Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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427. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans he has put in place to specifically target the areas of key demand in the economy with particular reference to science, ICT and engineering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13092/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The challenge to deliver suitably qualified graduates to meet the demands of the economy is a fundamental focus for my Department across the entire skills system, including tertiary - composed of further and higher education - and also through the research ecosystem at fourth level.

Ireland has an advanced system of skills provision, across further and higher education and lifelong learning, which is agile and responsive to changes in the world of work. It is, of course, also critical that graduates acquire technical and transversal skills, and that our talent pipeline meets these dual and complementary needs.

The development of skills policy and responses to skills needs is evidence based and informed by the work of the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SOLAS) and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs in relation to the supply of and demand for occupational skills.

We know that in a dynamic economy and labour market there will be skills gaps. The imperative is to ensure that our skills forecasting and delivery system is proactive in assessing and responding to the existing and emerging skills needs in our economy and society.  My Department’s skills policies continue to be developed taking account of ‘mega-trends’ impacting on labour demand including digitalisation, automation and climate change.

Looking forward, I launched the OECD Skills Strategy Project in November 2021. Our work with the OECD includes a comprehensive examination of the National Skills Strategy and approach - in order to ensure that we have a solid foundation on which to build Ireland’s competitiveness and support economic and social sustainability into the future. The project is rooted in partnership - extensive consultations are underway with key partners in the skills ecosystem at both national and regional level, and including via Extraordinary Meetings of the National Skills Council, taking place on 7th and 8th March.

Further Education and Training (FET) is primarily delivered or contracted by the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) under the funding and strategic direction of SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority. FET provision includes both labour market focused programmes and programmes with a strong social inclusion dimension at levels 1-6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). FET aims to deliver quality programmes, well aligned with learner needs and labour market requirements, to deliver the best possible employment, progression and personal development results for learners. 

The Skills to Advance initiative, which was launched by SOLAS in 2018 and is delivered through the ETBs, is also a key part of the strategic response to the changing world of work. It aims to equip employees with the skills to progress in their current job, or to take advantage of new job opportunities. Targeting support for vulnerable groups in the workforce, it also supports SMEs who need assistance to invest in and develop their workforces.

The SOLAS Skills to Compete initiative prioritises the reskilling and retraining of those unable to return to their previous employment following the pandemic. Skills to Compete focuses on transversal skills development to help employability, building the digital capabilities now required for almost every job, and specific Level 4-6 courses targeting growth sectors and occupation, including ICT programming; software development and web developers.

Skillnet Ireland is enterprise-led and supports the promotion and facilitation of workforce learning to sustain Ireland’s economic growth and national competitiveness. Every learning network funded by Skillnet Ireland is a cluster of companies from the same sector or geographical location. The Skillnet Ireland model facilitates companies to actively participate in determining their own training needs and how, when and where training will be facilitated. There are also a number of specific networks in the STEM area through Skillnet Ireland, including the Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet.

The Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Strategy, a 10 year adult literacy, numeracy and digital literacy strategy published in 2021, sets out a cross-government, cross-economy, cross-society approach to achieve the vision of an Ireland where every adult has the necessary literacy, numeracy and digital literacy to engage in society and realise their potential. One of the stated targets set out in the ALL Strategy is ensuring that 80% of adults have at least basic digital skills by 2030.

Across Higher Education, existing programmes to encourage participation in STEM careers include Springboard+ and Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 1.

Springboard+ complements the core State-funded education and training system and provides free and subsidised upskilling and reskilling higher education opportunities in areas of identified skills need. The initiative’s primary target group are unemployed people with a previous history of employment. Over recent years with the decline in numbers on the live register the focus was changed to include more people in employment and those returning to the workforce.

Courses remain free for unemployed, returners and those in employment participating at level 6 of the NFQ. Employed people participating on courses at levels 7 and above in the NFQ contribute 10% of the course cost, with the remainder being funded by the Government.

Human Capital Initiative Pillar 1 provides for Graduate Conversion Courses in a range of courses, building on the experience from ICT Conversion Courses under Springboard.

Under Springboard+ 2021, 11,642 places are being provided on 330 courses.  In 2021/22, HCI Pillar 1 is providing funding to create 2,204 target conversion course places, including 780 places in ICT courses. As a result of multi-annual funding of graduate conversion courses, this leads to a combined total of 13,846 places in 408 courses available in the 2021/22 academic year under Springboard+ 2021 and HCI Pillar 1. There is a broad range of courses, including courses in areas of new and emerging technologies such as Cybersecurity and Virtual Reality. Almost 64% of course places are in STEM-related areas. The Springboard+ 2022 call for proposals was launched in December 2021. Springboard+ 2022 is due to launch in Q2 2022.

In relation to research, the 6 Science Foundation Ireland Centres for Research Training, established in 2019, will provide cohort-based PhD training for over 700 postgraduate students under the theme of Data and ICT Skills for the Future. Students are being recruited in 4 cohorts – the third group commenced in 2021 - and  collaboration is at the core, with over 90 academics and over 40 companies, to ensure we can meet the  future skills needed in these critically important areas.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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428. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which male and female students continue to be attracted in equal proportions to participation in the sciences; if a corrective measure or inducement is needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13093/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Maintaining and developing a strong supply of STEM graduates is critical to Ireland’s growth as a world-class centre of innovation and research.  Ensuring that we have good gender balance in STEM is a key part of meeting this supply. It is also a worthwhile policy goal in its own right, given all that we know about the importance of diversity in STEM, as well as our desire to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to pursue courses of study that will interest and engage them, and give them the skills to pursue a productive career.

This is an issue which requires action at all stages of the educational and career journey.  Getting a good gender balance in the higher education system is an issue that depends on people being engaged and interested in STEM at a much earlier stage in their education.

The STEM Education Policy Statement was published by the Department of Education in 2017 and seeks to raise awareness and interest in STEM. The first pillar of the strategy is "Nurturing learner engagement and participation" and focuses on increasing the uptake of STEM related subjects for learners of all backgrounds, ability and gender. The strategy targets a 40% increase in the number of females taking STEM subjects for Leaving Certificate.

At present, the gender balance in higher education among students studying natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is almost equal, with women accounting for 53% of these students. However there is further progress to be made in fields such as engineering and ICT which have only 22% and 20% female enrolments at present. I will continue to work to a further and higher education system where every individual is empowered to develop their full potential.

More widely, the promotion of gender equality in higher education is also critical.  This is an area that I have prioritised, including through support for initiatives including the National Gender Equality Dashboard for Higher Education Institutions; the Athena SWAN Charter and the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative which is increasing the number of women involved in decision making roles in higher education.  

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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430. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which his Department continues to monitor incidents of professional bullying throughout the higher education system; the extent to which action has been take or is proposed to deal with such issues in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13095/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for both students and staff in our higher education institutions. In June 2021, I wrote to the Presidents of the Higher Education Institutions to request their support and participation in two surveys by researchers at the specialist DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, with the support of my Department.

The first survey was conducted in late 2021 and focused on work-related experiences of staff in Irish higher education institutions. A report is currently being prepared which I intend to publish in the coming weeks. The second survey will focus on student experiences of bullying and cyberbullying and will be conducted in 2022. By documenting the experiences and recommendations of students and staff, the surveys will inform the development of strong policies and practices in higher education institutions to tackle and eradicate inappropriate behaviours in the learning environment and workplace.

On 18 October 2021, I launched 'Speak Out - the Anonymous Violence and Harassment Reporting Tool' for higher education institutions. Speak Out is an online and anonymous reporting platform for incidents of:

- bullying

- cyberbullying

- harassment

- discrimination

- hate crime

- coercive behaviour or control

- stalking

- assault

- sexual harassment

- sexual assault

- rape

The creation of this innovative and supportive online platform will provide a safe and anonymous medium for students and staff to report incidents of bullying, assault or sexual violence in a trauma-informed environment. These are issues that my department is acutely aware of, and I am delighted we could provide funding for this vital project.

Speak Out represents a national approach to tackling these issues by raising awareness, and by providing a means of recording instances, which will assist in achieving a zero-tolerance culture.

The project will be rolled out across 18 higher education institutions throughout this academic year for students, staff and visitors. The Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHEI) is leading the project. The data collected through this tool will be used to inform policy and targeted educational initiatives. It is the goal of PCHEI to provide a trauma-informed tool which will provide users with support services relevant to their experience.

This project is a ground-breaking initiative which is underpinned by an ethos of cross-institutional collaboration in response to such incidences within higher education institutions.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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431. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he and his Department continue to encourage the development of the sciences through higher education with a view to ensuring the availability of the highest possible number of scientists in the future and as a result, enhancing Ireland's capability in that field; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13096/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The number of students enrolled in higher education courses in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics has increased by 14.4% since 2014, rising from 21,400 to 24,500. The annual number of graduates from these courses has increased by 22.4%, from 5,500 to 6,700. These figures are expected to increase further over the coming years.

My Department and I are determined to be the driver of a vibrant sector which produces individuals who are equipped with the skills that they need to progress in the way that they wish to, and in a way that meets the needs of our evolving economy and contributes to an inclusive society.

There are a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands, with a particular focus on STEM areas. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified science and technical graduates, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more generally with the skills and capacity to meet these demands. These strategies and initiatives include: the National Skills Strategy 2025; Technology Skills 2022; Springboard+ and the Human Capital Initiative.

As a result of multi-annual funding of graduate conversion courses, there is a combined total of 13,444 places on 408 courses available in the 2021/22 academic year under Springboard+ 2021 and HCI Pillar 1. This year, there is a broad range of courses in Engineering, ICT and Science. There are 46 Springboard+ 2021 courses with 1,657 places in total in engineering. In ICT and ICT-related areas are there are 81 Springboard+ 2021 courses with 2,910 places and in Science and Science related areas, there are 14 Springboard+ 2021 courses with 354 places.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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432. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the areas in which through higher education he intends to include innovation as a means of enhancing the capability and reputation globally of Irish graduates on the global stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13097/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As a small, open economy, Ireland relies on external demand and international markets for sustainable and continued growth. The market for innovation and research is also global – international cooperation in research and innovation plays an important role in the development and sustainability of a world-class innovation and research system.

The centrality of the higher education and research systems in the innovation ecosystem and the availability of high-quality talent from the tertiary education system are core to Ireland’s competitive position. The availability and quality of graduates is essential if we are to maintain our attractiveness as a location for investment and grow our reputation as a destination for a successful research career.

In last year's European Innovation Scoreboard, in which Ireland was ranked the 11th most innovative Member State in the EU, Ireland performed well with its skilled workforce. Ireland came 5th overall and higher than the EU average in the Human Resources dimension, which measures the availability of a high-skilled and educated workforce. Within this, Ireland was 7th for New Doctorate Graduates, 3rd for Population completed tertiary education (aged 25-34) and 9th for Lifelong Learning.

Through engagement in bilateral cooperation, via research and innovation agreements, we build innovation capacity, facilitate researcher mobility, and allow for economies of scale. Our research funders in different sectors engage in international cooperation to seek to influence European and international agendas and also to assist developing countries in addressing their challenges. The manifold benefits of international engagement accrue not only to our researchers but also to our enterprise base and to our public policy makers.

I and my Department are determined to be the driver of a vibrant sector which produces individuals who are equipped with the skills that they need to progress in the way that they want to, and in a way that meets the needs of our evolving economy and contributes to an inclusive society. Not only will these individuals be equipped with expertise in research and innovation but I am also determined that the sector will continue to embrace and embed innovation in how it delivers and operates.

As international competition for talent, investment and innovation grows more intense as nations strive to improve their standing as knowledge based economies, the establishment of my Department focused on talent and knowledge is an indication of the Government’s intent to position human capital and research as key enablers for our future economy and society.