Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which a continuous supply of graduates in the academic and technical areas is provided for in order to meet requirements of industry and education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45641/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is focused on aligning planning within the higher education sector with the workforce requirements and skills needs of the country. 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. Planning for current and future public sector workforce and skills needs is a particular priority for my department. Officials are engaging with a number of government departments to determine the needs of their sectors in respect of crucial skill areas

The National Skills Council 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 National Skills Council 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; Springboard+ and the Human Capital Initiative.

As part of the Budget 2024 announcement last week Minister Collins and I announced a range of measures which will support students on their journey and encourage more to return to education and develop the skills required in order to support our workforce needs. These measures include a new support scheme for undergraduate part-time students for the first time ever, as well as a new scheme to help small and medium enterprises with the cost of upskilling and reskilling their employees, among other initiatives.

Additionally, last month saw the introduction of new programmes which will see students commence their third level experience in further education and complete the remainder in higher education institutions. The project is being jointly managed by the HEA and SOLAS through the new National Tertiary Office, and provides students with another avenue in to higher education.

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