asked the Minister for Labour if he has any proposals to promote closer links between industry and higher education authorities and colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Industry/Education Links.
648.
A number of arrangements exist for promoting closer links between industry and third level education institutions.
The Manpower Consultative Committee, of which I am chairman, had the role of adopting a broad overview of the labour market and are, inter alia, representative of industrial and educational interests. A number of the sub-committees dealing with particular aspects of the labour market have similar representation. For example, the occupational shortages sub-committee have representation from the Confederation of Irish Industry, the Federated Union of Employers and the IDA and from the Department of Education, the Higher Education Authority and the National Council for Educational Awards.
In May 1980 the Manpower Consultative Committee approached both FUE and CII and third level educational institutions through the Higher Education Authority and the Irish Vocational Education Association with a view to formulating proposals on how both interests could assist each other. Since then meetings have been held at both national and regional level to establish how to use the resources of industry, education and training institutions to the best advantage of all concerned. The regional meetings have been convened under the auspices of the regional manpower committees. During the discussions there has been keen enthusiasm from education and employer organisations and a clear wish to solve any problems that may exist.
649.
asked the Minister for Labour if he has any proposals to extend industry-schools link schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The schools-industry links scheme was proposed by the Manpower Consultative Committee of my Department as a way of assisting young people while still in the education system to obtain first hand information about industry and the employment opportunities it provides.
Pilot projects were initiated in a number of areas covering a wide geographic spread and with different levels of industrialisation to try to identify how best closer links could be forged between schools and industry. Through these pilot projects the usefulness of a school-industry links scheme can be assessed, as well as how best such a scheme could be organised and whether my Department or the Department of Education should have the overall responsibility for it.
The pilot projects already initiated are considered sufficient for the evaluation purposes mentioned earlier. When the evaluation has been completed, policy in relation to the matter will be settled.