- – Ireland’s two-sided economy has a ‘high road’ and a ‘low road’
- – A skills first policy will bolster a sustainable recovery better that a jobs first approach
- – How our education system can evolve, to better serve all our young people
- – The distance we have come and have yet to travel
DUBLIN, 23rd June 2021; FIT’s report, entitled ‘Upskilling Ireland’s Workforce: Following through on High Ambitions’ is based on research which explores the confluence of four critical areas, ‘tectonic plates’ which are key for us to understand, so that we can adapt and forge a future together that we can all be proud of. They are:
• Ireland’s New Model of Economic Development outlines the direction of travel that has been set for skills development, in a new generation of strategies for Ireland’s medium, and long-term economic development.
• Working to Overcome Challenges in Ireland’s Labour Market reviews Ireland’s performance, by international standards, and examines the levels of skills wastage in the workforce.
• Accommodating Changes Still Needed in Education focuses on key features of Ireland’s upper secondary school system and the role it plays in anticipating and minimising skills wastage at a later stage.
• The Differential Impact of Covid-19 examines the consequences of the pandemic on Ireland’s workforce, and outlines lessons learned from previous crises recoveries.
Peter Davitt, CEO of FIT (Fast track to IT), said: “We are being asked by the report to step up to the challenges facing our development as a country so that our future workforce can best serve the needs of both our economy and society. I strongly believe that collaborative approaches will yield positive progress and tangible results in addressing the challenges outlined.”
Hilary O’Meara, managing director, Strategy & Consulting at Accenture in Ireland, said: “At Accenture, we were delighted to support this report. As we look forward, it is imperative that we come together across the ecosystem to come up with new ways to cultivate digital and transversal skills, drawing in more people from different parts of society. If one good thing comes out of the pandemic, it may be an accelerated recognition that the way we work is changing and that we need to take action to ensure Ireland has a workforce that reflects the new world we are rapidly entering.”
The ‘Upskilling Ireland’s Workforce: Following through on High Ambitions’ report continues FIT’s practice of generating well-received reports including the ‘FIT ICT Skills Audit 2018: Widening the ICT Talent Pipeline for Sustained and Inclusive Growth’.
ENDS For further information see https://fit.ie/upskilling-irelands-workforce/ or please contact George Ryan, FIT COO, at 086 2449536.
