Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 April 2018
131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the degree to which an adequate and appropriately skilled workforce remains readily available here to meet the innovative challenges of the workplace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17069/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs we draw closer to full employment, it is essential to ensure that Irish enterprise has access to high-quality, adaptable and flexible talent. In order to meet this demand, the Government remains committed to building and retaining a highly skilled indigenous workforce.
This goal is set out under the framework of two overarching skills development strategies:
- Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025, which sets out a vision of how Ireland can continue to develop relevant skills and ensure that the supply of skills is activated and effectively used; and
- Action Plan for Education, 2016-2019, which aims to make the Irish education and training system the best in Europe over the next decade
The sophisticated skills architecture established in Ireland is key in identifying and responding to skills gaps as identified by enterprise and education and training providers. It constitutes the following:
- National Skills Council (NSC): The NSC was established in 2017. It provides a mechanism for mediating demands on resources in a manner that facilitates prioritisation within the identified needs, while at the same time enhancing the education and training provider responses to identified skills needs and ensuring delivery on priorities. The Council draws on the work of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit in SOLAS, and the Regional Skills Fora.
- Regional Skills Fora: A network of 9 Regional Skills Fora fostering close co-operation at regional level between education and training providers and regional enterprise. The Fora provide a cohesive education-led structure for employers and the further education and higher education system to work together in building the skills needs of their regions.
- Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN): The EGFSN is an independent, non-statutory body, which includes representatives from the business community, education and training providers, learner-support groups, trade unions, and a smaller number of Government Departments and agencies. It identifies the skills required by enterprise across occupations and sectors, as well as providing information to education and training providers to allow them to support the alignment of programmes with employers’ needs. My Department, in conjunction with SOLAS, provides the EGFSN with research and secretariat support.
An example of the EGFSN’s upcoming work on meeting the challenges of rapid innovation and its impact on the Irish workforce is the report on Skills for the Digital Economy. This report will emphasise the importance of the constant reskilling and upskilling of the workforce in creating a resilient economy. The report will focus on how different roles and different sectors will be impacted by digitalisation and will develop a synopsis of approaches to upskilling the existing workforce. The report will add to the body of work completed by the EGFSN since its inception in relation to filling skills gaps using our current labour market.
Further to this, a number of agencies and initiatives work in collaboration with my Department in order to ensure our workforce is equipped with the skills necessary to meet the growing demands of enterprise.
- Springboard is an initiative under the Higher Education Authority that strategically targets funding of free higher education courses to engage jobseekers to upskill or reskill in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. As of 2018 Springboard offers 208 free, part-time and intensive conversion courses in higher education from certificate, to degree, to post-graduate level. All Springboard courses lead to qualifications in enterprise sectors which are growing and need skilled personnel, including ICT; manufacturing; international financial services; and key skills for enterprise to trade internationally.
- Skillnets is a state-funded, enterprise-led body established in 1999. Skillnets operates a number of specialised programmes which have played a significant role in addressing current and future skills needs in Ireland. For example, the Future Skills Needs Programme (FSNP) facilitates collaboration between enterprise, academic institutions and industry training providers to develop innovative new programmes that specifically address the future skills needs of businesses. Working in close collaboration with its networks, Skillnets ensure training interventions are relevant to the specific skills needs of participating firms, congruent with the ever-changing world of work, and meeting a high bar in terms of programme design and delivery.
- SOLAS is an agency of the Department of Education and Skills established in 2013 under the Further Education and Training Act. SOLAS functions are to manage, co-ordinate and support the delivery of this integrated Further Education and Training by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs); to monitor delivery and provide funding based on reliable, good quality data and positive outcomes; and to promote Further Education and Training provision that is relevant to individual learner needs and national skills needs. This includes the needs of business and future skills requirements. The work of SOLAS is vital in meeting future skills needs through the Irish talent pool. Under the Action Plan for Jobs 2018, SOLAS will support up to 6,200 apprenticeship registrations and 3,900 traineeship enrolments throughout this year.
Through the agencies and initiatives mentioned above my Department and the Department of Education and Skills will continue to ensure that that an adequate and appropriately skilled workforce remains readily available to meet the innovative challenges of the workplace.
