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EACEA National Policies Platform
Ireland

Ireland

3. Employment & Entrepreneurship

3.3 Skills forecasting

Last update: 28 November 2023
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  1. Forecasting system(s)
  2. Skills development

Forecasting system(s)

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), advises the Government on future skills requirements and associated labour market issues that impact on the national potential for enterprise and employment growth.

EGFSN reports combine research, analysis, and horizon-scanning in relation to emerging skills requirements at thematic and sectoral levels.

When producing reports, the EGFSN:

  • Engage with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), SOLAS, QQI, the Regional Education Fora, and education and training providers.
  • Assemble Steering Groups comprised of experts from relevant enterprise sectors and the education and training sector to guide the research. 
  • Engage with the relevant stakeholders to produce an agreed action plan to address the skills needs identified.

Membership of the EGFSN includes:

  • Government Departments
  • Enterprise Development Agencies
  • Business
  • Unions
  • Further Education and Training
  • Higher Education Authority.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in conjunction with the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit, SOLAS, provides the EGFSN with research and analysis support.

 

Skills development

Reports produced by the EGFSN often feed into the government action plans on future skills needs. For example, the EGFSN report, Forecasting the Future Demand for High Level ICT Skills in Ireland, 2017-2022, was a key input into the development of the Government’s ICT Skills Action Plan, Technology Skills 2022. The report also fed into the Plan’s ambition to grow the number of highly skilled ICT graduates by 47,000 over the period to meet the additional demand for new roles coming on stream.