Shaping Skills, Shaping Society
Shaping Skills, Shaping Society
Collaboration across government, nonprofit sector and society for a stronger nonprofit workforce.
The Wheel is proud to host a national forum that highlights the vital role of the community and voluntary sector in Ireland’s skills system. At a time of rapid change - driven by digitalisation, the green transition, and growing social needs - the nonprofit sector is central to providing lifelong learning opportunities and building a skilled, inclusive workforce.
This event builds on The Wheel’s ambition for sector skills and highlights the urgent need for a more inclusive and responsive skills agenda that reflects the realities of the nonprofit sector and the communities it serves. The Wheels supports the ongoing investment, via the National Training Fund, in the workforce development needs of nonprofits, ensuring that learning is accessible, lifelong, and aligned to the public good.
By bringing together government departments, agencies, sector leaders, and learners, this event provides a platform to collaborate on shared priorities. Together, we can ensure that skills policy and investment deliver real impact for people, communities, and Ireland’s future economy.
This event is free for anyone within the sector but place are limited so early registration is recommended!
Agenda
09:30 – 10:00 | Registration & Networking Coffee
10:00 | Welcome & Opening - The National Skills Landscape
10:20 | Showcasing Impact from National Training Fund (NTF) Investment
10.45 | Panel – Collaboration Across the Skills System
11.35 | Spotlights
12:20 | Event Closes
12.30 | Networking Lunch
- You can book places for yourself and/or colleagues by clicking the button below.
- This event will take place in-person.
- Please email eileen@wheel.ie if you have any special requirements.
Meet Your Speakers
Dr. Etain Kidney leads the School of Marketing & Entrepreneurship at TU Dublin, overseeing a vibrant community of more than 70 academics and 1,500 students. Based within the Faculty of Business, her work focuses on inclusive business, skills-building, co-creation, and systemic collaboration for social innovation and entrepreneurship.
Over her 18-year career as a lecturer, researcher, and academic leader, Etain has worked closely with professional and trade bodies, such as the Marketing Institute of Ireland, as well as nonprofit organisations, including Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, Hockey Ireland, and the Dublin Simon Community, to translate research and education into meaningful impact. Etain sees the nonprofit sector as central to Ireland’s evolving skills ecosystem and champions the power of cross-sector collaboration to strengthen learning, leadership, and community resilience - advancing partnerships that shape both skills and a more inclusive society.
Conor Thompson leads the Advocacy Team at AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation. He works with the Advocacy Team to identify issues in the adult and community education sector facing learners, teachers, and providers. AONTAS uses their evidence base to work with key stakeholders to improve conditions in adult education, the quality of adult learning, and the learner experience. Conor is also a qualified Further Education teacher and has a background in adult education, working as an English Language and Adult Literacy tutor.
Maria Couchman is the Director of Sector Skills at The Wheel and brings over two decades of cross-sector experience to the role, with a strong track record in leading national education, skills development, and economic development programmes. Her career spans senior roles in public, private, and not-for-profit organisations including Bord Bia, Coillte Nature, Local Enterprise Offices/Enterprise Ireland and the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, where she delivered impactful training, skills, and innovation strategies aligned with industry and national policy.
Maria is a qualified project manager and strategic growth graduate and has led EU and national initiatives across skills training, economic development, communications, design, biodiversity, and craft.
Maria's role as Director of Skills is to lead the Sector Skills Programme - supporting our members with access to high-impact, inclusive learning opportunities. She particularly enjoy connecting stakeholders to identify shared challenges and deliver creative, community-focused solutions.
Mairead O'Connor is the Senior Sector Skills Policy Manager and coordinates skills policy and research work at The Wheel. This includes engagement with the national skills agenda and stakeholders, guiding development of skills research projects, working with members to respond to relevant policy consultations and develop skills policy responses which serve the interests of the community and voluntary sector.
Mairead sits on the National Skills Council as a representative of the Community and Voluntary Pillar. She also represents The Wheel on various other committees including the MicroCreds Enterprise Advisory Group, the EIST Monitoring Committee and the National Literacy Coalition.
