Where are we going?
The view from SOLAS
Further Education and Training
Strategy 2014 - 2019
NUIM
18 October 2014
Section 9 of the Further Education and
Training Act 2013 states that SOLAS will
‘prepare, and submit to the Minister, a
strategy in relation to the provision in the
State of further education and training in
respect of the period of 5 years immediately
following its approval by the Minister
under this section’.
Wide-ranging Reform
ETBs
Local
Government
QQI
HEA
SOLAS
DSP
Institutional reform
Department of Education and Skills
Department of Jobs,
Enterprise and Innovation
Department of Social
Protection
Primary
education
FÁS
Secondary
Education
Further Education and Training
Authority
(SOLAS)
16 Education
and Training
Boards
Quality and
Qualifications
Ireland
(QQI)
Higher Education Authority (HEA)
Universities
and other
Colleges
Institutes of
Technology
Expert Group on Future Skills Needs
(EGFSN)
Public Employment
Services
Community
Employment
Programmes
Diversity of Further Education and Training
VTOS
Literacy &
Numeracy
PLCs
BTEI
Apprenticeship
Learner
Specific
Skills
Community
Education
Training
Statutory
provision
Youthreach
Traineeships
Scale of Further Education and Training
• The full extent of FET provision in the State is
very broad ranging and includes many actors in
addition to the former VECs and FÁS.
• €826 million investment by DES/SOLAS
• Approx. 22,000 courses in 2014
• Approx. 340,000 will receive Further Education or
Training in 2014
• 260,000 will receive Further Education
• 77,000 will receive Training.
Skills for the future
Economic
growth
Insulator v
Employment
growth
unemployment
Skills
Social
‘SMART’
Inclusion &
economy
Social
Mobility
FET positive outcomes
Employment
Wider benefits
of learning:
Social benefits
Wider benefits
of learning:
Personal
development
Progression to
further or
higher
education and
training
FET
Wider benefits
of learning :
Professional
development
To achieve employment as an outcome for an increasing number of FET graduates, FET curricula
needs to be aligned to the identified skill needs of the economy.
Development of the Further
Education and Training Strategy
2014 - 2019
Developed with the assistance of the
Economic and Social Research
Institute
FET Strategy process …
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ESRI research – ‘Further Education and Training in Ireland: Past, Present and
Future’
SOLAS consultation workshops
Other sources: NESC review, Apprenticeship review
Government policy: Pathways to Work, Action Plan for Jobs, Youth Guarantee
Evidence pointed to:
– The need for a clear definition for FET
– Lack of coordination and planning
– Only a partial alignment with the labour market requirements
– Up-skilling of the existing workforce
– A perceived lack of consistency in the quality of provision both across FET
components and providers
– Limited employer engagement
– A lack of a data infrastructure
– Inflexibility and low relative status
Areas for Policy
• Maintain a balance between labour market and social inclusion provision
• Co-ordinate planning to provide strategic direction on changing labour
market and social conditions
• Consider patterns of accreditation (non-accredited community education)
• Consider the quality of awards and the consistency of FET delivery
• Improve data collection
• Monitor and evaluate
• Integrate literacy and numeracy into FET provision (as appropriate)
• Integrate meaningful work experience and skills development into FET
programmes
• Coordinated approach to employer engagement (nationally and locally)
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
From strategy to implementation
•The Further Education and Training Strategy launched on 12 May 2014 by the Minister for Education and Skills.
•Overarching Strategy Implementation Plan
•Dissemination of detailed Implementation Plan providing specifics around:
a. Tasks required
b. Key indicators
c. Responsible Lead Agency
d. Partner Agencies
e. Timelines
•FET Strategy Implementation Advisory Committee chaired by DES (inaugural meeting end of October 2014)
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Linked support/complementary activity
1. Implementation is supported by the published national FET Services Plan managed by SOLAS,
2. Regular progress reports by SOLAS on FET strategy implementation to Government, to DES
the SOLAS Board.
3. The SOLAS Three-Year Corporate Plan
and
FET Strategy –
an enabling framework
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Inclusion
Innovation
Employability
European agenda
Future focus
Implementation priorities
THANK YOU