Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We should consider what happened in the past 12 months. Agriculture, forestry and fishing generated 16,000 jobs, industry generated 7,000 jobs, wholesale and retail generated 3,000 jobs, accommodation and food services generated 10,000 jobs and professional, scientific and technical sectors generated 5,000 jobs. Growth in these sectors is adding significant numbers of jobs.

The expert group on future skills needs assists my Department and the Department of Education and Skills in building connections between education and industry. I do not pretend the bridge we are building is perfect but, in realistic terms, jobs have declined in recent years and skill shortages have not occurred in many areas. They are only beginning to emerge now. The ICT sector has faced a continuing skills shortage but in manufacturing, while key skills like plastic moulding and tool making are in demand, we are not yet seeing thousands of vacancies or needs. The expert group has identified areas of expertise in manufacturing and they are being communicated to colleges and SOLAS to assist in their planning. The process is ongoing for offering guidance to colleges, students and parents as to where skills opportunities can be found. Clearly wrong turns were taken and it takes time to get people to switch focus. However, a considerable amount of information is informing that process.

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