Leitrim firms in Dublin push to attract workers to Northwest

More than 150 people attended a special ‘Northwest in the City’ event in Dublin last Thursday evening (February 9th), hosted by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Western Development Commission (WDC).

The event was aimed at career-driven professionals based in Dublin interested in learning more about life in the Northwest of Ireland and the array of exciting new opportunities open to them in the region.

Attendees learned they can land a global career with a leading company and enjoy the best of ‘local living’ by moving to the Northwest. The event was held under the guise of the North West Regional Enterprise Plan, and featured Leitrim employers including Cora Systems, VistaMed and King & Moffatt.

In addition, more than 20 other global multinationals and leading Irish companies attended ‘Northwest in the City’ including Optum, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), SL Controls, Overstock, LotusWorks, Arrotek, Abbvie, SITA, Avenue, FinTrU, Source Civil and more.

Guests learned that Leitrim, Donegal and Sligo are home to more than 50 multinational companies that have set up in the region and scaled their international operations. The Northwest is also home to indigenous entrepreneurs who have chosen to build and grow their own international companies of scale.

As well as showcasing senior roles including those in automation, biologics, machine learning and investor services; attendees at ‘Northwest in the City’ networked with senior industry leaders and heard from their peers who have previously relocated to the region.

A panel discussion featured employers with Paul Phelan, Site Director, Optum; Elizabeth Nugent, VP EMEA, Amcor; Dr. Orla Flynn, President ATU; and Philip Martin, CEO, Cora Systems sharing their experiences of the Northwest and plans for growth. 

Giving her reaction to ‘North West in the City’, Andrea McBride, Head of the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Letterkenny Global Delivery Centre said: 

“This was a truly effective and inspiring event that brought together many of the key stakeholders invested in making the North West a great place to work and live. TCS was delighted to have had the opportunity to showcase the opportunities and ambition that we have as a business for building out our presence in the region and making some really valued connections. I would like to commend the key agencies led by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Western Development Commission (WDC) for making this key event happen.” 

A second panel with speakers from AbbVie, Randox Teoranta, Overstock and King & Mofatt, focussed on people who have relocated, sharing their story of moving to the Northwest and the global career opportunities coupled with local living.

The regional agencies and local authorities were on hand to offer more practical advice on connectivity, transport, relocating and educational options. Public sector organisations such as Atlantic Technological University (ATU) outlined the latest research and innovation projects and the current opportunities that exist.

Commenting, Michelle Conaghan, Regional Manager, North West Region, IDA Ireland, said: 

“The Northwest is known for its surf, beaches and cliffs but last week the region went to the capital to tell a different story. One of a region on the rise, transformational change, growth and global career opportunities. The event provided a collaborative platform to raise the enterprise profile of the region and connect with the professional diaspora living in Dublin and the East. 

"The region’s leading companies from the Pharma, Medtech, Technology, Engineering and International Financial Services sectors were well represented by CEOs, Site Directors, and senior executives. All there with one aim, to promote the Northwest region. Employment by IDA client companies grew by 6.3% in the Border Region in 2022. Many are actively recruiting providing global career opportunities in Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim."