Meet The Team

Catherine Collins is Network Manager at First Polymer Training Skillnet. She graduated from Athlone I.T. in 1989 with a B. Eng. in Plastics Engineering and joined Merck Millipore Ireland as a mould support engineer.

She then moved to Medtronic in 1992 and held various technical roles in the polymer industry before joining First Polymer Training in 2001, where her work includes programme development & accreditation, industry engagement and centre management. Catherine is a member of the Polymer Apprenticeship Consortium, TUS (Midlands and Midwest) Governing Body, the IOM (Polymer South) Committee, the Midland Regional Skills Forum and also represented Polymer Technology Ireland and the sector, on the EGFSN Forfas group to look at the Future Skills Needs in Manufacturing.

To contact Catherine,  email firstname.surname@ibec.ie or telephone 090 6471223/ 087 6188596/087 2396447

 

 

Alan Harrington is Technical Training Specialist at First Polymer Training Skillnet, and joined the team in 2020. He graduated from Athlone I.T. in 1998 with a Diploma in Plastics Engineering and joined Raychem Shannon Co. Clare, after one year working with the Moulding team, he then attended North London University and graduated with a B.Eng. in Polymer Engineering.

In 2000 he joined Solplax in Tralee Co. Kerry as R & D technician developing water soluble plastic solutions. In 2003 he joined Medtronic (formally Covidien) as an Injection Moulding Technician, within this role Alan was involved in process improvements, new machine/equipment installations and more recently managing tooling repairs/upgrades and project management for new mould builds and injection moulding machine replacements. Alan’s Key objective is to develop and deliver training to industry members.

To contact Alan,  email firstname.surname@ibec.ie or telephone 090 6471223/ 087 1603445

 

 

 

Sarah Dillon is the Centre Co-ordinator at First Polymer Training Skillnet (FPT). She holds a BA and MA in English & Communications as well as a Professional Diploma in Strategy Development & Innovation from the UCD Michael Smurfit Business School. Prior to joining FPT in November 2022, she spent over fifteen years working in the screen sector in roles with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the WRAP Fund and ATU Galway working across development, financing, production, marketing, governance, industry engagement, skills development and training.

To contact Sarah, email firstname.surname@ibec.ie or telephone 090 6471223/ 087 118 8438