strategy statement03 - 05

Figure from page 41

One of the greatest successes of the past decade has been the dramatic turnaround in unemployment and, indeed, the evolution of a labour market which created job opportunities both for the unemployed and new entrants. The mix of labour market programmes has been added to by measures to meet the extensive labour market demand of recent years, for example, working visas and an expanded work permits system.

As the economy has grown in complexity and diversity, the third level sector has become a much more important player in meeting skills requirements, while simultaneously, the many vocational training programmes (apprenticeship in particular) have also grown in sophistication. This has led to a blurring of the line between education and training and a growing focus on lifelong learning. Turning the latter from concept to reality poses a number of cross-cutting strategic challenges which are comprehensively explored in the report of the Taskforce on Lifelong Learning6.

Given the positive changes in the labour market, it is clear that the portfolio of active labour market programmes needs revision, with the emphasis on giving participants genuinely marketable skills and quality job opportunities. Employment policy must now focus on quality, skills and employability. It must continue to ensure that work is the most attractive option, since the best way to tackle social exclusion is through a job. Therefore, the priority areas for labour market policy in the coming strategy period are:

Lifelong learning: making education and training available

outside of the formal systems and encouraging people to continuously add to their skills;

Firms taking greater responsibility for upskilling their

employees to give them a competitive edge and assist in the retention of the best staff;

Greater regional spread of investment in education and skills;

A shift in industrial investment placing emphasis on R&D

investment to provide secure jobs and to provide the skills for the future;

6 The Taskforce was jointly established by the Department and the Department of Education and Science and issued its report in August 2002. The report is available on the web at www.entemp.ie

The adoption of family friendly practices such as teleworking,

work sharing, annualised hours etc, to attract and retain employees, including females and older people;

Investment in literacy programmes and the provision of

dedicated support to help disadvantaged people to take up employment e.g. people with disabilities.

The changed labour market environment has also given rise to new concerns about workplace relationships, including issues such as family friendly policies, bullying and racism. The scope of employment rights legislation has been extended, or is under active consideration, to cover part-time, fixed-term and agency workers. Measures are being taken to improve the active enforcement of the body of employment law on matters such as working hours and the minimum wage. One particularly notable change in the labour market environment has been the demand by employers for third country labour and the consequent dramatic increase in the numbers of work permits and working visas issued. NESC has questioned the sustainability of this trend and called for a more structured approach to third party labour in the context of the need for an overall policy on immigration. These developments pose policy and organisational challenges for the Department in the new strategy period which will be addressed in consultation with the social partners.

The new Social Partnership Agreement “Sustaining Progress” places a particular emphasis not only on pay terms and social inclusion issues but also on a range of workplace relationship issues such as:

Improved Statutory Redundancy Terms;

Structured Employee Representation by means of legislation

and associated Codes of Practice;

Improved and structured measures to achieve compliance with

the terms of the agreement;

Improved dialogue in the workplace through building on

international developments;