NEFHEA Conference 20 May 2011 Marie Bourke

1. Challenges & Opportunities for Further & Higher Education Ireland’s Future Skills Needs for Enterprise NEFHEA Conference 20 May 2011 Marie Bourke

2. Outline of Presentation • Role of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs • The National Skills Strategy & Progress • Enterprise Policy & developing sectoral skills • Changing Nature of Skills • The Future Challenge

3. Role of the EGFSN Advise Gov. on • Projected skills requirements at national & sectoral levels & make recommendations on how best to address identified needs • Priority education & training requirements • Skill requirements that cannot be met internally that must be met through inward migration • Developments in content & delivery systems that support excellence in education & training quality elsewhere & on adaptations into training provision in Ireland • Recommend how existing systems & delivery mechanisms might be adapted • Convey views/recommendations on programmes supported by the National Training Fund to the Minister • Ensure that recommendations made are assessed by stakeholders & inform on progress made in the implementation of such recommendations

4. National Skills Strategy (NSS) • The National Skills Strategy- vision of Ireland in 2020 a well-educated & highly skilled population which contributes to a competitive, innovation-driven, knowledge-based, participative & inclusive economy • By 2020: • 48% of labour force should have qualifications at NFQ Levels 6-10 • 45% should have qualifications at Levels 4 & 5 • Remaining 7% will have qualifications at Levels 1-3 • Ireland should aim to build capability at fourth level & double its PhD output by 2013

5. Progress on National Skills Strategy Targets

6. Enterprise Policy Exports Investment Consumer Spending Government Spending • Enterprise is the engine that will drive economic recovery & job creation • Exports are the key driver of sustainable growth

7. Sectors ICT Health Life Sciences Financial Services Agri-Food Internationally Traded Services Green Technologies Creative Industries Marine & Maritime Healthcare & Education Services Building on Strengths & Convergence Emerging Opportunities & Untapped Potential Building a Strong Enterprise Mix in Sectors Tourism & Hospitality Retail & Wholesale Transport, Logistics & Distribution Construction Competitive Locally Traded Activities A Renewed Focus on Mature Sectors Professional & Business Services Medical Services Personal Services

8. EGFSN Reports

9. The Green Economy - Six Sub-Sectors • 'Smart Green Solutions • Housing • Environment • Transport • Industry • Consumer Products • Bio Diversity • Sustainable development delivering economic, social & environmental benefits Innovative, High-Value Products & Services

10. Anticipated Total Sector Employment – two Scenarios

11. Skills Gaps • 60% of cos. had a skills gap - arising from drive for new products & services - can be met by up-skilling. Examples are: Across Companies : Managers – Export Marketing & Sales, finance, project management, foreign languages, environmental management systems, international environmental standards & regulations Renewable Energies: Power Engineers – for the dev. of electricity grid into a ‘smart distribution network’- core engineering skills with a bias towards electrical engineering combined with ICT/business skills Efficient Energy Use & Management: Skilled Workers require system knowledge of full range of energy efficient heating & lighting systems & advising customers on the optimum economic payback

12. Green Economy Sub-sectors Key Competency Requirements

13. Recommendations (1) Align Education & Training provision to Enterprise Needs - Optimise the use of existing resources (approx €25m – €30m pa) • Focus on development of core Business/ Engineering/ ICT Skills Acquire specialism knowledge through ‘add-on’ modules within undergraduate programmes , Masters Degrees or Post Graduate Diplomas • Build-up expertise within specific education & training institutions for design of new modules & qualifications – draw upon learning from abroad - then share knowledge within system • Strengthen collaboration and links with business around programme provision requirements for emerging skills • Integrate development of generic competences into curricula eg entrepreneurship, commercial awareness, math proficiency, foreign languages, creativity & innovation, problem solving, communication skills

14. Recommendations • Enhance Management Development - Export Marketing & Sales, Finance, Languages, Awareness of Cultural Differences, Knowledge of Environmental Regulations/Standards (3) Engineers & Scientists - Focus on the development of Core Business, Engineering and ICT Skills – offer ‘add on’ specialism modules – wind, wave, solar, geothermal, biomass energy. Meet demand for ‘power engineers (4) Develop Technician’s Skills Capability- electro-mechanical/enhanced ICT skills –high demand re installation & servicing of wind turbines; small scale renewable technologies, electric cars charging points, biomass installations (5) Develop Sales & Marketing Staff Skills - re green procurement / foreign languages-meet demand for technical staff to sell internationally

15. Recommendations contd.. (6) Develop Skilled Workers Capability - system knowledge of lighting and heating systems. 400 jobs arising from installation of water meters (7) Develop Operatives Skills Capability – retrofitting – customer service skills –anticipate demand for 100-150 operators in anaerobic digestion. (8) Enhance Graduate Placement & Internship Opportunities – improve graduate employability (9) Communicate Career Opportunities on offer within Sector – especially to attract more women into STEM disciplines (10) Enhance Mathematical & Science skills of the Workforce – key requirements – develop mathematical skills modules at each NFQ levels

16. OECD – Investing in Human & Social Capital: New Challenges • Skills easiest to teach & to certify are the ones rapidly disappearing from advanced economies. • Increases in demand for tasks requiring complex communication, involving interacting with people to acquire information, explain it or persuade others of its implications for action • Increases in the demand for non-routine analytical skills, involving solving problems for which there are no rule-based solutions requiring individuals to develop skills of problem-solving / inquiry-based learning throughout their education • Skill shortages do not translate efficiently into curricula & learning provision, - because education / training systems lack means to identify & communicate required skills from those who use them, to the institutions who develop them, or - because they do not have the staff & instructional methods to develop them

17. Conclusion To meet these challenges, countries need to • Develop flexible educational pathways • Promote skill acquisition & equity of access to learning • Anticipate key sectoral trends & the evolution of labour demand • Identify essential skills for growth • Improve the match between skill supply and demand • Develop efficient approaches to the financing of lifelong learning • shift the focus from “life-long employment” to “life-long employability” • learning needed to prepare learners to conquer the unforeseen challenges of tomorrow

18. Thank you! Expert Group on Future Skills Needs www.skillsireland.com Forfás www.forfas.ie