OPINION:The National College of Ireland can play a role in helping to solve the challenge of joblessness, writes Dr Paul Mooney
LAST WEEK saw 150 job losses announced by insurance firm FBD. A further 70 cuts were announced by Bray's Trinity Biotech and 150 more at the Co Clare industrial diamond plant, Element 6.
Our unemployment rates have hit a 10-year high, jumping to 7.8 per cent. But for the 277,200 people claiming unemployment benefit in Ireland - up almost 17,000 in November - the figures are not just a bad news story.
These huge increases place an enormous cost burden on our struggling economy at a time when revenue from all taxation sources is markedly in decline. The decline in competitiveness of Irish industry also means many low-skill workers are vulnerable to the risk of unemployment.
All indicators show this trend is set to continue. The challenge's size cannot be underestimated.
As the president of a college with a long tradition of working with vulnerable and low-skilled groups, the indirect social costs are even more worrying. These include rising child poverty, increased crime, worse anti-social behaviour and higher rates of depression among the population.
I believe the National College of Ireland can help solve this issue, improving the skills and adaptability of workers to enter third level education.
The key question is: "What can we do now to get people back to work?" To look at possible answers, I have been in talks with a number of Government figures - including Chief Whip Pat Carey, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin and Minister for Community, Rural Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon Ó Cuiv. All the talks indicate an appetite to systematically address the challenge. Linking education, training and work experience, we have created a roadmap that could make a big impact on unemployment - if properly funded. The plan could make a positive impact within as little as six to 12 months.
The roadmap sets out steps focusing on two groups - the unemployed, and low-skilled groups in danger of becoming so. There are two separate phases:
Phase one focuses on retraining unemployed persons, with participation being a prerequisite for receipt of unemployment benefit. This will redirect unemployment benefit funds into a training allowance.
Phase two targets low-skilled workers with programmes meeting the needs of an advanced, knowledge-based economy (business, IT and entrepreneurship). This suggestion is in line with the National Skills Strategy (2007). The roadmap will also require:
1.A lead player: appointment of a single institution to directly tackle unemployment.
2.A co-ordinated response: establishment of a high level unemployment taskforce with expertise in key areas (social welfare, education/training, enterprise and trade). This team will need high-level access to Government to overcome potential bureaucracy or implementation barriers.
3.Training solutions: development of a "suite" of training programmes designed for individual audiences - using what exists within Fás and the education sector (we do not wish to re-invent the wheel).
4.Specific Targets: Setting out of a focused timeframe with key metrics, eg "retrain 10,000 under 25s within the next six months".
The college is prepared to share its intellectual capital. We will allow NCI programmes to be run by training providers who are part of the Government- appointed programme.
The Government will need to set up a development fund to design and roll out a retraining initiative of sufficient scale to impact on the crisis. This expenditure is an investment in Ireland's future and a much more productive use of unemployment benefit. It is a pre-emptive strategy, addressing future unemployment risks.
The key to success is action. The time is now. Immediate steps must be taken to safeguard our future, or the job losses will continue to rise.
Dr Paul Mooney is president of the National College of Ireland