Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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223. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which the higher level education sector is in discussion with business and enterprise with a view to matching requirements in the workplace with suitable graduates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22976/20]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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224. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he has identified the areas in which most opportunities are likely to arise for graduates throughout the various employment sectors in both the public and private sectors; if he has received indications showing specific requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22977/20]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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226. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps needed in the higher educational sector to ensure an adequate supply of suitably qualified personnel to ensure the attainment of the highest number of employment positions at home and abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22979/20]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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227. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which adequate college places remain available to meet the requirements of a changing workplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22980/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 to 227, inclusive, together.

The further and higher education system has a number of key strategies in place to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified graduates, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more generally with the skills and capacity to meet these demands.

Structures such as the National Skills Council, the Regional Skills Fora, the National Training Fund Advisory Group and the Apprenticeship Council help identify and respond to skills needs and ensure that we have a national and regional labour force equipped with the skills that will attract international jobs to Ireland.

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) provides additional capacity across the Higher Education Sector to meet priority skill needs for enterprise, representing an additional investment of €300m (€60m per annum from 2020 to 2024) from the surplus in the NTF in line with recommendations contained in the independent review of the NTF on the use of the surplus and the development of labour market skills. Pillar 2 provides for the provision of 3,000 new places in key areas of enterprise skills needs including, but not limited to, Science, Engineering, ICT and Professional Construction. 1,415 of these places will be made available for the 2020 academic year.

The July Stimulus package is a programme of immediate investment in upskilling, reskilling and refreshing of skills needs to be supported throughout working lives. The funding for higher and further education and training to address this situation amounts to €100m and will fund over 35,000 additional student places in the current year.

The Further Education Strategy 2020-24 is a good example of where the engagement between relevant stakeholders, such as industry, has fed into the development of the SOLAS Further Education Strategy to cover the next 5 years. At the Higher Education level, a key tenet of Technological Universities, (TU’s) is their research-informed teaching and learning based on interactions with industry and relationships forged with local and regional enterprise stakeholders. TU’s also play a pivotal role in facilitating access and progression particularly through relationships with the further education sector. The presence of a technological university in a region, with a specific mandate for promoting regional development, will have a transformative effect on local and regional communities.

Springboard+ complements the core State-funded education and training system and provides free or 90% funded upskilling and reskilling higher education opportunities in areas of identified skills needs.

My Department will continue to design and develop education programmes and qualifications that reflect what is required in the workplace. We will continue working with all stakeholders to address current needs and looking beyond the current world of work prepare individuals to succeed in the existing and future labour market and avail of future job opportunities.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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225. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the areas in the higher education sector likely to be in most need of adapting to new challenges with particular reference to the scientific, innovation and research sectors meeting requirements now and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22978/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Innovation 2020, the current national strategy for research and development, science and technology, is due to conclude at the end of this year. Its successor strategy, which will be developed by my Department, will set out a renewed vision for research and innovation in Ireland. The new strategy will be developed in consultation with all other relevant Government departments and agencies and will reaffirm the need for sustained and increased public and private investment in research, development and innovation (RDI).

A number of areas of key importance to the next strategy have already emerged in early discussions, including key thematic challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and public health and the many cross-cutting issues that are essential for a well- functioning, fit for purpose RDI system. Climate change in particular has emerged as a key challenge which the R&I ecosystem can play a significant role in addressing.

The challenges posed by and the impact of COVID-19 on our society and our economy has demonstrated the importance of scientific research, expertise and the ability to innovate to adapt to an ever changing world. It is clear that now, more than ever, that we need investment in research, development and innovation in order to find solutions to our key societal and economic challenges, not only with regard to COVID-19 but also the other challenges I have already mentioned.