Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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647. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the individual areas in the academic or technical sectors showing the greatest requirement in respect of graduates; the extent to which he and his Department continue to respond to this need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40297/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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One of my goals as Minister is to ensure that potential learners have access to the educational pathways that allow them reach their potential in a way that meets the very broad and rapidly changing needs of our labour force, the economy and society. It is therefore my objective to ensure that there is access into either further or higher education for each person who wishes to pursue educational options at third-level.

Our higher education system has expanded significantly over the past number of years, from 209,300 enrolments in 2014/2015 to 256,785 enrolments in 2023/2024 academic year. This represents a 23% increase over the last decade in higher education. My Department will continue to engage proactively with all relevant Departments and agencies to meet the workforce demands across the public sector, health sector, enterprise and industry.

The expansion of further, higher and apprenticeship provision which has been introduced under my Department will assist in meeting the demands of our workforce needs with appropriately qualified graduates. The most recent Graduate Outcomes Survey data published by the HEA indicated that almost 90% of graduates who responded to the survey are in full time employment.

While my Department has responsibility for skills policy, this broader skills ecosystem informs and drives responsive, flexible forecasting, planning, and provision. The National Skills Council (NSC) and nine Regional Skills Fora (RSF), created under the National Skills Strategy, foster engagement and collaboration between relevant Government Departments and agencies, the education and training system, and enterprise. The broader skills ecosystem also encompasses entities including the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU, hosted in SOLAS), the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment) and the National Training Fund Advisory Group (NTFAG, DFHERIS).