Tánaiste Appoints New Chairperson of the Expert Group for Future Skills Needs

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney T.D. today (22nd January, 2003) announced the merger of the National Training Advisory Committee with the Expert Group for Future Skills Needs (EGFSN). The Tánaiste also announced that she has appointed Ms Anne Heraty as Chairperson of EGFSN , for a period of three years with immediate effect.

The EGFSN advises Government on skills and labour supply issues for the enterprise sector and makes recommendations on the steps required to address Ireland's skills needs. The National Training Advisory Committee, provides independent and strategic advice in relation to training people in employment.

"There are significant synergies between the work of the National Training Advisory Committee and the EGFSN. It has been forecast that approximately 80% of people who will make up the workforce of the knowledge economy in Ireland in 2015 are already at work. In this light, training and education of those already in employment will become increasingly important in terms of Ireland's ability to provide industry with the right number of people with the right mix of skills," commented the Tánaiste.

Specific priority action items for the expanded EGFSN will include:

• Implementation of recommendations proposed in previous EGFSN reports;
• Research on skills and competencies being acquired by graduates participating in particular courses of education;
• Input into skills-based immigration policy; and
• Review of existing sectoral skills needs projections.

The Tánaiste also paid tribute to the work of Dr. Daniel O'Hare, the former Chairperson of the EGFSN, and thanked him for his substantial and valuable contribution to national skills planning and development during his four year Chairmanship.

Note for Editors

Anne Heraty is Chief Executive of Computer Placement (CPL) Resources plc. She established Computer Placement Ltd in 1989 and CPL Solutions in 1996. CPL provides recruitment and outsourcing services across a range of disciplines and sectors offering specialist labour market knowledge and expertise in each sector. It has circa 1,800 employees and 260 contractors working on client sites. Anne holds a BA degree in Mathematics and Economics from University College Dublin and is currently a Board member of the Irish Brain Research Foundation, the Council of Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC). Ms. Heraty has been Chairperson of the NTAC since its establishment in 2001.

Expert Group on Future Skills Needs

The EGFSN operates under the aegis of Forfas, as the central national resource on skills and labour supply issues for the enterprise sector. The mandate provides that the EGFSN will advise Government on skills and labour supply issues for the enterprise sector, and that it will advise Government on projected requirements and make recommendations on the steps required to address identified needs, and that it will regularly follow up with the bodies responsible for actioning the recommendations of the Group to facilitate and establish progress on implementation.

National Training Advisory Committee

The National Training Advisory Committee (NTAC) was established by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2001 to provide independent, strategic advice to ensure that national policies in relation to training people in employment and for employment are forward looking, and relevant, to the needs of the economy. As well as carrying out an advisory role relating to issues of national training strategy generally, the National Training Advisory Committee provided a forum for the fulfillment of that provision.

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