The 13 institutes of technology,attended by over 50,000 students, must develop a stronger identity and boost their management capacity, according to a major new report.
The report, based on discussions with senior figures in industry and education, is a "no holds barred" examination of the sector.
Last night, chairman of Institutes of Technology Ireland Dr Richard Thorn said: "This report . . . is a collective challenge to raise our game."
The report, from Prospectus Consulting, said the "vision and strategy for an institute frequently" does not trickle down from the senior management team "so that those in a position to implement it are disconnected and consequently have not bought in to it".
It also finds that "rigidities exist that inhibit the institutes from responding flexibly . . . to exploit opportunities" and meet demands from industry.
The report said the institutes must:
• Develop and communicate a coherent and collective mission and ambition.
• Develop stronger management capacity and capability.
• Develop teaching and learning strategies that address increasing diversity.
The institutes, formerly the regional technical colleges, have boomed in the past decade.
They are credited with playing a key role in regional development and in helping to give skills to school-leavers.
About 60 per cent of their graduates work in science, technology and other key economic areas.
In recent years some senior policy figures have complained about "mission drift" in the sector.
In response to student needs, the institutes have been offering more arts and humanities courses but some critics say they are less responsive to the needs of business and industry.
Increasingly many institutes are also struggling to fill places on many courses because of the huge variety of choices now available to school-leavers.
