Skillnets, a State body responsible for supporting company-led training networks, will provide €50 million to Irish businesses over the next two years to facilitate the upskilling of workers.

This is twice the amount that was available over the previous two-year programme. The latest funding will focus on low-skilled workers. Details of the funding was announced yesterday by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin.

The money will be provided to networks of firms who come together to provide their staff with training courses. Skillnets will fund 70-90 per cent of training costs involved.

Seminars will be held for interested businesses over the next three weeks in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Leitrim, Louth, Tullamore and Waterford. Skillnets was formed in 1999 and so far more than 10,000 enterprises and 50,000 staff have benefited from funding.

More than 80 per cent of the participating companies are indigenous small or medium-sized enterprises. There are currently 100 networks around the country.

Mr Martin welcomed the funds. "Workers don't always get the access that they should to training programmes, particularly those with lower skill sets," he said.