Feargal Quinn (Independent)
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The witnesses are very welcome. We have heard them discuss some of these topics previously. One of the areas that excites but also worries me is the number of vacancies that exist. We seem to be slow in developing things. I was interested to learn that Mr. Davitt was formerly a bricklayer and was then able to change direction. I recently presented awards for the applied leaving certificate to individuals aged 16, 17 and 18 years. These people are learning skills at the same time as they are getting an education. The ability to see people lift themselves up and achieve in certain areas is heartening. One individual, Paul Mooney, left school at the age of 14 years and worked for me as a butcher in one of our supermarkets before leaving to develop himself and become president of the National College of Ireland. That is an example of the ability of somebody to switch from one area to another, particularly in respect of switching from something involving skills of the hands to being able to use the skills of the mind as well.

Is Springboard doing the right job or could it be doing more? Springboard is aimed at people who have experience and ability at level 5 or above but who discover that there were no job vacancies for their skills, particularly when the construction industry was not hiring. Through Springboard, they were able to switch from areas like the construction industry to something else. They may well be needed back in construction now.

Can we learn something from the experience of other countries? Reference was made to apprenticeships in Germany. It frustrates me to think that vacancies exist at the same time that a large number of people are unemployed.

It still frustrates me to think that there are vacancies, yet a large number of people are unemployed. What do we have to do to be able to get them to change direction from where they are to be able to say they are willing to learn? There is a hunger to learn and the delegation is giving people the ability to feed that. Can the committee or State help with that?