A long-awaited Government announcement on the provision of thousands of extra third-level places is imminent, E&L has learned.
Last June, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, under the chairmanship of Dr Chris Horn, chief executive of Iona Technologies, made a number of recommendations - including the creation of some 5,400 third-level technology places (2,800 at university level and 2,600 at certificate and diploma levels in the ITs).
Since then, progress has been slow. Horn has recently resigned as chairperson of the expert group, but denies that his resignation is due to frustration caused by Government tardiness. Nonetheless, there has been disquiet in the business community at the Government's lack of progress in addressing the skills shortage. Fears have been expressed that unless the extra places receive Government sanction soon, it will be too late for the colleges to admit extra students next autumn. "We are extremely concerned that the recommendations announced by the expert group in June 1998 have not been approved by Government, despite the importance and priority it has attached to future skills needs," says Padraig O'Grady, IBEC's assistant director for social policy. "The structures put in place by the Government have proved to be ineffectual in delivering funding to meet the agreed priority skills needs." However, he says, if a decision is made within the next few weeks it will not be too late for the colleges to create extra places for the coming academic year.
A spokesperson for Iona Technologies told E&L that Horn has sent a letter of resignation to Tanaiste Mary Harney. According to the spokesperson, Horn has resigned to devote more time to his company. (Last week, Iona announced losses of $400,000.) It is understood that the Department of Education and Science has been keen to implement the expert group's recommendations, but has been awaiting Department of Finance funding. According to the first annual report on the operation of the Scientific and Technological Education (Investment) Fund, the Government paid £100 million into the fund last year. Some £30 million was allocated towards the creation of 3,900 extra technology places in the universities and £20 million has been allocated towards the creation of more than 3,600 places in the IT sector. These initiatives were put in place in response to an earlier report of an inter-departmental group, chaired by Professor Frances Ruane.
