€7.7bn to go on upskilling workers

More than half of the €13.6 billion being allocated to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment under the National Development Plan (NDP) will be used to upskill the workforce.

Announcing details of the NDP investment, the Minister, Micheál Martin, said €7.7 billion was being earmarked for training and upskilling people.

Some €2.8 billion will be invested in upskilling people in employment - including new skills for those affected by industrial restructuring - as well as an expansion and enlargement of the apprenticeship system and further training for school-leavers.

The Minister said a further €4.9 billion would be provided to target employment and training services to groups currently outside the workforce, including the unemployed, people with disabilities, women, lone parents, Travellers and ex-offenders.

"The Enterprise Strategy Group report highlighted Ireland's need to pursue a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy in order to maintain competitiveness into the future," he said.

The national skills strategy envisions nearly half of the workforce having third-level qualifications from certificate to doctorate level by 2020, while Ireland aims to double its PhD output by 2013.

Some €3.3 billion is to be invested in a range of enterprise development initiatives driven by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and the county and city enterprise boards.

Of this, indigenous enterprise, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the county and city enterprise boards, will receive investment of €1.7 billion over the plan period, while more than €1.6 billion will be invested in supporting foreign direct investment policies and initiatives.

The Department of Enterprise said it would invest €2.6 billion as part of an overall €8.3 billion investment in science, technology and innovation under the plan.

"The policies and €8.3 billion of funding outlined in the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation are crucial to Ireland securing its position as one of the world's advanced knowledge economies and becoming renowned worldwide for the excellence of its research," the Minister said.