Region.  Our charity has to raise funds for this new unit and our first fundraising event is a Monster Benefit Night at Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium in Cork.  By placing an ad in our programme you can be assured that it will be viewed by a very large audience in the Munster Region.  We would really appreciate any support you can give us with our fundraising efforts.  Our fundraising committee members listed below are happy to answer any queries you have about the event.

Monster Benefit Night - Curraheen Park, Cork - Sat 20^th April 2013

• Sponsor a race  - €700 includes full page ad in programme and dinner for 4 people along with advertising at Curraheen Park on the night
• Sponsor a race - €500 includes full page ad in programme along with advertising at Curraheen Park on the night
• Race Card Advertising – Full page ad €120 – Half page €80
• Nominate a dog - €50 each

Our Fundraising Committee Members are ; Kathleen O’Leary Keating, Margaret and Maria O’Donoghue, Breda and Denis O’Brien, Pat Ahern, Matt Olden, Michael Minehan, Jim Mullins

For further information on the Children’s Leukaemia Association and the services we provide please contact Rose Scanlan at CLA Office on 021 4949801 mobile 087 9772498 or email info@cla.ie. website http://www.cla.ie/

"Representing Sikhism" Max Arthur Macauliffe Centennial Conference

Representing Sikhism

a centennial conference in honour of

the great Irish scholar

Max Arthur Macauliffe 

(11 September 1838 – 15 March 1913)

Date: 15 March 2013

Time: 2pm

Place: Western Gateway Building, UCC, Western Road, Cork

Academic programme - invited guest speakers:

• Prof Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, Colby College, Maine, USA
• Prof Anne Murphy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• Prof Christopher Shackle, SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London, UK
• Prof Tadhg Foley (NUI Galway, Ireland)

All welcome - admission free

For those interested in religions, Irish-Indian history and cultural diversity

For further details click here

Practicalities (travel, location, accommodation) 

Enquiries: Please email studyofreligions[at]ucc.ie

 Running Order

-          Seamus Feehan, Reg. Psychol., Ps.S.I.

Title of presentation: " I'm 18 and I can do what I like! Or can I?"

-          Dr Steve O’Leary- B.A, M.A, H.Dip (Ed), H.Dip (SEN), M.Ed (SEN), Ed.D (SEN)

Title of presentation: ‘Hidden Voices’; uncovering the inner narrative and exploring the multiplicity of selves in young people on the autism spectrum.       

-          Lunch 1-2pm - Information Suite Open - Sensory Room Open

-          Dr Stuart Neilson

Title of presentation: The spooky powers of normal people

-          Ronan O’Murchu

Title of presentation: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorders

-          Geraldine Graydon – Parents View

Title of presentation: Autism the Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood 

WORKSHOPS

Maximum number of participants in each 30 people

Three Breakout Workshop Rooms will run from 11-1pm and again the same workshops from 2-4pm (allowing delegates to pick and choose what to miss according to their choice)

·         Autism and Bereavement and Change

·         Autism and Sexuality

·         Asperger Syndrome – Breaking the Stereotype

€15 unwaged, parents, families, students, OAPs

€20 professionals

Please note that lunch is not provided.

The hotel will have dining options available for all delegates.