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Skills Development

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 November 2012

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Questions (267, 278)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

267. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which his Department in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection has identified up-skilling or reskilling requirements throughout the educational and training sectors with a view to meeting the needs of industry to a greater extent that heretofore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51580/12]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

278. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent of re-education, reskilling or up-skilling requirements arising from modern economic trends; the degree to which he expects to be in a position to meet such requirements in full over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51591/12]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 278 together.

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, funded by my Department, plays a key role in advising on future skills needs. Its research provides a valuable input to the development of training course curricula for national training providers and has also informed the development of new competitive funding models of provision to address emerging skills needs.

The Government's activation policy, 'Pathways to Work', provides for engagement by the Department of Social Protection's INTREO Employment and Support Service with unemployed people, particularly the long-term unemployed, with a view to assisting them in finding jobs or referrals to appropriate education and training.

To complement this policy, and despite reducing resources, my Department will fund over 450,000 education and training places across the range of provision in the higher education, further education and training sectors in 2012. My Department and its agencies are prioritising places, including in the further education and training sector, specifically for those on the Live Register for 12 months or more.

In 2012 FÁS aim to facilitate over 81,000 unemployed individuals through a range of training programmes, that provide industry/occupational specific skills as well as preparatory type training, to enable a diverse range of unemployed individuals referred to FÁS by the Department of Social Protection, to gain a recognised qualification, access job opportunities or progression opportunities to further/higher education/training. The Department of Social Protection provides appropriate guidance and advice, as required, to unemployed individuals relating to FÁS courses. The re-alignment of FÁS training programmes with evolving labour market needs is evidence-based. This is facilitated by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and other relevant international and national sources including employers.

More than 10,000 higher education places are being provided in areas of identified skills need under the Springboard programme and 6,500 places are being rolled out under the new Labour Market Education and Training Fund which will be managed by FAS.

In addition, the joint Government-Industry ICT Action Plan, which has been developed as a direct response to identified ICT skills shortages, contains a comprehensive range of measures to build the domestic supply of ICT graduates, including through the roll out of over 800 places on graduate skills conversion courses from March 2012. A roll-out of a second phase of the conversion courses is scheduled for early 2013.

The Irish Further Education and Training sector is undergoing major structural reform. The creation of a new further education and training authority, SOLAS, will facilitate a coherent integrated strategic national response across the further education and training sectors and will ensure a greater focus on the evolving requirements of the unemployed and of industry.

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