MOST people at work today will see the technology they know best becoming redundant over the next 10 years, according to the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Mr Dukes.
"It is estimated that in 10 years time, 80 per cent of the technology now in use in Europe will have to be changed," he said. "Eighty per cent of the people who will be in the workforce in 10 years time are already part of today's workforce.
"So, in 10 years time, 80 per cent of people at work will find that 80 per cent of the technology they know best will be redundant, obsolete or obsolescent."
Mr Dukes was speaking at the annual conference of the Irish Institute of Training and Development in Bunratty, Co Clare.
He said the increasing pace of technological change meant that greater resources would need to be spent on in service training. In his Department, the annual training budget had reached £250,000, or about 2 per cent of payroll.
Major changes we could predict over the next few years included the next round of world trade negotiations, with a greater input from developing countries and the Pacific Rim.
The integration of Eastern Europe into the European Union and monetary union would pose their own challenges. Ireland would become a net contributor to EU finances. Other changes could not be foreseen. "We have again underestimated the pace of change," Mr Dukes said.
"The Civil Service of the future, and the Public Service generally, will be expected to perform more efficiently and more flexibly in satisfying the needs of an increasingly sophisticated public which itself is under increasing pressure of change.
"Civil servants will be more answerable for their actions. Decisions will be opened to question by the public, who will have a right of redress if they feel aggrieved by such decisions.
"All of this has to be done with out any significant increase in the cost of running the Civil Service. That means that the contribution of every worker to the overall effort must be maximised.
"That in turn makes extra demands on training our staff and making the necessary investment in their development", Mr Dukes, said.