Ireland is in danger of losing its competitive advantage if it does not radically alter its educational plans, a leading academic has warned. Speaking at the conferring of awards in Dublin City University, the president of DCU, Dr Daniel O'Hare, warned that there was a "major risk" of retarding economic development unless educational structures altered to meet the changing needs.
Dr O'Hare said present educational structures were based on a slow rate of change but that rapid changes in educational and economic demands meant that a completely new educational model was needed. "To remain competitive in the future we must have structures that allow us not only to change very rapidly, but to help us anticipate change rather than merely to react to it when it arrives," he said.
Dr O'Hare also warned of shortfalls in crucial occupational sectors, including software engineering, electronic engineering and language skills.