Humphreys Announces Steering Group In Wake Of Molex Job Losses

The Jobs Minister has announced that a steering committee will be set up to coordinate the jobs losses at Molex in Shannon over the next 14 months.

An emergency meeting of local stakeholders was chaired by Minister Heather Humphreys this morning, following the announcement that Molex is to close by the end of next year, a move which will impact on 500 workers.

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The dust has settled on yesterday’s shock announcement by Molex that its Shannon operations will be wound down by the end of next year and now, focus is turning to what happens next.

Following this morning’s meeting, a number of actions have been decided on – the first being a steering group will be set up, which will coordinate the response to the 500 jobs losses over the coming 14 months.

A detailed skills audit of the workers will also be carried out by the IDA, which will also intensify efforts to secure a new investor for the site.

Lastly, it was agreed that supports including a career fair and interview workshops will be arranged for the staff.

Speaking following the meeting, Minister Heather Humphreys assured that the government is committed to redeploying these workers in the Shannon area and not looking at investment elsewhere.

Local stakeholders in attendance earlier included Clare County Council, the region’s third level institutions, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, among others.

Speaking on her way out of the meeting, newly appointed CEO of Shannon Group Mary Considine says it was vital to hit the ground running as soon as news broke yesterday.

Also in attendance was Limerick Institute of Technology President Vincent Cunnane, who says his college will be on hand to work with Molex and the workers to ensure they get the necessary upskilling before the company closes its doors for good.

Meanwhile, Clare’s Junior Minister has expressed confidence following today’s meeting that a new investor can be found for the Molex site once it has been vacated.