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The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, published today, will drive job creation and economic recovery, according to the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, T.D.

Welcoming the Plan, the Minister said that "My Department will work closely with all relevant Government Departments and Agencies to ensure the various education and training related actions contained in the Plan are implemented. The Government is putting the right measures in place to ensure people can upskill and reskill in the areas where skills are in demand."

Some of the significant Department of Education and Skills actions in the plan include:

· A new Labour Market Education and Training Fund. This €20 million fund will be specifically targeted at the long-term unemployed and will deliver upward of 6,500 places in 2012.

· Prioritise places, including in the further education and training sector, specifically for those on the Live Register for 12 months or more.

· Issue a new call under the Springboard programme for higher education courses that are aligned with areas of future skills needs and targeted at the unemployed.

· Rollout of 750 places on 17 new fully funded graduate ICT skills conversion programmes across the country was announced.

· A specific training initiative for managers in SMEs.

In addition, the Action Plan contains significant actions in the whole area of international education provision and attention to building on the Education in Ireland brand to increase awareness of Ireland as a top class centre of education services.

Minister Quinn and Minister Cannon will lead education trade missions to Asia in the near future, to both China and India, with a view to maximizing the potential benefits to Ireland in these expanding economies. Plans are underway for similar missions to a further set of countries later this year.