Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 November 2015
109. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation arising from his reply to previous parliamentary questions, if he is satisfied with the availability of appropriate skills to meet the demands of the workplace; if any shortages therein are likely to impede job creation efforts in either the manufacturing or service sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42242/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnterprise 2025, the Government’s long-term enterprise policy launched earlier this month is an ambitious strategy to achieve sustainable full employment. We want to deliver economic growth over the next decade that is sustainable, led by strong export performance, building on our sectoral strengths, and that is underpinned by talent, innovation, productivity and competitiveness. We aim to build resilience into our economy so that we are better placed to respond to national and international shocks in the future. Talent and skills are at the heart of Enterprise 2025, and our strategy for the future builds on the lessons of the last four years. Our success in supporting enterprises in creating jobs since we started the Action Plan for Jobs process in 2012 illustrates the impact we can have when we align our education, training and activation policies with the skill requirements of the enterprise sector. We have 135,800 more people at work than when we launched our first Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. Our export performance has been exceptional, with exports by Enterprise Ireland clients at a record of €18.6bn last year. Employment in EI and IDA supported firms has grown by over 40,000 since 2012.
Companies across the globe consider talent as the key differentiator in the 21st Century. Ireland benefits from its strong reputation for talent internationally, not least because of our can-do attitude that has led to successful entrepreneurship, growing Irish owned multinational enterprises and continues attractiveness for FDI. We know that the war for talent is global. In this context, we need to also attract those individuals who are mobile to choose to take up employment opportunities here in Ireland, including attracting back the extraordinary reservoir and skills base of our emigrants who left during the early part of the recession.
The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) plays a key role in advising the Government on the current and future skills needs of the economy. Recent EGFSN reports have anticipated future job opportunities arising from both expansion and replacement demand for a range of occupational roles, including in ICT, data analytics, manufacturing, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, international sales and marketing, project management, freight transport, distribution and logistics, and in the hospitality sector.
The Government is taking action to respond to emerging areas of high demand. For example, the ICT Action Plan which provides an integrated response within the education system to increasing the domestic supply of high level ICT skills. The aim of the Plan is to support the flow of people into ICT education, training and careers. Overall implementation of the Plan is driven by a High Level Steering Group which my Department co-chairs with the Department of Education and Skills.
The skills needs in other areas of the economy are being addressed through the Further and Higher education system, through Springboard and Momentum training courses which help to upskill or re-skill unemployed people, and through the enterprise-led Training Networks Programme run by Skillnets. Earlier this year, the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, TD, announced the development of 25 new Apprenticeships which cover a wide range of sectors such as manufacturing and engineering, tourism and sport, financial services, information technology, transport distribution and logistics, and business administration and management.
As noted above co-operation between employers and the education and training system has proven to be crucial in developing effective responses to skills needs, and the Department of Education and Skills is establishing new Regional Skills Fora to strengthen co-operation between enterprise and the Further and Higher education and training systems into the future.
