Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

The target of upskilling 500,000 people as laid out in the national skills strategy is a very ambitious target. To achieve this target and realise the vision contained in the national skills strategy will require an integrated approach — led jointly by my Department and the Department of Education and Science — that will successfully involve all of the key agencies in the education and training sectors. That is why an interdepartmental implementation committee comprised of the Minister of State with responsibility for lifelong learning, Deputy Haughey, and the Secretaries General of my Department and the Department of Education and Science will be established in the near future. This committee will approve an implementation plan and oversee progress in respect of the implementation of the national skills strategy.

The expert group on future skills needs has been charged with reporting annually on the progress in implementing the strategy. In addition, the Minister asked it to examine the potential of a number of innovative measures to incentivise both employers and employees to engage more fully in education and training. The measures under review include paid learning leave, individual learning accounts for employees and brokerage services to help firms identify training needs and source suitable training and the potential of regional advisory groups. The expert group's findings in these areas will be considered in the context of developing the implementation plan of the national skills strategy.

This year, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment invest €77 million specifically in training those in employment. This is in addition to the amount that is invested in the apprenticeship systems. The investment to which I refer, representing an increase of €7 million on the 2007 figure, will be used to continue to deliver training to those in employment, with a particular focus on the low skilled in accordance with the objectives in the national skills strategy.

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