Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2022
619. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra620. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra623. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra624. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra626. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra629. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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.
