Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 April 2017
294. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the programme for Government commitment in respect of ensuring an ambitious and implementable plan to identify and address skills gaps, ICT and STEM needs. [12051/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Action Plan for Education was launched in September 2016 and the vision of the Plan is that Irish Education and Training across primary, secondary and third level should become the best in Europe over the next decade.
The National Skills Strategy 2025 identifies Ireland’s current skills profile, provides a strategic vision and specific objectives for Ireland’s future skills requirements, and sets out a road map for how the vision and objectives can be achieved across the education and training sector.
With over 125 Actions, the National Skills Strategy sets out the Government's commitment to improving and using skills for sustainable economic growth and outlines how we can develop a well-skilled, adaptable workforce.
One of the key elements of the Strategy was the development of a new skills architecture, including a National Skills Council and the Regional Skills Fora. This architecture will foster closer collaboration between relevant Government Departments and agencies and develop structures to strengthen engagement between the education and training system and enterprise.
The Council will oversee research, advise on prioritisation of identified skills needs and on how to secure delivery of identified needs and will have a key role in promoting and reporting on the delivery of responses by education and training providers to those priorities.
I have appointed the members of the Council who are drawn from senior levels in the public and private sector. It will be an advisory, non-statutory body under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills.
The Council will oversee research from a number of sources including, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit in SOLAS and the Regional Skills Fora.
The launch of the Council will take place over the coming weeks and the first meeting will take place shortly afterwards.
Both my Department's Action Plan for Education for 2016-2019 and the National Skills Strategy 2025 contain clear commitments to supporting and developing STEM and ICT education.
Among the specific actions undertaken to date in this area are:
- On 27th February a new competitive call to Higher Education providers for course proposals to be funded under Springboard+ 2017 was launched.
- On 20th March additional funding of €2.25 million was announced to boost ICT Skills development with additional summer camps for second level students being developed, as well as up to 700 additional places on ICT courses.
- The STEM Education Review Group published their report in November 2016 which presents a detailed examination of the provision of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education in Ireland. It focussed on schools and on the necessary capacity building required to achieve a step-change in outcomes for learners that will benefit our society and the economy. The review outlines 47 actions. 21 of these actions have been identified for initial priority implementation, and have been incorporated within the Action Plan for Education. These include: (a) All STEM teaching should be delivered by qualified STEM teachers (b)Introduce computer science, including coding, as a Leaving Certificate subject. Following the STEM Education Review Group's report work has commenced on the development of a STEM Education Policy Statement.
- We have established an Implementation Advisory Group for the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020. This Group comprises representation from the Department, industry, academic experts, practitioners/teachers and representatives from the tech voluntary sector.
- In January, I announced an investment of €30 m in ICT infrastructure grants for primary and post-primary schools. The investment marks the start of the implementation of the government’s €210 Million Digital Strategy for Schools. The funding will support the development and implementation of an eLearning Plan for each school to embed ICT in teaching and learning.
