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The Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA), representing Ireland’s private and independent higher education institutions, welcomes Budget 2027’s commitment to skills development, including the €360 million National Training Fund package over three years and its €150 million allocation for skills resilience and adaptation to AI.
HECA members are established providers of education and training across ICT, business, teaching, health and social care, counselling and other professional disciplines. Their programmes meet industry and societal needs by preparing graduates for employment and enabling people already in work to develop further qualifications and skills. Their experience in Springboard+, employer engagement and flexible provision offers a practical contribution to implementing the Budget’s aims.
This includes delivering digital skills and AI literacy across occupations, specialist technical programmes, and education for professions where additional graduates are needed, including health and social care. Flexible programmes and quality-assured micro-credentials allow learners to undertake focused skills development alongside work and other commitments, supporting lifelong learning and wider participation in employment.
HECA members are employers as well as education providers, contributing to the National Training Fund through the employer levy. The sector’s SME providers bring established teaching expertise, facilities and employer relationships that can support delivery through existing capacity, offering value for public expenditure. QQI-approved quality assurance procedures, QQI-validated programmes and statutory regulatory oversight provide the framework for quality and accountability.
The implementation of Budget 2027 should make use of this established provision. HECA calls for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, to engage with its members in planning delivery, identifying where they can address priority skills needs and establishing clear arrangements for participation. This would bring additional capacity to the Government’s objectives, with funding tied to quality, outcomes and value for public expenditure.
