Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his proposals, if any, to deal with skills shortages in specific sectors of the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11852/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs identifies future skills needs of enterprise outlining current provision of education & training and identifies gaps in provision, where enterprise requirements cannot be met from current supply. The Expert Group has a key role to play in the identification of skills shortages in the enterprise sector and its recommendations will continue to be reflected in all new Labour Market Activation programmes and its research will continue to inform education and training provision at all levels.

The establishment of SOLAS , the new Further Education and Training Authority, will ensure the provision of 21st century high-quality further education and training programmes. My Department also has a number of measures under the recently announced "Action Plans for Jobs" initiative, and the "Pathways to Work" sets out the strategy to reform labour market activation policy.

In 2012, at a time of reducing resources, my Department will fund over 450,000 education and training places across the range of provision in the higher education, further education and training sectors which, despite the need for widespread cutbacks, is still in line with the 2011 provision.

The early identification of skill needs that is reflected in FAS training provision comes from many sources including engagement with employers, industry and education and training providers along with national and international research and helps identify future skills needs of our economy. FAS plan to deliver up to 75,000 training places in 2012 and will manage the new Education and Training Fund which will provide up to 6,500 places.

Skillnets which is an enterprise-led body funded through the National Training Fund to provide companies with new opportunities to develop relevant, effective answers to their training and development needs was set ambitious targets for 2011 to train 40,000 persons, of which up to 8,000 will be unemployed, with up to 50% of training being for the low basic skilled. Similar targets to 2011 have been set for 2012 which will target the long term unemployed.

Following on the Labour Market Activation Fund which operated in 2010 and 2011, a new Training and Education Fund will be introduced in 2012 specifically targeted at the long term unemployed. This fund amounting to €20m, from the National Training Fund, will deliver upwards of 6,500 education and training places.

In response to skills shortages in the ICT sector, earlier this month the Government launched the Joint Government-Industry ICT Action Plan: Meeting the High Level ICT Skills Needs of Enterprise in Ireland. The Action Plan sets out how Ireland is going to build the supply and quality of graduates in the medium to long term. One measure included in the plan is provision of more than 750 free places on 17 new graduate skills conversion programmes throughout the country.

In addition, since it was launched in May 2011, the Springboard programme has supported more than 4,300 unemployed people to undertake higher education programmes in areas of identified skills needs such as ICT, the pharmaceutical and chemistry industries and the green economy. Earlier this month an additional 500 places were made available on Springboard programmes that had very high demand when they first ran in 2011. €10 million has also been made available for an expansion of Springboard in 2012 and an open competitive call for proposals for courses which can be included in the programme issued to providers earlier this week.

The timely training and upskilling of the country's workforce through a variety of relevant training programmes, further education and higher education programmes is a vital step to meet the future skills needs of industry.