Comments By The Minister For Enterprise, Trade & Employment Micheál Martin TD at the Fastrack to IT Cork Employers Forum Launch

November 14 ^th 2005

I would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone to this launch of the Cork FIT Employers Forum. It’s gratifying to see such an impressive turnout. I would also like at the outset to congratulate FIT on their initiative and industry in expanding their activities out of Dublin to, not just Cork but also Limerick and even into Northern Ireland.

As most of you will be aware, the FIT initiative or Fastrack to Technology to give it its full description, is an industry led programme, and most of the key IT players in Ireland are now involved. In essence, the FIT programme shorts circuits the normal educational or training processes and fastracks the participants to acceptable skills levels for industry.

The dual objectives of the FIT initiative are to meet labour shortages in the IT industry while at the same time creating job opportunities for the long-term unemployed. The selection process and focussed training provided within the FIT programme can in a very short space of time, bring the unemployed client to a situation where they are job ready for the IT industry

From my perspective and from the Governments standpoint, the real beauty of the FIT initiative, and the real added value, lies in the direct involvement of you the private sector companies. Your involvement and the involvement of other key IT companies throughout Ireland guarantees the ready availability of good standard jobs for those who complete the programme.

I know that after selection of those who are to participate on the FIT programme, an individual road map or career path is developed for them. From information provided to me by FIT, I see that since commencing in 1999, FIT has trained over 4,500 participants in the necessary ICT skills to effectively participate in the modern knowledge based economy in the greater Dublin region. Again according to FIT, some 74% of those who have completed FIT programmes have progressed into further education and employment. By any standards, and given the nature of the clients being dealt with, these are impressive results.

If I may I would like for a brief moment to broaden my comments to take in the changing nature of the Irish Labour Market. Over the past decade there has been a dramatic growth in employment and a corresponding fall in unemployment. Ireland now has an open labour market with the ten new EU Member States. Workers coming here from these countries no longer need work permits. Notwithstanding the ongoing successes, we must continue to address the problems of labour market vulnerability and deal comprehensively with the barriers which affect people getting into work and staying at work.

I believe our very success in reducing unemployment over the recent past has also increasingly brought into focus those who for a whole range of reasons continue to experience difficulties in sourcing gainful employment. These most marginalised include those whose skills and educational difficulties are accompanied by health and disability problems. There are people displaced from the labour market due to problems such as homelessness, addiction or low self-esteem. These people continue to present us with a considerable challenge, and it is here I believe that programmes such as FIT can offer hope and the prospect of a job.

The Government of which I am part, continues to develop policies and strategies to facilitate participation in employment and to do all we can to help the most vulnerable groups. We are maintaining a strong focus on education and training, including lifelong learning, to ensure that in Ireland we will ensure the development of a highly skilled, adaptable work force. We are focussing on increasing participation in the labour force by women, persons with disabilities, travellers, ex- prisoners and older people.

In light of the above, I was particularly interested to see that the target client group for FIT in Cork are those most distant from the labour market and residing in areas of concentrated disadvantage. I also notice that your target groups include most of the groups I have already mentioned, in addition to young school leavers lone-parents and others living in designated RAPID areas.

Of course any programme such as this is very dependant on the collaboration and cooperation of local employers. I am glad to see that before proceeding, FIT carried out a full skills needs survey of the area. I am also glad to see that contact was made with many companies based in the area and that a high level of cooperation and interest was forthcoming. The result of all this is today’s event.

Before concluding, ladies and gentlemen could I make a special appeal to the FIT people. I know you have met with FAS executives based in Cork on a number of occasions regarding the provision of courses for your client group, and that FAS is represented on the working group set up to expand FIT into Cork. Given that many of the FIT courses are effectively delivered through FAS, or indeed through VTOS, it is essential that there is no duplication of services. I know you will work with and where necessary through FAS to make sure that your Cork clients get the best possible service. There is more than enough work out there to keep everyone busy for some time to come.

Finally, may I remind people that I was present in Dublin on 30^th April 1999 when the initial FIT Initiative was launched by an Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahern. At the time I was Minister for Education. The Tanaiste Mary Harney was also present. The programme continues to be one for which the Taoiseach has a special interest and affection. Hopefully you will continue to build on the good work already done and make a real contribution to helping unemployed people in Cork. The commitment and engagement of local industry and agencies should ensure this will happen.

My Department has been happy to contribute financially to the FIT programme since its inception. We are also contributing to this expansion out of Dublin

Congratulations on your achievements to date and I sincerely wish you further successes in the future. Thank you and good morning.

ENDS

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