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Third Level Education

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 December 2020

Thursday, 10 December 2020

Questions (339)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

339. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the proportion of students opting for third and fourth-level education on an annual basis over the past five years can be addressed in the future by ensuring an increase in third-level places most likely to impact positively on the availability of graduates where required most in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42842/20]

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Written answers

The transition rate of pupils from post-primary to higher education has remained relatively steady in recent years, varying between 63% and 64%. This refers to the proportion of post-primary school completers who enter higher education up to five years after they finish post-primary education. Ireland has one of the highest educational attainment rates in the OECD, with 55% of 25-34 year olds in Ireland having completed a tertiary degree, as opposed to an OECD average of 45%.

However when looking at the choices of students progressing onwards from post-primary education it is important to also consider students going on to apprenticeships,  traineeships and other further education and training options, not just those progressing to higher education. My Department aims to ensure that learners have a broad range of options available to them across the higher and further education sectors.

There are a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified science and technical graduates, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more generally with the skills and capacity to meet these demands.

These strategies and initiatives include: the National Skills Strategy 2025; Technology Skills 2022; Springboard+; the Human Capital Initiative and the July Stimulus package.

Under Pillar 2 of the Human Capital Initiative  3,000 undergraduate places are being created in Key Skills areas such as Science, Engineering, ICT and Professional Construction. 1,415 of these places were brought on stream for the 2020 academic year, with the remainder to follow in 2021.

Future Jobs Ireland, which was launched in March 2019 is a new whole-of Government plan to secure Ireland’s economic success. A key element of Future Jobs Ireland is to support business, invest in the development of people and to enhance skills and develop and attract talent to ensure our education and training system is responsive to enterprise needs. We must ensure that we have accessible upskilling options and that our education and training providers offer relevant and up-to-date courses which meet the needs of enterprises and workers.

Springboard+ runs an annual call in order to be in a position to provide the most up to date skills needs courses responding to advances in technology that are impacting the future world of work.  For instance, the 2020 offering of Springboard courses included, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Governance.

In general HE institutions are constantly reviewing and updating their course curriculum in collaboration with enterprise to ensure that undergraduate and taught postgraduate course content is reflecting emerging trends in the future world of work and Industry 5.0.

My Department will continue to align our further and higher education policies with what is required in the workplace. We will do this by working with industry to address current needs and, looking beyond the current world of work, by equipping individuals with the skills they need to succeed in the changing labour market.

I am satisfied that these and other important elements of my Department’s strategies, developed in collaboration with key stakeholders, will help ensure that we are well prepared to meet our skills needs including the scientific needs of the economy.

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