Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 10 December 2020

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Effects of Covid-19 on Further Education and Training: Discussion

Photo of Aisling DolanAisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Hanney, Mr. Brownlee and Ms Gallagher. Mr. Brownlee attended the WorkEqual event and we appreciate that he was involved in that a month or so ago. I recall meeting him through that.

I was on the board of the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board as a councillor for a year. I was very surprised as a councillor and a person. I worked in third level but I had no idea of all that ETBs do until I sat on that board and realised the width and breadth of what they do. Funding for FET is €800 million, if I understand it correctly, and there are 25,000 courses. There is a great deal of funding going into the sector. I remember I had many questions at the time about communication. Obviously, people are busy doing everything, but communication is key to ensuring people are aware of what is available and especially of what the sector is doing.

My question is on communication in SOLAS and the different areas in the ETBs. How much has been dedicated to communication to ensure engagement with career guidance counsellors in secondary schools to tell them about the courses that are available and to deal with the factor that university is not the only option and that there are other options? There is also the issue of industry liaison with ETBs to ensure there is an immediate response to industry. We have lost jobs in my constituency. We were lucky recently to win jobs in Castlerea and in the medtech sector, but I come from an area where Bord na Móna just transition and retrofitting are happening. Where is the tie-in? I do not know the retrofitting courses that are available. People are trying to upskill very fast, but it takes a year or two years to complete the courses. Who are the industry liaisons in each of the ETBs and how active are they?

I will conclude with that, but I compliment the witnesses on the eCollege being opened. Again, I refer back to communication and people being aware that it is available.

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