Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 October 2024
226. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how the Budget 2025 announcement regarding ‘€20 million for a skills package in employment-focused skills and training’ is to be deployed; and if the funding will include supports for small businesses seeking to develop their digital skills or their use of AI. [40412/24]
View answerInvestment of €20 million for a skills package in 2025 reflects the actions following the recent Competitiveness Summit and Government’s agreement to set out a pathway to sustainably use the National Training Fund to increase investment in employment focused skills and training assisting and enhancing competitiveness and productivity of businesses.
As part of Budget 2025, I am allocating €20 million to a National Training Fund skills package. Under this programme, €8m has been provided to scale up the SME Upskilling Incentivisation Scheme ato encourage and support SMEs to engage in training opportunities. €1 million was invested in a pilot scheme in Budget 2024 to address recommendations in the OECD Review calls to boost participation in lifelong learning in the SME sector.
The Scheme will be open to sectors on a phased basis with eligible training programmes delivered through a Skillnet Ireland Network in the first phase. Qualifying programme themes include, amongst others, digitalisation: E commerce, Digital Marketing, Data analytics, Robotics & Automation, AI, Cloud Computing skills, Machine Learning or Modelling Skills, Data Management.
In addition to the above, €0.6m will be allocated for a pathfinder project of aimed specifically at providing older workers with key skills in areas of growth such as climate mitigation and digital transformation.
I am also allocating:
• €4 million to SOLAS to support their strategic partnership with Enterprise Ireland and their Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to deliver a package of initial training to small and micro enterprises at local level, which struggle most in dealing with the challenge of workforce upskilling.
• €2.3m to SOLAS and Skillnet Ireland to support the expansion of skills training essential for the green transition, including in the areas of offshore wind, retrofitting and electro-mobility.
• €2.7m to SOLAS and Skillnet Ireland to ensure that the workforce is equipped with the Modern methods of Construction skills required to deliver Government priorities for residential construction.
• €1million is also being provided to Skillnet Ireland to support the embedding of innovation and entrepreneurial practices in our SMEs.
• €800, 000 to The Wheel to drive Workforce Development for a 21st Century Social Economy. The community, voluntary and social enterprise sector is a significant employer, with charities alone employing 281,250 staff, equating to almost one in eight people in the labour force.
• €0.6m in a Careers and Skills Portal, supported by a human centric coaching service.
