Dara Calleary
Ceist:369. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new jobs created by his Department as a result of budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37307/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 18 September 2012
Ceisteanna (369)
Freagraí scríofa
During its first 100 days in Office, this Government put in place a Jobs Initiative and, within its first year of being in Office, the Government put in place an Action Plan for Jobs. The Deputy will be aware that the APJ includes a target to create the environment where the number of people at work will increase by 100,000 – from 1.8 million to 1.9 million – by 2016, and reach 2 million people by 2020. Some of the significant Department of Education and Skills actions in Budget 2012 and the APJ include -
* A new Labour Market Education and Training Fund. This €20 million fund will be specifically targeted at the long-term unemployed and will deliver upward of 6,500 places in 2012.
* Prioritisation of places, including in the further education and training sector, specifically for those on the Live Register for 12 months or more.
* A new call under the Springboard programme for higher education courses that are aligned with areas of future skills needs and targeted at the unemployed. In May 2012, 6,000 places on 220 courses opened for applications under Springboard 2012.
* Rollout of 750 places on 17 new fully funded graduate ICT skills conversion programmes across the country.
* A specific training initiative for managers in SMEs.
In addition, the Action Plan contains significant actions in the whole area of international education provision and attention to building on the Education in Ireland brand to increase awareness of Ireland as a top class centre of education services. The Government has also prioritised investment in school buildings and earlier this year I published the first ever Five Year Plan for School Buildings. This €1.5 billion investment in major school building projects will create an estimated 15,000 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs over the period of the programme (an annual average of 3,000 direct and 600 indirect jobs).