100th Meeting of the EGFSN

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) is delighted to have welcomed Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD and Secretary General Declan Hughes to its 100th meeting, as the body established in 1997 to advise Government on Ireland’s emerging skills and labour market requirements celebrated an important milestone. The EGFSN also welcomed two former Chairs, Chris Horn and Anne Heraty, and Chair of the National Skills Council, Kevin Marshall to the meeting.

EGFSN Chair Colm Kelly opened the meeting with a reflection on the Group’s first three decades of work. Colm began by highlighting some of the major social and economic changes which have shaped Ireland since 1997, particularly the country’s economic success: there more Irish people in work today than ever before. Colm emphasised the importance of Ireland’s education and skills system-including the EGFSN- as a key enabler of the country’s transformation over the least three decades.

Minister Burke and Secretary General Declan Hughes paid tribute to the work of the EGFSN and looked forward to the Group playing its part in addressing future skills challenges- with this being a key theme of the meeting.

The Group then engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on the ways in which global megatrends such as digitisation, demographic change, decarbonisation and changing geopolitics are reshaping the Irish and world economies- and how the EGFSN and Ireland’s education and skills system needs to change to successfully meet these challenges in the years ahead.

And of course, no milestone is complete without a celebration — marked with a special cake to commemorate the occasion.

Members of the EGFSN joined by Minister for Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment Peter Burke TD

The Chair and Secretariat of the EGFSN