Mr. Paul Sweetman:

Perhaps I can add a couple of points. I thank the Chairman for the offer to help. That is something on which the committee could be strong. The great advantage is that much has already been done. There are a number of programmes and initiatives out there and we need to focus on picking the ones that are working effectively. On the issue of engagement with the industry, universities and institutes of technology, I can point the committee to strong examples of programmes that receive Government support. To cut a long story short, I would encourage more support for these programmes. The two examples are the following. A very powerful conversion programme, a master's in applied software technology, is being developed by Ericsson in conjunction with the ICT Ireland Skillnet, through Skillnets Ltd. funding, which is under the auspices of the Government. In the first cohort, Ericsson has been able to take 50 people off the live register, put them through an intensive master's programme and guarantee them jobs as strong software developers within Ericsson. That first programme was very successful, and now there is a cohort of 100 people. There is no reason this programme cannot be replicated across many of the other large employer-based ICT companies. The attractive aspect of the programme is that on successful completion the graduates are guaranteed a job, but also, these are anchor jobs, which secure the footprint of Ericsson in Ireland. That can be replicated. The way the programme was developed was that individuals from Ericsson worked directly on what they wanted to see within the programme. It turned out that a level 9 master's degree was what was required. That went out to tender, and Athlone IT is delivering the programme. Fundamental to that was the Government programme through Skillnets Ltd.

To show that we are not talking just about high-level skills, VMware and a group of companies in Ballincollig, Cork, pooled together through another Skillnets programme - the Irish Software Association Skillnet - when seeking to fill entry-level positions. It was looking for two aspects in terms of entry into the programme: a person's attitude, and his or her ability to use a computer in a very basic sense. Out of that it got many programming specialists, some within its cloud computing services - about 100 people. That was a specific programme developed with local educational institutions and also directly with companies. In terms of assistance, I would certainly recommend that programmes such as Skillnets be encouraged to continue and that funding be supported. Another development is the 760 conversion programmes that were recently launched by the Government. They are very strong because they are working with industry and academic institutions in trying to develop as best they can what the industry needs and trying to align this with work placement.

What is important about Skillnets is not just that there is funding but that the programmes being developed are often the first of their kind. They are industry-led and have not existed before. For example, a project management diploma being taught by DIT, which was developed through a Skillnet, is actually the first of its kind in Europe. Not only does that bode well for those going through the course; it also gives Ireland a strong reputation for tackling the needs that are important to companies.

With regard to career guidance, there have been some very strong initiatives, and continued support for them would be good. Through industry groups such as IBEC we host career guidance conferences once a year and go through the key topics and the key career options for students.

We try to arm career guidance counsellors with the information they will need and tailor it to the requirements of students and parents.

There are some very strong programmes, including Smart Futures, which is run through Discover Science and Engineering. That is trying to capture all the initiatives in order to encourage students to look more at opportunities. It was piloted with the information and communications technology sector but we are now taking in the medical devices and pharmaceutical sectors as well, including science, technology, engineering and maths, and focusing on careers available from there. It is a very strong programme and it could play some part in continuing the shift we observed last year, with more students going for third level courses that are technology-related.

There is a champions programme that heavily involves Engineers Ireland. Recent graduates from engineering programmes in particular speak to fourth level students, detailing their work as an engineer and the strong opportunities that they see. They advocate consideration of such a career. It is important work as that is the point at which students begin to make critical decisions that could open or eliminate the possibilities for getting involved in the technical sector. We have very strong building blocks and we are beyond the foundations in quite a few of those programmes. It is important to get momentum behind such action.

We are also talking about the visas issue and that is one of the last big plays where we can gain a significant advantage. If we get it over the line it will both solve the problem in the short term and give us a very strong footing internationally, giving companies confidence that whatever the issue will be in five or ten years - it may not be a matter of skills - Ireland will work flexibly and nimbly in its work. The ramifications are very important and it is critical to see if we can do something about it.