Page 19 - The Gonzaga Record 1989
P. 19
commences learning a second or third in trading terms at present it is to be
foreign language at the primary noted that the Benelux countries with
school level. Germany and France take 80% of our
The fact that we are beginning to EC continental exports and we pur-
address this problem nationally is chase 79% of our EC continental
something for which one must be imports from the same group. That
grateful and whatever the difficulties figure may well alter significantly with
it is increasingly important that the growing importance of Spain but
exchanges be arranged either offi- one way or the other there are going to
cially at school level or during vaca- be demands for more and more young
tions to supplement the teaching. people who can work on mainland
However, the ability to communicate Europe. Even if that employment has
is only one part of the problem - no direct relationship with Ireland it
there is also a requirement that our may provide to be a stepping stone for
young be exposed if at all possible to opportunities here.
other cultures. There are, therefore, significant
What is the reason for this concern reasons why we should be more inter-
about 1992 and its implications? For ested in terms of our educational
one thing there has been a significant requirements in the development of a
change in trading relations since 1973. response to 1992. Indeed, at EC level, a
The orientation towards the United number of programmes have been
Kingdom as the major trading partner developed which will be of some relev-
of Ireland has significantly altered. ance. Cornett, Erasmus and the YES
Exports to the United Kingdom and programme are three in point. These
Northern Ireland for example, have new programmes run, in their first
reduced from 5507o to 35% and those phase, from 1987 to 1990 and will
to the other EC Member States have involve tens of thousands of students
increased from 23% to 39% during and young people. This a compara-
that period. tively new area of activity because it
Apart altogether from this, the was really only since 1973 that
industrial development of Irish under- education became a policy area.
takings will provide increasingly for However, since then various activities
new opportunities. We are used to have begun to be developed including
thinking in terms of multi-nationals interconnections between education
being foreign based companies systems, study visits, foreign language
operating out of Ireland (and indeed a training under the Lingua programme
total of 661 have set up here since 1973 and others.
and are still in existence today). With regard to the three major
However, indigenous Irish firms are initiatives which I have referred to
also operating abroad. One major earlier, Cornett is a programme to
Irish undertaking for an example encourage cooperation between
currently employs 2,700 employees in universities and industry at European
Ireland with 1,000 more in the United level. It is in response to the fact that
Kingdom and 4,000 in mainland the universities do not provide at
Europe. Whilst comparatively few of present a sufficient quantity or
those working in mainland Europe may quality of high leve l human resources
be Irish these figures demonstrate such as engineers and highly skilled
increasing demands for those familiar technicians demanded by the new
with other cultures whether their technologies of the firms that use
employment is to be at home or them. It has been established by
abroad. recent surveys that in a number of
In terms of our actual performance areas the shortage of highly qualified
17
foreign language at the primary noted that the Benelux countries with
school level. Germany and France take 80% of our
The fact that we are beginning to EC continental exports and we pur-
address this problem nationally is chase 79% of our EC continental
something for which one must be imports from the same group. That
grateful and whatever the difficulties figure may well alter significantly with
it is increasingly important that the growing importance of Spain but
exchanges be arranged either offi- one way or the other there are going to
cially at school level or during vaca- be demands for more and more young
tions to supplement the teaching. people who can work on mainland
However, the ability to communicate Europe. Even if that employment has
is only one part of the problem - no direct relationship with Ireland it
there is also a requirement that our may provide to be a stepping stone for
young be exposed if at all possible to opportunities here.
other cultures. There are, therefore, significant
What is the reason for this concern reasons why we should be more inter-
about 1992 and its implications? For ested in terms of our educational
one thing there has been a significant requirements in the development of a
change in trading relations since 1973. response to 1992. Indeed, at EC level, a
The orientation towards the United number of programmes have been
Kingdom as the major trading partner developed which will be of some relev-
of Ireland has significantly altered. ance. Cornett, Erasmus and the YES
Exports to the United Kingdom and programme are three in point. These
Northern Ireland for example, have new programmes run, in their first
reduced from 5507o to 35% and those phase, from 1987 to 1990 and will
to the other EC Member States have involve tens of thousands of students
increased from 23% to 39% during and young people. This a compara-
that period. tively new area of activity because it
Apart altogether from this, the was really only since 1973 that
industrial development of Irish under- education became a policy area.
takings will provide increasingly for However, since then various activities
new opportunities. We are used to have begun to be developed including
thinking in terms of multi-nationals interconnections between education
being foreign based companies systems, study visits, foreign language
operating out of Ireland (and indeed a training under the Lingua programme
total of 661 have set up here since 1973 and others.
and are still in existence today). With regard to the three major
However, indigenous Irish firms are initiatives which I have referred to
also operating abroad. One major earlier, Cornett is a programme to
Irish undertaking for an example encourage cooperation between
currently employs 2,700 employees in universities and industry at European
Ireland with 1,000 more in the United level. It is in response to the fact that
Kingdom and 4,000 in mainland the universities do not provide at
Europe. Whilst comparatively few of present a sufficient quantity or
those working in mainland Europe may quality of high leve l human resources
be Irish these figures demonstrate such as engineers and highly skilled
increasing demands for those familiar technicians demanded by the new
with other cultures whether their technologies of the firms that use
employment is to be at home or them. It has been established by
abroad. recent surveys that in a number of
In terms of our actual performance areas the shortage of highly qualified
17
