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Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton, Minister Jan O'Sullivan and Minister of State Damien English today launched Ireland's Future - the National Skills Strategy to 2025.

Minister O'Sullivan called it "a comprehensive strategy across all levels of education". 

The Strategy identifies Ireland’s current skills profile, provides a strategic vision and specific objectives for Ireland’s future skills requirements, and sets out a road map for how the vision and objectives can be achieved. 

Key actions in the plan include:

• Establishment of a new National Skills Council to oversee research, forecasting and prioritisation of skills needs in the economy.
• 50,000 Apprenticeship and Traineeship places to be supported over the period to 2020.
• Further Education and Training and Higher Education providers to produce employability statements for courses.
• A review of guidance services, tools and careers information for school students and adults to identify options for improvements.
• An increased focus on lifelong learning and a target to increase participation in lifelong learning to 15% by 2025 (from 6.7% in 2014). 

The Taoiseach said: 

This National Skills Strategy aims to provide an education and training system that is flexible enough to respond to a rapidly changing environment and that can provide the mix of skills needed over the next ten years, and beyond. 

You can read the full strategy document here. 

For more information read the press release here.