- 2016Approved/Agreed
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Completed
Description
The 2025 National skills strategy is targeted at ensuring relevance of education and training to the needs of learners, society and the economy. It is based on active involvement of employers and quality teaching and learning, with a perspective of lifelong learning and inclusion. The strategy points to the need for employers - especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - to provide work placement opportunities for learners.
The strategy was published in January 2016.
Implementation continuing.
No major developments; implementation continuing.
In 2019, the Further Education and Training Authority of Ireland (SOLAS) launched the programme and learner support system (PLSS) to provide a platform for reporting on all further education and training outputs and outcomes.
SOLAS continues to promote diversity and lifelong learning among adults. It continues to provide training for workforce development through the network of Education and Training Boards (ETBs) on initiatives like Skills to advance, a national initiative that provides upskilling and reskilling opportunities to employees in jobs undergoing change and to those currently employed in vulnerable sectors).
In 2020, following the COVID-19 crisis, the Skills to compete initiative was launched to lead the reskilling and retraining response to the pandemic. 15 000 places were refocused through the Skills to compete initiative.
In line with the 2025 National skills strategy, a special report was published which set a comprehensive set of educational indicators for the education system in Ireland.
The data in the report cover all levels of education, starting with early years and working through school, further and higher education to lifelong learning. The report provides an overview of the work of both the Department (Ministry) of Education and the Department (Ministry) of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
This updated indicators report provides data up to and including the academic year 2019/20 (where possible) as well as a look back at how our education system has progressed over the five years from 2015 to 2019.
The OECD is working with the Government of Ireland and Irish stakeholders on a collaborative OECD skills strategy project to ensure Ireland has the skills it needs to succeed today and tomorrow. The OECD skills strategy Ireland: Assessment and recommendations report will be published in 2023.
The National Skills Council (NSC) is the high-level platform for partnership between the education and training system, and industry representatives. It's made up of officials from public and private organisations, who participate voluntarily. The council was established in 2017, under the Ireland's National Skills Strategy 2025.
The council:
- brings together education and training providers with representatives from business, to effectively respond to skills needs;
- advises the minister and department on priority skills needs, the direction of skills and knowledge development in line with emerging global trends, and the opportunities and challenges for learning and work;
- oversees research, and approves reports and publications, by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), and the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit of SOLAS.
In 2022, the NSC held three meetings and their work included:
- receive and consider costed proposals for the annual research/work programme of the EGFSN in advance of the programme being formally submitted for approval for funding by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), or the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment as appropriate;
- receive, consider and approve prior to publication agreed action plans based on EGFSN research findings;
- receive, consider and publish research and reports on skills and labour market data from the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit of SOLAS (Ireland's National Agency for Further Education and Training);
- receive reports on the work of the Regional Skills fora and consider assessments from the regional fora in relation to skills development in their regions;
- receive reports from SOLAS, HEA and the chairs of the council of presidents of the universities and institutes of technologies on the delivery of responses to identified skills needs;
- receive reports from DFHERIS, HEA and SOLAS on overall funding allocations for education and training provision;
- provide updates as required from other government departments on related strategies;
- receive regular updates from other relevant stakeholders (IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland) on developing sectoral opportunities and potential target areas for increased foreign direct investment and consider and advise on issues associated with the availability of skills to support such employment opportunities;
- prepare an annual prioritisation of identified skills needs to inform decisions on allocation of funding across further education and training (VET), higher education and Skillnets. This prioritisation includes reference to levels and discipline areas and delivery mechanisms, for example: mainstream provision/targeted funds;
- present an annual statement of the work of the Council to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
In addition, the project undertaken by the OECD Skills Strategy Project for Ireland met with the National Skills Strategy in October 2022 in an extraordinary meeting to inform the NSC on project progress and facilitate stakeholder discussion paying particular attention to priority area 'strengthening the governance to build a joined up skills ecosystem'.
There are four priority areas of the OCED project:
- securing balance in skills through a responsive and diversified supply of skills;
- fostering greater participation in lifelong learning in and outside of the workplace;
- strengthening the governance across a joined up skills ecosystem;
- leveraging skills to drive innovation and strengthen the performance of firm.
The final OCED Report for Ireland will be published in 2023.
The OCED report was published in 2023.
Bodies responsible
- Department of Education and Skills (until 2020)
- Department of Education
- Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS)
- National Skills Council (NSC)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Education professionals
- Teachers
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Ireland's National Skills Strategy 2025: Ireland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28294