Minister James Lawless Hosts First National Skills Roundtable on Future Workforce Needs at TU Dublin
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, today hosted the first National Skills Roundtable at TU Dublin’s Grangegorman Campus, bringing together employers, industry bodies and education partners to examine how Ireland can future-proof its workforce in the face of rapid technological change.
TU Dublin President Dr Deirdre Lillis and Chair of the TU Dublin Governing Body Gerard Howlin welcomed Minister Lawless to the campus ahead of the national meeting. The university was represented at the Roundtable by Dr Dympna O'Sullivan, Vice President for Research and Innovation at TU Dublin.
The National Skills Roundtable marks the beginning of a programme of high-level national engagement focused on ensuring Ireland has the skills required to remain competitive and resilient as artificial intelligence, automation and other technologies transform the nature of work.
Chaired by Minister Lawless, the Roundtable brought together leaders from across industry and education to explore how Ireland can respond to the accelerating pace of technological and economic change.
Speaking after the event, Minister Lawless highlighted the scale of the challenge facing the country.
"Ireland’s economic success has always been built on the strength of its people. But we are now experiencing the fastest period of technological disruption in a generation. With that disruption comes both opportunity and challenge."
"Advances in areas such as AI are transforming industries in real time, automation is reshaping job roles, and the skills required to succeed are evolving faster than ever."
"Ireland is at a critical turning point. Our competitiveness, our innovation capacity and our long‑term economic resilience will depend on whether we invest now, not later, in the skills of our people."
"That is why I have convened this National Skills Roundtable: to show leadership, to bring Government and industry together at pace, and to ensure Ireland is not only ready to respond to these changes, but positioned to lead within them."
The Roundtable will examine how AI, digital transformation, emerging technologies and evolving work practices are reshaping the skills required across every sector of the economy. Its work will focus on identifying practical actions that can help future-proof Ireland’s workforce.
Minister Lawless said the initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between government, employers and the education sector.
"This is about taking ownership of Ireland’s future skills approach. We must build a workforce that can adapt quickly, compete globally and continue to make Ireland a destination for innovation, investment and high‑quality jobs.
"I welcome the opportunity to engage directly with employers and sector leaders - to hear firsthand the challenges they face today and the skills they will need tomorrow."
In the months ahead, Roundtable members and officials from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will participate in targeted “deep dive” sessions. Further sector-specific engagements are planned for 2026 to explore strategic areas in detail.
Insights gathered through the series will help shape future national skills policy, inform investment priorities and support long-term workforce planning, with businesses encouraged to share practical insights to ensure Ireland’s response remains dynamic and grounded in real industry needs.