Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan TD today addressed the recently reconstituted National Skills Council as it met for the first time.

The National Skills Council has been repositioned to act as a platform for strategic engagement with industry and social partners to enable a broader range of stakeholders to more effectively shape Ireland’s skills policy priorities.

The new National Skills Council started its work today to provide the Minister and the Government with independent strategic advice to quickly drive the adaptation and evolution of its skills policies, in tune with the fast-shifting skills requirements of society and the labour market.

Speaking today, Minister O’Donovan said:

"Today’s first meeting of the new National Skills Council marks the beginning of an exciting new era of strategic partnership on skills between Government, industry and social partners.

For the first time in Ireland, we have an advisory body on skills policy that is driven by industry and social partners.

This is necessary because, in today’s quickly evolving skills landscape, there is simply no point in Government telling industry what the future skills requirements of the labour market and society are. It is industry who is best placed to tell us what their needs are.

The new Council will give us a fresh perspective and independent advice on how we can take the next leap forward in the development of our skills system and policy, to benefit every individual and employer in this country.

I, along with wider Government, look forward to receiving and the considering the strategic advice that will come from the new and independent Council.”

Mr. Kevin Marshall, the new Chairperson of the National Skills Council, said:

"All of the members of the new Council are eager to deliver what we have been tasked to do - that is to help Ireland increase its talent pool and remain competitive, by facing the challenges and embracing the opportunities presented by, for example, Artificial Intelligence, climate change and sustainability’’.

To ensure that the advice provided to the Minister is well-informed and grounded in expertise, practical knowledge, evidence and best practices, members of the Council have been selected to ensure diverse perspectives, specialised knowledge and expertise in the area of skills, talent, and workforce development, and will continue to work together to bring those perspectives to Government.

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National Skills Council Membership Chair

Dr. Kevin Marshall (Head of Education with Microsoft Ireland)

Enterprise Members

Patrick Buckley (Managing Director of the EPS Group)

Dr. Claire Conneely (Education lead for Google Ireland)

Ann Masterson (Management and Training Consultant and Head of HRM Discipline in TU Dublin)

James Milligan (Global Head of Technology Solutions at Hays)

Carmel Mitchell (Global head of talent at Fidelity International)

John O’Shaughnessy (Managing Director of Clancy Construction)

Sinead Heneghan (CEO of the Learning & Development Institute (L&DI))

Elizabeth Reynolds (Member of IDA Board, formerly of Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, and the China Beverage industry Association)

Social Partners

Dr. Kara McGann (IBEC’s Head of Skills and Social Policy nominated by IBEC)

Ivan Cooper (CEO of The Wheel nominated by the Community and Voluntary Services Pillar)

Margaret O’Rourke Doherty (CEO of the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation nominated by ISME)

Brian McGann (Head of Organisational Development at SIPTU nominated by ICTU)

Expert Advice

Dr. Ciarán Dunne (Transversal Skills Director at DCU)

Tony Donohoe (Chairman of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs)

Minister O’Donovan welcomes first meeting of the new National Skills Council

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