Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I return to the issues of design and management in SMEs. As I said earlier, these issues have been around forever, and as the circular economy takes hold, with enterprise having to design out much of the environmental damage from initial product design through to packaging, waste management and how the product is used, prepared and repurposed, we will need much more sophisticated design if our enterprises are to be successful. I recall Enterprise Ireland producing a report, I think based on McKinsey, that indicated the single greatest step that could be taken to increase prosperity among Irish companies was to strengthen management. I would be grateful if our guests' group could provide us with a few succinct recommendations, not necessarily today, on how these two very achievable shifts could be made. They are both manageable, do not cost an arm and a leg and could be done through those sorts of incremental schemes our guests spoke about, such as Springboard, the human capital initiative or even Skillsnet. We need a succinct proposition, and I would certainly be happy to try to drive it on in any of the departmental circles we can influence as a committee.

The main difference in regard to apprenticeship is that it is a jobs contract. While I take my hat off to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for including apprenticeships on CAO forms, whereby they can all be seen as options, getting an apprenticeship is a different matter. Is there any scope for sectors to come together in some way in order that people can sign on without that additional challenge of finding a specific enterprise to take them on as an apprentice? That seems to be one of the main obstacles preventing people taking on apprenticeships.

Judging by what our guests said, it seems we are having to make small changes at the margins, setting up little funds and initiatives, because the system is so resistant to change. What can be done to make the education system a bit more responsive in its mainstream activities, rather than having to have the human capital initiative, ICT plans or Springboard tacked on at the edge?