Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

63. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he is satisfied with the ability of the educational system to match the requirements of the workplace, with particular reference to changes in skill requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23618/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am satisfied that my Department and its agencies have in place the necessary policies to meet the needs of employers so as to ensure that people have the necessary skills to take up jobs as they arise. The education and training system engages with employers at national, regional and local levels, as well as at institutional and programme level. National engagement with Employers: An Enterprise Engagement Forum, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, provides a regular opportunity for the major organisations representing enterprise and employers in Ireland to input to and discuss interests and concerns relevant to education and training policy and provision.

The first National Employers Survey was undertaken in 2012, led by the HEA and IBEC. 75% of employers expressed confidence that graduates have the right workplace and transferable skills and the relevant knowledge in their subject and discipline. The second round of this survey will be carried out in 2014 as a joint action by the HEA and SOLAS. My Department also funds the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), which advises on future skills needs and emerging gaps. Its research provides an input to the development of course curricula and informs the selection of new targeted programmes designed to tackle the skills shortages in particular elements of the economy, e.g. Springboard, Momentum and the ICT skills conversion initiative, which was introduced as part of the ICT Action Plan. The expert group's membership is broad and specifically includes representation from enterprise. Furthermore, SOLAS has inherited a wide range of employer connections from its predecessor, FAS, including the structures established to manage apprenticeship. It has informal and formal links with employers at both a national and local level. These links will be maintained as well as developing strong local engagement through the Education and Training Board (ETB) structures.

The development of the Further Education and Training Strategy by SOLAS will further progress the overall architecture for engagement with employers at a national level. The development of the strategy was informed by formal consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including employers and employer representative bodies. The strategy includes significant references to enhancing employer engagement and the critical importance of matching FET provision with labour market needs.

The alignment of ETB education and training programmes with evolving labour market needs will also continue to be evidence-based. This is facilitated by SOLAS' internal resource namely, the National Skills Database (NSD), as well as research by the EGFSN and other relevant sources. Since its development, the database has been used to support the work of the EGFSN, the National Skills Strategy and numerous sectoral studies. The NSD has been extended to include an occupational employment forecasting model originally developed by FÁS and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The data held in the database is summarised and published in three annual reports by the EGFSN: National Skills Bulletin (since 2005), Monitoring Ireland's Skills Supply: Trends in Education/Training Outputs (since 2006) and the Vacancy Overview (since March 2011).

Engagement with enterprise is also a core mission of the higher education system. The HEA is committed to developing a new over-arching strategy and framework for HE-enterprise engagement by the end of 2014. This will set performance indicators and measures to benchmark engagement and entrepreneurial education activity in Irish higher education and will put in place a systemic mapping of activity.

Local employer engagement: Decisions around course provision at further education level are based on formal and informal contacts at both national and local level with employers and other relevant state agencies. A variety of data is taken into account including expected recruitment demand from new or expanding companies and requests from employers to the ETBs to develop training programmes to supply them with skilled workers. In addition, the success of existing courses in terms of job placement, course waiting lists and the job vacancy databank provide valuable insights into the type of training that is likely to prove relevant and effective for both learners and employers. Higher Education institutions also engage with enterprise at a local level with a view to the development of programmes tailored to local enterprise needs as well as arranging appropriate work placements etc. There are many examples of this engagement nationwide.

Engagement at education and training programme level: The Apprenticeship programme, the ICT Action Plan, Springboard (including the ICT Conversion Programmes), Momentum and the training provision facilitated by Skillnets all have a high level of employer engagement. The education and training sector is also continuing to work to meet other areas of demand from enterprise – e.g. STEM internship programme.