Education critical to attract jobs, says FÁS

CONTINUOUS education and re-training are critical if Ireland’s highly skilled workforce is to remain competitive and if the country is to lure major jobs projects here, FÁS said yesterday.

Competition from lower cost countries is set to intensify and FÁS Corporate Affairs director Gregory Craig said the State agency believes the primary challenge facing our economy and workforce is "restoring our competitiveness by improving the quality of our workforce".

"Education and training will be the key to meeting that challenge," Mr Craig said as the FÁS Opportunities 2004 exhibition entered its third of four session days yesterday.