Package helps Irish companies to prepare for euro

As part of the Irish Government’s preparation for the impending changeover to the euro currency in January a special conversion package has been made available to retailers.

The package distributed by Forfás, as part of the agency’s EMU Business Awareness Campaign, comprises a Retail Training Kit, designed to provide owners and managers in retail outlets with assistance in training their staff for the changeover.

The kit contains a ready reckoner and a euro calculator to help retailers and staff to manage in a practical way the six-week changeover period, when Irish cash and euro cash will be in circulation together.

Outlined in the Retail Training Kit is a structured training programme on the euro for retail owners, managers and sales assistants. This training will be delivered at local level in FÁS Training Centres, locally in major towns, in urban shopping centres and where appropriate on retailer’s premises.

Launching the package Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Mary Harney, called on all businesses, particularly those in the retail sector, ensure that they are prepared for the changeover to the euro: "Retailers and their staff have a fundamental role to play not only in making the changeover to euro happen but also in facilitating its acceptance by consumers.

“Retail staff will have to assist consumers through the changeover process by dealing with their queries and explaining the new euro values. Training for retail staff will be vital if this is to be achieved effectively and customer confidence is to be maintained."

The launch of the initiative involves collaboration between the two government agencies, Forfás and FÁS who will provide a comprehensive programme of training on euro changeover issues for the retail sector.

Director General of FÁS Rody Molloy said the euro training for Irish retailers supported FÁS’s objective to provide quality training for businesses and that FÁS had committed substantial resources toward training over 5,000 people by January 2002.

John Travers, Chief Executive of Forfás, said that the Kit complements the wide range of material that has already been produced by the Campaign to assist businesses with their preparations for the changeover.

The Retail Training Kit is being delivered to almost 40,000 retail outlets. (SP)