Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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29. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he continues to remain satisfied regarding the availability of adequate third and fourth level graduates to meet the demands of the workforce now and in the future with particular reference to the need to ensure the availability of the skills at both academic and technical levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49801/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department places a fundamental focus on working to deliver suitably qualified and adequate numbers of graduates to meet the demands of the workplace. A core focus of the Department's Statement of Strategy is to enable individuals to access the skills required to progress in a way that meets the needs of our economy as it evolves and recovers.

To meet the different existing and future skills needs of our economy and our society, even the skills gaps that we cannot predict, agility is essential. It is critical that companies, and people, acquire technical skills and transversal skills, such as leadership, creativity, team working, problem solving and emotional intelligence, and that our talent pipeline meets these dual needs.

Central to this is the partnership approach between the Further and Higher Education system and Government, Industry, the National Skills Council, the National Training Fund Advisory Group, the Regional Skills Fora and the Apprenticeship Council.

The National Skills Council (NSC) within its remit advises on the prioritisation of identified skills needs and on how to secure delivery of these needs. Key high level trends identified at recent NSC meetings include automation and digitisation, digital literacy and transversal skills.

The Further Education and Training sector has undergone transformational reform since 2013. The objective was to bring cohesion to the sector, bringing together further education and training as a single sector. In June 2020, the second Further Education and Training Strategy, Future FET, Transforming Learning, covering the period 2020-2024, was published.

The aim of FET is to deliver high quality programmes, well aligned with learner needs and labour market requirements, to deliver the best possible employment, progression and personal development results for learners.

In addition to the existing provision across the FET system, Lifelong Learning opportunities are available through upskilling and reskilling programmes such as Skills to Compete, Skills to Advance, eCollege and Apprenticeships.

To date over 15,000 people have enrolled on the Skills to Compete programme while over 25,000 people in employment have been upskilled through the Skills to Advance Initiative.

The Higher Education sector is comprised of 7 traditional universities, 3 technological universities and 7 institutes of technology. The sector, in addition to existing provision, also delivers targeted upskilling and reskilling programmes through Springboard+, the Human Capital Initiative, and Modular Skills provision.

My Department will continue to advance efforts to ensure that Ireland produces the graduates the workforce needs and the skills that our economy and society require.