Vol. 518 No. 4
290 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has satisfied himself that adequate graduates in the areas of science and technology are likely to emerge from the educational system in each of the next ten years to meet the requirements of the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12039/00]
This Government is committed to ensuring an adequate supply of high quality output from the PLCs, institutes of technology and universities at sub-degree, degree and post graduate levels in order to maintain and enhance our ability to attract and retain highly mobile international investment in an increasingly knowledge based global economy. The Government established the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs as part of the business, education and training partnership set up to develop national strategies to tackle the issue of skill needs, manpower needs estimation, and education and training for business. In response to the first report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, the Government provided a £75 million investment plan to provide an additional 5,400 places predominantly in the engineering and computer hardware and software areas.
The second report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs has recently been published. In the area of graduate skills, the report considered the chemical and biological sciences sector and made a number of recommendations, which are currently being considered.
Another initiative in the technology area is the provision of some 1,500 postgraduate places on a skills conversion programme for 1999-00 to meet skills needs in the ICT area as identified by the expert skills group.
Arising from the work of the joint education-industry task force to improve the supply of technicians to the high-technology sector, an industry-college initiative was introduced in 1998 to jointly recruit, educate and train technicians. The national certificate in manufacturing technology was initiated in January 1998 in nine institutes of technology. The course involves structured work placement for six months as an integral part of the course and based on a partnership between industry and institutes with industrial involvement in course design, selection and placement. There are some 1,100 students currently on accelerated technician programmes in the institute of technology sector attending courses in the following skills shortage areas – manufacturing technology, computing, IT support, and industrial science.
