Ireland’s further education and training sector reached a record in 2026 when SOLAS confirmed more than 400,000 learner places were taken up in 2024, a 25 per cent increase since 2022. The figures coincide with the launch of the FET Strategy 2025 to 2029 consultation, targeting 500,000 learners by 2026. For Irish employers and L&D leaders, these are not a measure of government activity. They are a measure of an infrastructure that is funded, accessible, and ready to be used.

The FET sector deserves to be understood as a strategic workforce tool. Through SOLAS and its 16 ETBs, Ireland has built a nationally coordinated and subsidised upskilling system at every level of the National Framework of Qualifications. The risk is that employers treat FET as a resource for others rather than a competitive advantage. Three dimensions are relevant to senior leaders: Skills to Advance, the eCollege platform, and the incoming strategy’s enterprise agenda.

On Skills to Advance, the evidence is substantial. Over 25,000 upskilling places were taken up by employees in 2024 in sustainability, digital, and robotics, all subsidised for eligible companies. The WEF’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects 39 per cent of core job skills will change by 2030. Companies integrating Skills to Advance into workforce plans are building resilience that those relying on internal training alone cannot match.

The eCollege platform removes scheduling and geographic barriers that have limited FET uptake among working adults. Enrolments reached almost 37,000 in 2024, a 47 per cent increase from 2023, driven by digital, business, and technology disciplines. The OECD’s 2023 Skills Strategy Review of Ireland identified the need for a step change in the skills ecosystem, with SMEs needing affordable upskilling. Rapid eCollege growth suggests awareness is the primary barrier to employer engagement.

The FET Strategy 2025 to 2029 consultation signals a clear intent to deepen enterprise engagement. Enhanced employer partnerships are identified as central to aligning FET with labour market needs in digital, green, and construction skills. The European Commission’s Education and Training Monitor 2025 identifies Ireland’s digital and sustainability gaps as among the most acute in the EU, where SOLAS provision is deepest. Employers who engage will shape provision their workforce consumes over the next five years.

Three strategic actions merit priority. HR and L&D directors should audit workforce development spend against the Skills to Advance catalogue, identifying subsidised alternatives to internal training. Operations directors should register with ETB enterprise teams and open dialogue on bespoke upskilling. Executive teams should engage the SOLAS FET 2025 to 2029 consultation, ensuring sector priorities are embedded in the framework governing €800 million in annual FET investment.

Ireland’s FET sector is the most underutilised strategic resource available to Irish employers. With 400,000 learner places in 2024 and 47 per cent growth in online enrolment, the infrastructure is built and funding is committed. Companies that co-design provision and deploy Skills to Advance systematically will find that Ireland’s FET system is not a background government scheme. It is a workforce transformation engine, available now.

(The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of BusinessRiver.)