Vol. 484 No. 3
27 Mr. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the special measures, if any, she is taking to address the skills shortage currently being manifested in some areas of industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22085/97]
52 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the special measures, if any, she is taking to address the skills shortage currently being manifested in some areas of industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22086/97]
82 Mr. McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the special measures, if any, she is taking to address the skills shortage currently being manifested in some areas of industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22090/97]
106 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the special measures, if any, she is taking to address the skills shortage currently being manifested in some areas of industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22091/97].
I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 52, 82 and 106 together.
My Department and the industrial development agencies have been working with the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Finance, the Higher Education Authority and FÁS to ensure that the skills needed for the development of industry and employment are available.
As a result of this co-operation targets have been set for an increased annual output of 1,000 additional computing graduates, 1,000 additional linguists and 750 additional technicians. The Government provided £5 million to commence intake into these courses in 1997. In addition over the last two years FÁS has provided training for 832 people in software-computing, 1,083 in electronics and related courses and 487 in telesales courses. FÁS is examining how it might enhance its activities in this area in 1998.
I draw the Deputy's attention to the Governments decision to establish a £250 million scientific and technological education (investment) fund which will be used to develop technology education at all levels ranging from primary schools to advanced research and to promote new areas of activity where emerging needs are identified.
I think the Minister has missed the point of the questions. I spoke with two industrialists in my area last week, one of whom has 12 vacancies in his factory and the other ten which they cannot fill. These are ordinary factory jobs not requiring computer skills. Does the Minister see a role for her Department in discussing with industrialists courses which suit their needs? Perhaps she would look at the possibility of making grant aid available directly to industrialists to help them design and provide their own courses and training with the view to taking on employees. Given that both companies are in the export business, this would boost our exports. Will the Minister agree there are many vacancies in factories such as those in my own area? How can we get to the core of providing training to enable people to be employed in those factories?
There are two issues here. There is an emerging skills shortage. The Government moved rapidly to allocate funds to deal with the shortage in the electronics industry, computing graduates, linguists and various technicians. Clearly there were shortages and people were being brought in from abroad to take up many of the new jobs. I agree that while there are 239,000 people unemployed, many employers are complaining that they cannot get people to work. I am not certain that a shortage of skills is the problem. I said earlier to Deputies Owen and Perry, in the context of implementing the White Paper on human resource development — published during the reign of my predecessor — and reviewing community employment that we will be making an announcement in relation to those matters shortly which should help target the State's response to the unemployed, in such a way that more people will be in a position to take up employment opportunities and that it will be easier to move from welfare to work. The £0.75 billion we will spend in 1998, which is a considerable resource from the taxpayer, to help unemployed people into the world of work must be used to the best effect for the unemployed. That requires a radical overhaul of some of the measures under which we have been operating in the past number of years. Given the diffuse response, it has not been easy for the agencies with responsibility in the matter — the industrial development agencies and the training agency — to target their resources in such a way as would help unemployed people get back to the world of work. Funding for the training of the unemployed has been increased by 21 per cent for 1998, training for the employed by 95 per cent and the local employment service by 95 per cent. That is a huge commitment from the Government to this whole area.
Will the Minister agree that the welcome moneys provided by the Government to address the question of skills shortage are targeted almost exclusively at young educated people and at enhancing the number of places for young educated people? To deal with the problem raised by Deputy McGrath will require varied and innovative mechanisms outside of that package entirely. Is she familiar with initiatives such as Tramways in Ballymun and CITI and has she agreed to meet the principals of Clondalkin information technology initiative in her constituency and mine?
Brevity please, Deputy Rabbitte.
I am a model where brevity is concerned. You will notice everything is a pointed question——
Like a rabbit's ears.
——contrary to the difficulties you have been struggling with since you came into the Chair. Will the Minister agree to meet the principals of the CITI project who, unfortunately, were obliged to cease trading last week?
Yes, I will.
Will the Minister ask her officials to broaden the understanding of the word "skills"? Will she broaden it to include ordinary people who can work in factories? Does the Minister see any advantage is meeting industrialists and their approving appropriate courses that will provide these skills for the people they want to employ? The courses should not be generated from Kildare Street or any other place. The employers who will take on the employees should be talked to and should approve the courses.
The answer to Deputy McGrath's question is yes. The private sector is involved in devising many of the courses. We want to ensure that those who will provide employment are involved in consultation and discussion about the courses available. There is some merit in what Deputy Rabbitte said about the fund, that essentially it will go to people who are better educated. It will be invested at an early stage in first and second level schools to ensure our young people are equipped with skills for the emerging jobs. In the world of work of the future, particularly in the context of the Irish economy, there will be virtually no employment opportunities for those who do not have some level of skill. We must ensure that more people are equipped with the skills to get the jobs being created in the economy. That is particularly the case in areas such as Clondalkin, Ballymun, Tallaght, Finglas and so on. One of the tragedies is that notwithstanding the huge level of new jobs being created in the economy the level of unemployment in these areas is not changing much. Therefore, any response on our part must be targeted very much at the needs of people in those areas.
I am familiar with the two projects the Deputy mentioned. I have already been invited to Ballymun and hope to visit the group there very shortly. I would be delighted to meet anyone to inform myself better of what may or may not be needed. There is need for much flexibility in relation to many of these schemes and to ensure that State money is spent on equipping people with skills for the kinds of jobs emerging rather than on training a large number of people in areas where they have no possibility of obtaining a job.
All the Minister's answers have been targeted at broader skills. Does she agree that cutting a loaf of bread does not necessitate the use of a computer?
We shall be doing the former rather than training people for a lot of jobs they will never be able to obtain.
