Robinson highlights role of education in an enterprise economy

Bruce Robinson, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has drawn attention to the important relationship between the education of Northern Ireland's young people and the future success of the local economy.

Speaking at the Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment Conference in Newcastle, on Friday 15 March, Mr Robinson said: “The education system has a vital role in preparing young people for the world of work. Educationalists have a vital contribution to make the provision of the skilled workforce needed to bolster a robust economy, and their contribution to the economic prospects of Northern Ireland cannot be overstated.

“An economy’s output depends on how many people are working - and how productive those people are. In the modern, knowledge-based economy, human capital is as significant a factor as physical capital in promoting economic growth."

The Permanent Secretary went on to discuss the importance of maintaining a workforce with the necessary level of skills needed to create increased levels of economic growth.

He stated: “Factors such as innovation, the quantity and quality of human capital and the levels of enterprise in an economy are critical if we are to continue the strong economic performance witnessed in recent years, and at present Northern Ireland still lags behind the UK in a number of key areas."

In his speech, Mr Robinson also outlined the role that government would play in "setting the overall strategic direction" for the local economy, through an enhanced policy development role for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, and the new implementation body in the form of Invest Northern Ireland.

Mr Robinson said that the Department’s new role also called for more involvement with a wide variety of stakeholders, all of whom, he said, had a contribution to make to the success of the Northern Ireland economy.

He added: “We need to create in Northern Ireland a culture that supports enterprise; that encourages creativity; that promotes and rewards innovation; that learns from worldwide best practice and that capitalises on the skills and attributes of our people."

(CL)