Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Burke for what is a really topical question. We are certainly doing a lot in this space, although whether we can ever do enough is a big question. The Deputy is right that this is certainly an area that we need to prioritise. One of the things we are trying to do is to dispel the myth that education is just something people do in primary and secondary school, with a couple of years at university to get a degree and then off they go. Increasingly, education is going to require people - even those who believe they are in secure employment - to dip in and out to keep up with the pace of change that is happening in our world. That is why we have developed micro-qualifications and micro-credentials at further education and training centres and in higher education so that people who are working full-time can top up their skill set to keep ahead in their workplace. If we look at mechanics, for example, we have a lot of people who are studying to be mechanics right now. That is really good, although we could do with more. We also know that last year in Ireland there were more new electric vehicles sold than petrol or diesel vehicles. Therefore, mechanics are having to change their whole skill set. Going back and retrofitting the skills involved in the mechanic apprenticeship course is a huge body of work that we are currently undertaking.

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