Written answers

Wednesday, 4 May 2011

Department of Education and Skills

Skills Development

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his proposals to facilitate an upgrade of skills to meet the needs of the public and private sectors in the future; the degree to which he expects to meet the needs of the higher skill educational needs of major international corporations here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10027/11]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The main policy framework within which the upskilling agenda takes place is the National Skills Strategy published by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) in 2007. The National Skills Strategy proposes a vision of Ireland in 2020 in which a well-educated and highly skilled population contributes optimally to a competitive, innovation-driven, knowledge-based, participative and inclusive economy.

The drivers of change that result in higher levels of skill requirements for enterprise identified in the National Skills Strategy remain valid today as increasing globalisation and the proliferation of new and emerging technologies require continued responsiveness to capitalise on our human capital resources. Under the strategy, by 2020 an additional 70,000 persons within the workforce require to upskill from levels 1 and 2 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) to level 3, 260,000 persons to progress to levels 4 and 5 and 170,000 persons to progress to levels 6 - 10.

Significant progress has been made to date towards under the strategy despite the need to refocus significantly on the unemployment activation agenda. For example, the percentage of the labour force with higher education qualifications at NFQ levels 6 -10 rose from 33% in 2005 to 41% by the end of 2010 while the percentage at NFQ Levels 1 – 3 fell from 27% to 20% and the percentage at NFQ Levels 4 and 5 remained at 40%. However, significant challenges remain in attaining the 2020 strategy targets in full.

The EGFSN advises the Government on current and future skills needs of the economy and on other labour market issues that impact on Ireland's enterprise and employment growth. The EGFSN works directly in consultation with enterprises to identify specific current and future skills needs. Higher education institutions are represented on the EGFSN and as a standard practice, engage with employers in the review and development of higher education programmes. This analytical approach enables education and training providers to adapt their provision to address skills needs. It is also used to underpin labour market activation programmes such as the recent Higher Education Authority's "Springboard" initiative which is a competitive call for proposals for the provision of part-time higher education places for unemployed persons.

The EGFSN produces sectoral reports with the objective of quantifying skills and labour requirements in sectors in the medium term as well as making recommendations to Government and education and training providers as to how skills needs can be met. This can entail, for example, developing new modules that build on existing qualifications of graduates; introducing work placement programmes to enhance graduate employability; conversion courses; or new programmes to upskill existing employees where new technologies, higher productivity requirements, new work practices or regulations are impacting significantly on skills and qualifications requirements.

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