Vol. 493 No. 3
32 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the degree to which she expects the necessary skills to be available to meet requirements in the job market, with particular reference to the technical and marketing areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15945/98]
The rapid employment growth of recent years has inevitably led to a tightening of the labour market. The Government is fully aware of the importance of each sector having available to it an adequate pool of personnel equipped with the appropriate skills if the economy is to develop to its full potential and contribute to overall economic growth. Since taking up office, the Government has taken a broad range of relevant initiatives. These include: the establishment of a new business, education and training partnership embodying an expert group on future skills needs and an implementation group. The expert group, under the chairmanship of Dr. Chris Horn of Iona Technologies, has just recently presented its first report relating to skills needs in the electronic and software areas. The Implementation Group is now proceeding to identify the steps to be taken to meet supply needs in these areas; the development of a skills awareness programme aimed at making school-goers aware of where future job opportunities lie; the allocation, shortly after entering office, of an extra £5 million to commence the expansion of student in-take in computing and technician courses, with a view to achieving an increased annual output of 1,000 computer graduates and 750 technicians; the establishment of a £250 million education technology investment fund; the allocation of £1.2 million to FÁS to expand its provision in the software and electronics areas; and extra provision for FÁS to meet increasing apprenticeship numbers from some 3,000 in 1994 to over 5,500 in 1997.
