Future Skills Roadmap

Tender description

In 2012 the Irish government set out its vision for the Irish marine/maritime economy in its plan entitled “Harnessing our Ocean Wealth – an Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland”. This plan led to the establishment of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and the publication of “A Study of the Current and Future Skills Requirements of the Marine/Maritime Economy to 2020”. The overarching aim of this study is to ensure that the right skills base will be available to meet the needs of enterprises in the developing Marine Economy out to 2020. In 2015, the “Report of the Working Group on Safety, Training & Employment in the Irish Fishing Industry” set out a number of important recommendations on the future skills needs of the catching sector. Finally, BIM’s 2016 report “Focusing the Future: Maximising the Value of the Irish Seafood Industry” highlights that the vision for the seafood industry - driving alignment, achieving valuable differentiation and serving the best customers - will be impossible without the right people and the right training. To address this challenge BIM’s current strategy has identified four interrelated enablers or pillars: Innovation; Sustainability; Competitiveness; and Skills & Training. Importantly, the latter pillar is recognised as being interwoven with the others and critical to their final delivery. In 2016 BIM also established an inter-divisional “skills & training working group” to drive progress in this key area. Based on the findings of that group BIM is now seeking a consultant to work with it on creating a “Future Skills Roadmap”.