There is plenty on offer from the Skills Academy over the next few months, details of all courses open for registration are below. You can email your branch training officer or the Skills Academy for more information. 

To register for a course:  

Aside from Live: Lunch & Learn and Fórsa inductions, participation on all courses requires sign off from your branch and official. To apply, get in contact with your branch training officer or secretary, if your branch does not yet have a training officer. 

Intensive Presentation Skills - Tuesday 17th February and Tuesday 3rd March - Nerney’s Court  

Natural presenters are few and far between, if you lack confidence in your presenting skills or feel they could do with a bit of a polish, then this course is for you. 

Intended for branch training officers, this course will teach you to inspire confidence and maintain a crowd’s attention while giving a presentation. This course will take place in Nerney’s Court, Dublin, over two days in February and March. 

While intended for branch training officers, other branch executive committee officers can apply if places are left unfilled by training officers. Places will be offered on a first-come first-served basis.  

Industrial Conflict Resolution (Level 2) Civil Service – Thursday 19th February – Nerney’s Court  

This is the follow-on course to the Building effective local IR practices for members in the Civil Service division course with Brendan Cunningham. In this next step, you will learn how to handle IR issues when they come to conflict, how to maintain positive working relationships without shying away from conflict, and how to use conflict as an opportunity for positive change.   

Live: Lunch & Learn – Working towards the four-day week - Online - 1-2pm Today Friday 27th February 

This month, the Skills Academy will be hosting a discussion on the four-day week. They will be joined by Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly, and Joe O'Connor, CEO and co-founder of Work Time Revolution, a global consulting and research firm that specialises in innovative work models. 

As a co-author of the new book 'Do More in Four’, Joe is well placed to share what can be learned from four-day workweek pilots around the globe and advise on what you can do to start moving your workplace towards a four-day working week. 

If the four-day working week interests you, you can register for Live: Lunch and Learn here. 

Level 1, WRT – Tuesday 24th – Thursday 26th March – Wexford Union Office  

This is a three-day course for workplace representatives with no previous experience or training. The only prerequisite for taking this course is that you are a workplace rep and have previously taken the Fórsa Induction module. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for workplace reps in the south-east of the country. The Workplace Representatives Training Level 1 will be held in Wexford in late March.   

In this course you will learn all the basic skills that a representative will need in their first year, including: 

• the role and function of the workplace rep  
• improving interpersonal skills and building good working relationships   
• organising your union work  
• recruiting members and handling problems  
• an introduction to equality and diversity 
• health and safety.  

Communications Training – Tuesday 31st March – Woodford Office, Santry, Dublin  

This will be the last chance to catch this crucial training this academic year. An opportunity not to be missed for branch officers in the east of the country and those further afield who can travel for the day. 

Learn the most effective tools for keeping your members informed, engaged, and active. Build your branch’s profile and craft compelling messages that drive member participation and commitment.

Level 1, WRT – Tuesday 28th – Thursday 30th April – Woodford Office, Santry, Dublin 

Workplace representatives training will come to Dublin in late April. The training will be held in our Woodford office, near Dublin Airport. If you’re a new workplace rep in the east of the country, then make sure you register for this essential course. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.