The education and training system at all levels has a number of key strategies in place to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands in the workplace and equip young people with the skills to meet these demands to enhance the level of human capital in Ireland and provide a solid basis for long-term economic sustainability and rising living standards. These strategies include, in particular, the National Skills Strategy 2025 and the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019.
The Action Plan for Education 2016 – 2019 provides a key statement on the reform agenda across the education and training system. The Plan contains a range of actions to be implemented with particular focus on disadvantage, skills needs, and continuous improvement within the education service.
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 140 Actions, the Plan sets out the Government's commitment to improving and using skills for sustainable economic growth and sets out how we can develop a well-skilled, adaptable workforce of all ages.
A critical element of the Government's overall strategy in the skills area is ensure that both students and adults have access to the best possible advice, guidance and information in planning their working lives and responding to the pace of change impacting on all sectors of the workforce. Therefore, in line with a commitment in the Action Plan for Education and the National Skills Strategy my Department has appointed consultants to undertake a Career Guidance Review that will include recommendations on changes to improve the existing career guidance tools and career information for post-primary/further education/higher education students and adults, currently in place across the education and training system in Ireland.
I am satisfied that these and other important elements of skills planning being carried out by my Department in collaboration with key stakeholders, will help ensure that we are successful in meeting our skills needs on an ongoing basis to support the long-term success of our economy.
