Plans advanced for major expansion of 'world class' Laois training centre

The ESB is advancing plans to expand what it says is its 'world class' national training centre in Portlaoise which could mean more short and long term jobs in the Laois county town.

The State-owned electricity company was granted planning permission earlier in 2024 for a major expansion of its national training campus in Portlaoise on the town's Abbeyleix Road.

The company advanced the process in August by issuing a Pre-Qualification Information and Questionnaire (PQQ) for contractors complete the centre's expansion.

ESB says it wants to build of a two-storey building (circa 1000 sq m) building that will include a glazed link connection to the
existing building on the N77.

The power company says the purpose of this PQQ is to assess the suitability of the applicants, and to pre-qualify and
establish a short-list of applicants with the required capability to deliver.

ESB issued a statement about the project to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"The ESB Networks’ Training Centre in Portlaoise plays a pivotal role in ensuring we have the necessary capabilities to deliver our Net Zero Strategy, and in turn help implement the Government’s Climate Action Plan 2023 and support the decarbonisation of electricity by 2040.

"Technical excellence is at the core of ESB Networks’ business. Our trusted position in managing the network on behalf of the nation means our people need to be highly skilled to meet the growing demands on the system. These increasing demands and changing technologies require a continuous investment in the technical training and development of our people to ensure the future capabilities needed to serve our customers in an increasingly digital world.

"ESB Networks established, and continues to invest in, our world-class Networks Training Centre (NTC) in Portlaoise. The NTC is the centre of excellence for technical training of Networks Technicians, Apprentices and Contractors and will continue its role in providing key capabilities for the organisation in line with our strategic needs. The NTC is currently on the cusp of significant expansion, with the project in design and procurement phases. It is expected that works will commence on the site on Q1 2025.

"A sustainable recruitment programme aimed at recruiting on average 300 people per year, across a range of disciplines, along with our partnerships with contractor organisations, will ensure we have the ongoing capacity to meet our obligations to 2030 and beyond. Robust succession planning and talent management processes ensure skills and capabilities are constantly reviewed providing future resource assurance to the business.

"The Networks Training Centre in Portlaoise will continue to be the centre of excellence in providing technical training for the organisation and will expand capacity to meet the increased requirements for training and onboarding of Networks Technicians and Apprentices," said the statement.

The ESB describes itself as a leading Irish utility focused on providing excellent customer service and maintaining its financial
strength. They say they have a regulated asset base of approximately €12 billion with 30% of electricity generation capacity in the all-island market. The company says it supplies electricity to about 2 million customers throughout the island of Ireland. ESB Group employs approximately 8,000 people.