An additional 2,200 technical specialists will be needed in each of the next five years to fill the skills shortage in the hightech sector, according to a new report.
Already 6,100 people with engineering and computer qualifications leave education and enter the jobs market each year. But the Government-sponsored Expert Group on Future Skills predicts a further 900 engineering and computer professionals and 1,300 technicians in the same areas will be needed each year until 2003.
If the skills issue is not adequately addressed it will create problems for the economy which will limit its growth potential, according to Dr Chris Horn, chairman of the group and of flagship Irish software company, Iona Technologies.
Dr Horn was speaking at the first meeting of Business, Education and Training Partnership Forum the body established by the Government to discuss skills needs in conjunction with its new funding programme for investment in technology and science education.
More than 200 representatives from industry, business and education met to hear the findings of the expert group, and discuss ways of addressing the problem.
"The availability of skilled technical staff in Ireland is both an opportunity and a challenge: an opportunity to exploit the global shortage in technology skills to bring further business to Ireland, and a challenge to ensure that world-class skilled staff continue to be available," Dr Horn said.
Addressing the forum, the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Ms Harney, who jointly chairs the forum with the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, announced a new training networks programme.
Its aim will be to encourage groups of firms to invest more in skills development and develop plans and programmes to meet their needs. Ms Harney will make £2 million available from her Department's budget to "kickstart" the initiative.
In a boost for her own constituency, the Tanaiste also announced a £12.5 million investment programme for the Institute of Technology in Tallaght. Largely funded by the Scientific and Technological Education Investment fund, the building programme will cover a major extension including science laboratories, workshops, lecture theatres and specialist teaching areas. It will also create over 500 additional full-time student places in areas where emerging skills needs have been identified. The expert group's report recommends ways of increasing the output of people with the necessary technical qualifications. These include: conversion courses one-year intensive courses in specific fields of expertise; employee upskilling through night- and part-time study; full-time education, where 2,120 new degree places would be required to deliver an extra 400 professional graduates annually and 2,000 new technician places; and an improvement in degree-course completion rates from 65 per cent to 80 per cent.
Dr Horn said non-Irish people should be encouraged to work here in greater numbers. However, their salaries must be "at least as attractive" as pay levels available elsewhere. The report recommends that the existing Forbairt campaign to attract more software people back to Ireland be extended to the hardware electronics sector. Visas and work permits should be issued as required. Dr Danny O'Hare, chairman of the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities and president of Dublin City University, welcomed the work of the Expert Group, but warned the report was a reaction to existing growth levels. It was less focused, he added, on the opportunity to produce higher numbers of skilled people which would attract more mobile investment into Ireland.
"If we over produce skilled technologists we will generate more economic activity," he said.
