Mr. Tony Donohoe:

Implicit in the questions is that good learning outcomes are in some way different from what business needs when, in fact, they are very much aligned. We might use different language to describe them, but good learning is generally what businesses require, as is the mastery of a particular occupation, skill set or mindset, but also synthesising and creative skills. Ethical awareness and being a good citizen are in no way different from being a good, productive worker. Sometimes I think we talk different languages in education and business but we are looking for the same thing. The most important outcome I would say is learning to learn. In a world that is constantly changing, we need to spark this continuous appetite for learning. Ireland's performance in lifelong learning measurements is medium. That is where the leaving certificate feeds into the process, inculcating this appetite for learning.