The Government's chief advisory body on labour market trends and skills is to review its recent recommendations for more spending on IT in the light of the economic downturn and the events of September 11th.
In a Dβil reply, the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, said that the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs would be reassessing the assumptions behind its recent report, which suggested that £130 million be invested in information and communications technology.
The group, chaired by the former president of DCU, Dr Danny O'Hare, said that the money should be spent over five years, mainly on third-level places in the area of information technology and accompanying equipment. It also said more part-time courses were needed to upskill people already in the workplace.
Dr Woods said the group would take into account the downturn in the US economy and among IT companies.
He was answering a question from the former Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, who asked if there was a need for the group to revisit its conclusions.
Sources said that the level of demand for IT graduates would need to be looked at, but that companies were still interested in skilled graduates. "Companies are trying to move up the value chain, so they are increasingly looking for post-graduates, and the education system is going to have increase the pool of PhD students", a source close to the group said.
The expert group's last report, published in August, said there was a shortage of 3,300 workers qualified to take jobs in the IT sector. It also said foreign workers would be needed to fill gaps.