Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
579. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the delivery of education and training opportunities offered under the SOLAS green skills action programme due to be completed by the fourth quarter in 2022 as set out in the climate action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4311/22]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan 2021 provides a detailed plan for taking decisive action to achieve a 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and setting us on a path to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050, as committed to in the Programme for Government and set out in the Climate Act 2021.
It will put Ireland on a more sustainable path; cut emissions; create a cleaner, greener economy and society; and protect Ireland from the devastating consequences of climate change.
The Plan lists the actions needed to deliver on our climate targets and makes Ireland one of the most ambitious countries in the world in this regard. The Government will continue to support the development of the skills necessary to further Ireland’s climate agenda.
The Government will continue to support the development of the skills necessary to further Ireland’s climate agenda, including skills associated with energy efficiency in buildings.
In the further education and training sector, short courses are targeted at upskilling and increasing knowledge awareness for existing professionals. SOLAS is working to develop a strategy to support the Climate Action Plan, the EGFSN reports “Skills for Zero Carbon” and “Building Future Skills”, and associated skills training at further education level. SOLAS’s strategy is in development and they are actively engaging across a very broad range of internal, external and industry stakeholders to ensure tangible and appropriate FET responses are devised.
More specifically, the SOLAS green skills action programme sets out how the National Recovery and Resilience Plan’s funding of €39 million for green skills will be managed. It is split across €29 million for 4,550 NZEB & Retrofit training places and €10M for 60,000 Green Skills modules places.
A delivery model has been identified for the green skills modules and this is being examined for national roll-out.
The NZEB and retrofit training places are being delivered through centres of excellence and more places will come on-stream with the establishment this year of a further three centres of excellence.
SOLAS is actively engaging with the Education and Training Boards to finalise overall FET targets for ETBs under the 2022 Further Education and Training business planning process. The allocation of places for NZEB and retrofitting programmes as outlined in the NRRP are under discussion as part of that process.
