Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he has advanced his proposals for the maximisation of achievement and the attainment of various targets identifiable through the mission statement of his Department; the degree to which the efforts to date are in consort with already identified requirements in the academic, technological, scientific and innovative areas with a view to ensuring the broadest and highest educational opportunities in order to better compete nationally and internationally for job placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26955/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This question relates to a subject that I raised with the Minister previously in regard to the development of an adequate supply of highly qualified graduates in both the academic and technical areas, and meeting the market requirements in that regard.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his question and for continually raising this most important matter.

Our further and higher education and research systems represent a critical national asset. That is how they need to be seen. They are a critical national asset which can support the future economic and societal success of our citizens. Increasingly, the battle to live in and create a country that has economic and social cohesion is going to be dependent on the talent and the ingenuity of our people and supporting and investing in that talent and ingenuity.

At the heart of the Department's strategy is the core objective of ensuring everyone, no matter who they are, where they come from, what their gender is or what their mum or dad did, can reach their full potential through education, whether as a school leaver or through lifelong learning. Education is no longer something that is just done for a set period of time until one reaches the age of 18 or 21. It is a journey that continues throughout life. We must get better at lifelong learning and investing in research and innovation.

In terms of the specific issues highlighted by the Deputy, our strategy sets out the Department's ambition to improve transitions to tertiary education for school leavers and to implement a new ten-year strategy to improve literacy, numeracy and digital skills. We live in a country in which one in six adults cannot read or struggles with reading and in which almost 50% of people lack basic digital skills. We have to get very serious about this. We must invest in upskilling and reskilling opportunities in areas of economic growth, such as green and digital skills. Under the leadership of the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, we have developed the new action plan on apprenticeships, and we will put in place a sustainable approach to higher education funding. We are undertaking a national engagement on research and science to create a new national strategy for Ireland. We are growing our international reach, as we want to position Ireland as a leader in higher education and research. I met the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation about this yesterday. As regards regional development, we are supporting the establishment of technological universities to improve access to higher education and to act as anchors for regional and national innovation and growth. The idea that all roads must lead to Dublin needs to end as well.

I am satisfied that the mandate and mission of my Department are set out in the statement of strategy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Can I further inquire as to whether, or the extent to which, the Minister and his Department continue to liaise with the various trades and professions with a view to attempting to identify the precise level of requirement into the future, and how will this compare with the experiences of other jurisdictions in the EU over the last 20 to 40 years, given their success in that area? To what extent does the Department continue to compare the requirement in the technical and academic areas to meet emerging and changing requirements in full, insofar as it can be done?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The short answer is that there are a couple of ways. We have the National Skills Council, which comprises leaders in the public service and industry leaders. That is the national umbrella structure through which we identify and pursue the skills needs of the country. Crucially, we have regional skills fora, and the Minister of State and I have been meeting with them across the country, which bring together the education providers, such as the college, university and the ETB, and the local employers to discuss what is required in the region, for example, Kildare, to ensure they are future-proofing the needs of the regional and local economies. Under the apprenticeship action plan we have put in place specific structures to engage with employers. Frankly, there cannot be apprenticeships without employers. An employer is needed to take on an apprentice. We have listened to their feedback and there are a number of measures in the action plan that will make it easier for businesses to take on more apprenticeships. In addition, we have put it to the public sector to not just lecture the private sector, but to do its bit as well. On the technical versus academic piece, some of the things in the plan regarding CAO reform and showing students all their options and all the different career pathways will also be key.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Has the Department, in its continued liaison with the various authorities throughout the country, observed any particular requirements specific to geographical areas that occur in one more than another? Is the Minister conscious of the fact that in the future we may need to diversify to a greater extent than in the past arising from, for example, Brexit and the impact of Covid-19? Are actions being put in place or targets being set in that regard? What are the Minister's observations from the ongoing assessment to which he referred?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Yes, even in a small country like Ireland there are differences in the regions. When I met the south east regional skills forum, it referred to the fact that it had engineering jobs that needed to be filled. What does one do? One brings together the local college, local ETB and local employers to find how to provide more courses in the region for that. I can provide the Deputy with more detail, but there are differences from region to region even in a small country.

The Deputy's point about diversification and the changing world with Brexit, Covid, technology and climate is key. The idea that a person will come out of school and will have a certain set of skills when he or she goes to college and will do the same job with the same set of skills for the rest of his or her life is likely to go out with the dinosaurs. Increasingly, we will need to provide employees who cannot pack their bags and go to university for four years with access to flexible modules of education to upskill. We are driving that principally through the Skillnet Ireland organisation, which my Department funds.