Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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3379. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on the progress made in creating an online career guidance and information portal. [42605/25]

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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3380. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on the progress made in developing sector-specific career guidance and information portals. [42606/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 3379 and 3380 together.

It has been a longstanding objective of my Department, based on the findings of the , to strengthen the provision of information and guidance around career decision making.

An Oversight Group examining a Single Portal for Careers and Skills Information was established in November 2022. The work of the group has concluded with a comprehensive report outlining the recommended approach to the development of a Career Guidance and Information Portal.

The need to strengthen the provision of information and guidance was re-enforced by the , which recommended that Ireland develops a skills system to better secure a balance between skills demand and supply. To achieve this balance, the Review recommended that Ireland improves information and guidance for individuals on learning and career pathways.

The Skills Policy and Enterprise Engagement Unit of my Department has been working closely with Skillnet Ireland to scope options to progress a Career Guidance and Information Portal.

As the potential scope of the portal implies a multi-year development project, it has been decided to take a focus on an identified gap in this space, i.e. the provision of guidance aimed at those already in the workplace. A two-pronged approach will be taken, consisting of a range of pathfinders on human centric career coaching for those in jobs at risk of change, and the development of a framework for sector-specific portals, underpinned by shared standards for skills taxonomies and technological interoperability.

It is currently envisaged that a framework for sector specific portals will be developed, with a federated approach allowing immediate needs for those sectors to be met.