The Government needs to create 1,160 new degree places at third level in the sciences if serious skills shortages in the economy are to be addressed, a key expert group has recommended.
About 290 extra degree places are needed annually over the next four years if demands from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, medical and plastic industries are to be met, according to a new report from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs.
It said the places should be created in the biological and chemical sciences areas. However, it recognised this would be difficult unless the dramatic fall-off in the number of Leaving Certificate students doing science was tackled.
It said the third-level institutions should examine how they promoted their existing science courses and should consider "rebranding and repositioning them" - making them more attractive to students. For example, it suggested that chemistry should be rebranded as "pharmaceutical technology".
The group is chaired by the former president of Dublin City University, Dr Daniel O'Hare, and the recommendations in its first report were implemented by the Government at a cost of £75 million. It is made up of leading civil servants, business people and educationalists.
As reported in The Irish Times three weeks ago, the report recommends a major drive to get over-55s back into the workplace.
One of the group's members, Mr Colm Regan of Forfas, the State body for science and technology, said the main way to do this was for employers to offer part-time and teleworking options to such people.
The report points out that just over half of those aged between 60 and 64 are part of the labour force. It said early retirement had become a normal part of many occupations.
It also pointed out that older people could rely on the provisions of the Employment Equality Act which prohibited discrimination on age grounds.
One of the group's members, Ms Una Halligan of Hewlett Packard, told a press conference in Dublin yesterday her firm had been hiring large numbers of over-55s in recent months and many more were currently acquiring the relevant skills.
However, she said she understood many over-55s believed companies only paid "lip service" to the idea. "But I believe once the person has the skills it doesn't matter what age they are," she stated.
The report showed some slight levelling off in relation to the overall demand for information technology (IT) staff. It said the recent investment by the Government of £75 million in additional IT places would increase the current supply of IT technicians by almost 50 per cent.
However, it warned that in the software area there might be shortages of computer science technicians. It said many technician places at third level had been allocated to engineering courses instead.
"As a result, the expert group considers that there is an urgent need for measures to increase the number of computer science technicians as recommended in the first report," said the report.