Nelipak is investing £480,000 (€557,000) in the skills of its Derry workforce through a three-year training plan, giving HR and L&D teams in advanced manufacturing a worked example of tying accredited training to productivity and export growth. Invest NI has offered £135,000 (€157,000) of support towards it.

Nelipak is a US-owned manufacturer of medical packaging for the global pharmaceutical and medical device markets, with sites across the US and Europe. Its Derry plant in Northern Ireland produces breather bags, pouches and medical roll stock, and employs over 300 people. Financial figures are not publicly available.

Invest NI is Northern Ireland’s regional business development agency, represented in the announcement by Niall Casey, director of skills and competitiveness.

The strategic logic ties skills investment to productivity at a site Invest NI described as already recognised within the global Nelipak Group for high productivity standards. Nelipak’s Derry plant plays an important role within the company’s global manufacturing network.

Simon Adcock, plant manager at Nelipak in Derry, said: “This latest investment in our team will build on their expertise to date, giving them access to accredited training in management and leadership, advanced manufacturing and data analytics.”

Adcock said the training equips staff to respond to evolving customer demands and enhance productivity in manufacturing processes, supporting continued export growth in Europe and Asia.

The structural driver is growing demand across the global life and health sciences sector. Niall Casey, director of skills and competitiveness at Invest NI, said upskilling in technology and computer sciences will equip the team to keep up with that demand.

The support builds on previous skills help from Invest NI, which Adcock said has supported Nelipak for many years by helping it create jobs and develop skills and efficiencies as the business grows.

Casey said the support lets Nelipak place skills at the centre of its business growth plan to accelerate productivity and innovation, enhance product quality and strengthen global competitiveness from the North West.

For the sector, the investment shows an advanced manufacturer pairing public skills support with accredited management, leadership and data training to raise productivity and sustain export growth.

Source: Derry Daily