Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question, which highlights the importance of trying to align graduate output with our future workforce and skills needs. It is important, when we think of previous questions, that we do not just talk about the workforce and skills needs of the private sector, although that is really important, but we also talk about the workforce and skills needs of our public services. We discussed this with Deputy Burke earlier in the relation to the health service.

Aligning outputs with the skills needs of our country is a central theme of the OECD review of Ireland's national skills strategy, which I was pleased to launch last May. Against the backdrop of rapidly changing skill needs and megatrends such as digitisation, artificial intelligence, decarbonisation and demographic change, the OECD emphasises that it will be essential that Ireland's skills system helps to secure a balance between skills demand and supply; is flexible and responsive in planning for future skill needs; and builds adaptability and resilience in the face of societal and economic change. The OECD review identifies a number of positive opportunities to meet these objectives in areas such as improving information and guidance for individuals - not just school leavers but all citizens - on learning and career paths; strengthening learning and career pathways; and making education and training provision more responsive to changing skills needs. The last point is the most important one. The idea of education being something that is age-bound or that can only be done in one way has to change if we are to meet the skills need of our country now and into the future.

One of the main priorities for my Department for 2024, consistent with our recent statement of strategy, is to deliver on those priority recommendations identified by the OECD relating to achieving these opportunities. The reform of the National Skills Council, the details of which I plan to announce shortly, will put in place a key component of a new governance model recommended by the OECD to build a more joined-up skills ecosystem to drive forward implementation of the OECD review. It will enable the creation of a national partnerships encompassing all sectors of the economy to underpin more effective engagement with stakeholders. The work of the new council will be critical to overseeing how the future evolution of our tertiary education system generates the workforce and skills referenced in the Deputy's question.

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