The vision for this action is the development of a public service that values learning and development to support meaningful career pathways for professionals and generalists, irrespective of grade or location, and provides opportunities for personal and professional development that benefits the individual, the organisation in which they work, and the citizens which they serve.

The aim is to encourage a culture across our public service organisations that is people-centred and learning-focused. This is to provide an environment in which learning and personal and professional development are recognised and valued as key success factors in building an agile workforce, developing and retaining people and delivering quality services.

This action incorporates all of the learning and development initiatives and opportunities which impact on the roles that people currently have across the public service, as well as the roles they will have in the future. It is not limited to purely ’professional’ training as required in specific areas, such as medicine and teaching. Instead, it includes providing for learning and development opportunities, allowing for mobility and temporary secondments, and, where necessary, changing cultural values to reinforce Continuing Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) offerings. It is about developing an agile workforce which is prepared for, and can work with, change and complexity.

Action 14 Team is jointly lead by the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, Seán Ó Foghlú, and the Director General of the Higher Education Authority, Alan Wall.