John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 215: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the recent reports of up to 2,000 vacancies in high-tech jobs here; his views on whether this skills deficit can be overcome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22393/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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My Department is continually examining ways to increase the availability of, and to enhance the success of, the education and training provision for the unemployed.

My Department is funding in 2011 the provision of over 154,000 Training places through FÁS, Skillnets and the Labour Market Activation Fund and 172,000 places which the unemployed may access in the Further Education sector as well as 161,900 in the Higher Education sector.

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs plays a key role in advising on the future skills needs of enterprise. Its reports are disseminated directly to education and training providers, third level institutions and provide a valuable input to the development and amendment of course curricula.

Expert Group on Future Skills Needs research and engagement between higher education providers and industry also informed the development and selection of the part time higher education programmes being funded through Springboard. Under this new initiative 6,000 places are being provided for unemployed people in areas where employment opportunities are expected to arise in the future, ranging from the food industry to ICT to green technology and international services.

My Department and the Higher Education Authority, in collaboration with the Secretariat to the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs are also working closely with the ICT industry to develop further responses to specific skills needs that have been identified by that sector.

In addition, the Labour Market Activation Fund provided a mix of programmes covering a broad spectrum of activities in potential high growth areas of the economy. This programme is being evaluated and this evaluation will inform Government policy and decisions on the focus of upskilling programmes in the context of relevant skills needs of the Labour Market.