Reacting to the news that Molex is to close its Shannon facility by the end of 2020, Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes said: “This is a very sad day for Shannon and for Shannon Chamber but most especially for the 500 employees at Molex, who have given dedicated service to the company since it first set up in Shannon in 1971.

“As one of the leading employers in Shannon, Molex has been an exemplar employer over those years and has been very supportive of developing Shannon to its fullest potential, demonstrating this is so many ways: chairing the Mid-West Lean Network in its first year (2017), hosting many lean workshops since 2016 and continuing to be a very active member of the Network and of the Chamber.

“They have also been instrumental in the formation of STEM Shannon, an initiative aimed at encouraging a greater number of second-level students to pursue science and technology careers through taking up STEM subjects when entering University. This has been a very successful project to date. It has delivered a structured week-long TY programme for schools in the area, involving a collective number of companies in Shannon, who have come together to give students a realistic look at what working in STEM involves.

“It is very clear that this was a very difficult decision for the company and one which they have given careful consideration to. It is not a reflection on the employees’ capabilities or skills, but due to market factors. We would hope that, given the multi-sectoral spread in Shannon and the region that opportunities to match the skills that are being lost will manifest over time.

“Everyone will need time to digest the magnitude of this loss, and what interventions can be looked at to alleviate the losses.

“While we hear the term full employment used so frequently now, this will mean nothing to the people who have been told they are to lose their jobs. As a Chamber we will most certainly be linking with Molex to assess opportunities for the tremendous skill sets that staff have amassed, and which we have witnessed first-hand in the Chamber, and will assist in any way we can to assess opportunities for these employees to gain new employment.”