Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 October 2018
185. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which she continues to monitor the availability of the requisite skills in the workplace having particular regard to the skills requirements of high technology industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43039/18]
View answerMy Department is aware that it is essential that Irish enterprise has access to high-quality, adaptable and flexible talent. In order to meet this demand, the Government is committed to building and retaining a highly skilled indigenous workforce to serve the needs of the economy.
This goal is set out under the framework of two overarching skills development strategies:
- Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025, which sets out a vision of how Ireland can continue to develop relevant skills and ensure that the supply of skills is activated and effectively used; and
- Action Plan for Education, 2016-2019, which aims to make the Irish education and training system the best in Europe over the coming decade
The sophisticated skills architecture established in Ireland is key in identifying and responding to skills gaps as identified by enterprise and education and training providers. It constitutes the following elements:
National Skills Council (NSC): The NSC was established in 2017. It provides a mechanism for mediating demands on resources in a manner that facilitates prioritization of identified skills needs, while at the same time enhancing education and training provider responses to and delivery of these identified needs. The Council draws on the work of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit in SOLAS, and the Regional Skills Fora.
Regional Skills Fora: A network of 9 Regional Skills Fora fosters close co-operation at regional level between education and training providers and regional enterprise. The Fora provide a cohesive education-led structure for employers and the further education and higher education system to work together in building the skills needs of their regions.
Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN): The EGFSN is an independent, non-statutory body, which includes representatives from the business community, education and training providers, learner-support groups, trade unions, and a smaller number of Government Departments and agencies. It identifies the skills required by enterprise across occupations and sectors, as well as providing information to education and training providers to allow them to support the alignment of programmes with employers’ needs. My Department provides the EGFSN with research and secretariat support.
High level ICT skills have been a key concern of the EGFSN since 2013, when it undertook the study Addressing Future Demand for High-Level ICT Skills. This study included a demand forecast for such skills, both in the ICT sector and across other sectors of the economy, over the period 2013-2018. A related objective was how Ireland could retain and attract high-level ICT Skills to address immediate high level ICT skills recruitment needs. The findings and recommendations of this report were essential inputs into the development of the ICT Skills Action Plan 2014-2018.
At official level, my Department has also been involved in the High Level Steering Group responsible for monitoring the implementation of the ICT Skills Action Plan. As my Department and the Department of Education and Skills look to develop a new ICT Skills Action Plan for the coming years, the EGFSN has engaged in a refresh of the demand forecast exercise undertaken in 2013, for the period 2017-2022.
Through the agencies and initiatives mentioned above my Department and the Department of Education and Skills will continue to ensure that an adequate and appropriately skilled workforce remains readily available to meet the requirements of the high tech industry.
