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

618. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the level of progress achieved the main stakeholders in providing an adequate supply of suitably qualified graduates for the marketplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51982/22]

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

621. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he continues to identify the most acute areas of shortages of graduates available to the workforce; his ongoing plans to meet such shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51985/22]

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

628. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which his Department continues to coordinate opportunities to emphasise the sciences, innovation and research, with a view to ensuring the maximum level of preparedness to graduates through such channels having particular regard to the needs in an ever-increasingly competitive marketplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51992/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 618, 621 and 628 together.

My Department is focused on driving a skills ecosystem and skills agenda in Ireland which is agile and flexible priority skill needs, and to changes in the world of work driven by technology, to ensure Ireland has a skilled and productive workforce. Our approach to addressing these challenges is firmly rooted in collaborative partnership with enterprise and other stakeholders, and is central to our economic and social ambitions, as borne out in the 2021 Economic Recovery Plan.

Skillnet, the National Skills Council and the Regional Skills Fora network all work closely with my Department to foster engagement, dialogue, and collaboration between the education and training system, the enterprise agencies, and enterprise representatives in relation to skills priorities.

My Department’s project with the OECD to review Ireland’s skills approach has seen a comprehensive review throughout the year of these issues.Clear areas of focus emerging include our need to have more dynamic, granular, real-time data to inform how we respond rapidly to industry's needs, particularly across digital skills demands in all sectors; our intent to continue focus on short, flexible and blended skilling options for individuals entering and for people transitioning in the workforce; and, our ambition to progress ease of navigability through options for skilling and ensuring individualised, continuous learning journeys are enabled, encouraged and as easy as possible to undertake.

The effectiveness and impact of the whole of the tertiary education system – FET, HE & Apprenticeship – is enhanced when education and training provision, as well broader upskilling and reskilling opportunities, are informed by the experience, insights and expertise of the enterprise sector. We will only ensure the best possible skills and talent pipeline through working together and continuing to challenge each other as partners.

In relation to the areas of science, innovation and research specifically, I am seeking to further momentum in fostering talent to match the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of our economy. For example, Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategywas published earlier this year. It reaffirms that talent lies at the heart of the Irish research and innovation ecosystem. For future national prosperity, Ireland must be a great place to be a researcher and innovator, and it must attract the best people from all backgrounds, domestically and internationally.

Over the course of the strategy, students will be supported to gain the skills and experience that will enable them to engage with, and respond to, the latest developments in research and innovation. A consistent research student experience will be promoted and work will be undertaken to ensure that the research community is reflective of society and provides opportunities for all.

Researchers will be supported with the right skills development and career opportunities so that they can make their maximum contribution. Career pathways will be improved, starting with a deeper understanding of the nature of the demand for research talent. Researchers’ transversal skills will be enhanced so that they can make the greatest possible difference across enterprise, the public sector, civic society organisations and internationally.

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

619. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of graduates required in both the public and private sectors in academia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51983/22]

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

620. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of graduates required in both the public and private sectors in the technology sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51984/22]

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

623. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of graduates in the technological area likely to emerge for their respective colleges/apprenticeships on an annual basis over the next ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51987/22]

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

624. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of graduates in the area of academia likely to emerge for their respective colleges on an annual basis over the next ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51988/22]

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

626. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he expects science to play an increased role in the higher education sector with particular reference to ensuring an adequate number of graduates to meet the demands of the workplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51990/22]

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

629. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects third and fourth level student numbers to increase at academic and technical level in the future, in line with demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51993/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 619, 620, 623, 624, 626 and 629 together.

Our higher education system has expanded significantly over the past number of years, from 209,300 enrolments in 2014, to 246,299 enrolments in 2021/ 2022. The most recent projections of full-time enrolment in higher education predict that enrolments will rise a further 13% over the next decade, and work is ongoing to build capacity within the system to accommodate this increase. Work is also ongoing on an updated set of enrolment projections for higher education, which will further assist in this capacity-building programme of work. My Department does not currently produce specific projections for the number of higher education graduates, as a number of variables can impact graduate output in any one year.

There are a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands. 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. Central to shaping these strategies 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 Action Plan for Apprenticeship sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships with a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per year by 2025. In 2021, a record 8,607 new apprentices were registered- an almost 40% increase on the figures from 2019, the last “normal” pre-pandemic year.

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. Information on these trends is then used to formulate our skills strategies and initiatives such as the National Skills Strategy 2025; Technology Skills 2022; Springboard+ and the Human Capital Initiative.

My Department will continue to advance efforts to ensure that Ireland offers learning opportunities to all who wish to pursue then and produces the graduates the workforce needs with the skills that our economy and society require.

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

622. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which his Department is focused on the health sector in terms of ensuring a steady supply of graduates with a view to ensuring the filling of the maximum number of posts in the health services in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51986/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce and support a range of clinical teams in our health services.

In July, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, and I jointly announced an additional 60 places in medicine programmes for this academic year. The agreement reached with the medical schools will create additional places in medical programmes over five years, with the number of additional places climbing to 120 in September 2023, and up to 200 by 2026.

Further permanent additional places were also announced in July, including 135 places on nursing programmes commencing from September 2022. Significant engagement is ongoing between my Department and the Department of Health in relation to substantial further expansion in nursing places. We continue to work closely with the Chief Nursing Officer, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and the Higher Education institutions on the sustainable introduction of places on nursing programmes.

My officials are also actively engaging with the Department of Health, the HSE and other relevant Health and Social Care Profession stakeholders to ensure that we can continue to deliver graduates with the skills necessary to support our healthcare system and support the strategic workforce planning by the health sector. The availability of appropriate placements and placement supports is a key enabler of this expansion, and engagement across my Department, the Department of Health, HSE and Higher Education Sector is ongoing. The Higher Education Authority are currently developing a request for Expressions of Interest to issue to the sector targeted at specific areas including healthcare.

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

625. 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 bullying is evident in colleges throughout the country; the action taken or being taken to counter this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51989/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that there are a number of Programme for Government (PfG) commitments aimed at addressing bullying, including a commitment to commission surveys of staff and students in the areas of harassment, sexual harassment, and bullying in higher education.

Our higher education institutions have a duty of to ensure that staff and students have a safe environment to study and work; free from bullying, harassment or other forms of unwanted behaviour. This is not an ‘add-on’ or part of a wish-list. This is an entitlement for everyone who works and studies at our third level institutions.

Surveys of staff and student’s experience of sexual violence and harassment in Irish higher education institutes were conducted last year, with the two survey findings published last January. Since the publication of the survey findings, my department has been working with the HEA and key stakeholders to develop an implementation plan which represents a comprehensive and ambitious response to the recommendations contained in the two survey reports. I launched this implementation plan (Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Higher Education Institutions - IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2022-2024) last Thursday. It contains 19 actions which will be delivered between 2022 and 2024. I have also recently secured an additional €1.5m in funding to appoint Sexual Violence and Harassment (SVH) Prevention and Response Managers in our HEIs who will lead on the important changes we are making.

In August, I launched the findings of a Report on the National Survey of Staff Experiences of Bullying in Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)conducted by the specialist DCU Anti-Bullying Centre. This report presents the findings of an anonymous online survey, commissioned by my department, examining the prevalence and impact of workplace bullying among staff in 20 publicly-funded HEIs in Ireland. The survey of staff experiences of bullying in higher education was conducted in late 2021. A total of 3,835 HEI staff responses were analysed.

The survey report includes a number of recommendations, which will inform future policy decisions to tackle workplace bullying within higher education institutions. Some of these recommendations include:

- awareness, education and training;

- implementing evidence-based programmes (with a focus on Equality Diversity and Inclusion);

- supporting targets of bullying and bystanders;

- developing anti bullying policies in consultation with employees; and

- ongoing research to further explore and monitor the prevalence of workplace bullying in HEIs

My Department is currently working with DCU’s National Anti-Bullying Centre to progress work on a student survey on bullying which I plan to launch in the coming weeks.

The Deputy will also be familiar with the ‘Speak Out’ tool which my Department has funded. 'Speak Out' is the Online Anonymous Reporting Tool for Sexual Harassment and Violence across higher education institutions which I launched in October 2021. The online and anonymous reporting platform provides a mechanism for the reporting of incidents of bullying; cyberbullying; harassment; discrimination; hate crime; coercive behaviour or control; stalking; assault; sexual harassment; sexual assault or rape. The project has been rolled out across 18 higher education institutions throughout the last academic year for students, staff and visitors. 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.

The primary goal of the various surveys is to create a basis for the development of evidence based policy. We have an expert Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs in place which is providing advice on appropriate policy responses in this area. The intention is to establish a working group, under the auspices of the HEA’s Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, to review the findings of the two bullying surveys and develop actions to achieve our shared goal to develop a more inclusive organisational culture for both staff and students in Irish higher education institutions.

I have been very clear that the tertiary education and training sector must lead the way in changing cultures, behaviours and practices across society to ensure that bullying, sexual violence and harassment are not tolerated. I will continue to lead the way on institutional change, championing the changes required, listening to survivors and working in collaboration to achieve justice for victims and a cultural norm where bullying is not tolerated.