Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Despite Ireland’s progress in digital skills, the OECD skills strategy assessment found that many do not have the necessary skills to progress in a modern economy and that participation in lifelong learning falls well behind other EU countries. Digital and green transitions will transform the type of skills required in society and society. SOLAS has advised that higher levels of skills have become increasingly important for success in the labour market, the OECD analysis reflects significant concern about current and future labour and skills gaps and we know from the census that Ireland's workforce is now slightly older with a fall in the number of people aged between 25 and 39. With the National Training Fund in surplus, we understand that the Government is considering free or subsidised upskilling in areas of acute shortage such as green energy and the digital economy. Initiatives like Springboard are working but are insufficiently ambitious in terms of student numbers and it is not clear if the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science intends to address this for the 2023-24 academic year. What measures will the Government pursue to address Ireland's shortfalls in lifelong learning and will the National Training Fund surplus be used for this purpose?

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