Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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30. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which he has identified any particular or specific skills requirements and deficiencies which need to be addressed in order to maximise the filling of job opportunities in the manufacturing and service sectors; if any such shortfalls will be met in order to facilitate and enhance economic recovery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41669/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) plays a key role in advising the Government on the current and future skills needs of the economy. The EGFSN provides information on employment trends, job opportunities and demand for skills through the annual “National Skills Bulletin” and the “Vacancy Overview” reports. It also provides information on the supply of skills from the Irish education system through the “Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply” publication. The EGFSN also publishes reports on specific sectoral, or cross-sectoral skills needs, as well as “Regional Labour Markets Bulletins”which assist in informing regional education and training provision. Recent EGFSN reports have anticipated future job opportunities arising from both expansion and replacement demand for a range of occupational roles, including in ICT, data analytics, manufacturing, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, international sales and marketing, project management, freight transport, distribution and logistics, and in the hospitality sector.

ICT skillsets are important in both the manufacturing and services sectors. The 2013 EGFSN report on “Addressing Future Demand for High-Level ICT Skills” indicated that the continuing strong demand from employers for people with high-level ICT skills across the economy could lead to 44,500 new job openings arising from expansion and replacement demand over the period to 2018. To achieve this jobs potential, the report noted that all available policy levers would need to be utilised to increase high-level ICT skills supply.

In this context, the Government has initiated an ICT Action Plan which provides an integrated response within the education system to increasing the domestic supply of high level ICT skills. The aim of the Plan is to support the flow of people into ICT education, training and careers. Overall implementation of the Plan is driven by a High Level Steering Group which my Department co-chairs with the Department of Education and Skills.

The skills needs in other areas of the economy are being addressed through the Further and Higher education system, through Springboard and Momentum training courses which help to upskill or re-skill unemployed people, and through the enterprise-led Training Networks Programme run by Skillnets. Earlier this year, the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, TD, announced the development of 25 new Apprenticeships which cover a wide range of sectors such as manufacturing and engineering, tourism and sport, financial services, information technology, transport distribution and logistics, and business administration and management.

Co-operation between employers and the education and training system has proven to be crucial in developing effective responses to skills needs, and this co-operation is being strengthened through the Further and Higher education and training systems, including via the new Regional Skills Fora which are being put in place by the Department of Education and Skills to connect employers, enterprise development agencies and education and training providers.