THE Government is to provide up to 4,000 new places a year for, students in computers, languages and technical skills, in order to meet the rapid increase in demand from employers.
Public and private sector institutions are being asked to bid for contracts to train 1,000 computer software graduates and 750 computer technicians a year.
The Department of Enterprise and Employment and the Department of Education came together to announce the initiative yesterday.
The Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, said: "Skilled young people are a key determinant of our competitive advantage. The Government is determined to ensure that there will be a significant supply of suitably qualified young people to fill vacancies, now and in the future."
He estimated that existing and future foreign investors would create 20,000 jobs over the next few years in the computer industry. Irish-based computer software firms would create a further 6,000 posts.
In the telecentred sector, the Minister estimated 4,000 jobs would be created and those employed in them would need to bed competent in one or more foreign languages. He said there was a serious danger that "we could become a victim of our own success in attracting such large numbers of blue-chili multinationals" if Ireland did not develop, "a strong indigenous hi-tech base".
The Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, said Irish education had a "Q mark" as far as major electronic and telecentred firms were concerned. The ability of the education sector to turn out excellent graduates and postgraduates to meet the evolving needs of business was a major factor in the State's economic success.
Her own Department is to create an extra 1,000 foreign-language places at third-level colleges as part of the new initiative. It will also increase the number of students on language placements abroad to 1,000.
The Advanced Technical Skills Programme, which gives vocational training to postgraduates in areas like computers, is being expanded so that next year there will be 1,250 computer postgraduates on the course, compared with 800 at present.
The initiative was welcomed by the IDA chief executive, Mr Kieran McGowan, who attended yesterday's launch. "Education is the biggest" single sustainable long-term competitive advantage we have," he said.
An urgent examination is also to be made by officials from the Departments of Finance, Education and Enterprise and Employment of how existing resources can be better used. Regional forums are to be set up involving FAS, third-level colleges and employers to examine the needs of local industry" in these sectors.