Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

SOLAS has a unit that specifically monitors labour market needs. I do not think it will come as a huge surprise to the Deputy that we are seeing significant requirements for people in construction, ICT and digital skills and a range of other sectors. Bulletins published monthly in that regard are useful and informative.

The question as to how we should respond is the especially interesting one. As I was trying to say in response to an earlier question, we have to recognise that responding does not just mean setting up a four-year degree programme for everyone in the country. That is not practical when more and more of the upskilling and reskilling requirements are from people holding down full-time jobs. They may be in work, in a reasonably well-paid, secure job, and all of a sudden the green transition, the digitisation agenda or AI is coming at them. How can we enable the education system to provide education in a way that works for those people? More and more often, students are going to be in their 40s, with a full-time job, and perhaps be caring for children or parents. They have to be able to access education in a more flexible way, and that is where our focus is too.

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