Mr. Shane Rooney:

The issue of applicants for FETAC 5 courses not getting the back to education allowance if they already have a FETAC 5 qualification was raised. While I am not here to speak for the Department of Social Protection, the reason for that is that in the past there were adult learners who were what is termed "going around the houses", doing course after course at FETAC 5 level with no progression up the national framework to FETAC 6 or to HETAC level in the institutes of technology and the universities. That is why that condition exists. There may be a possibility for exemptions in areas where there are employment opportunities, for example, in science, technology and ICT. However, there are many courses at FETAC 5 level for which the employment opportunities are limited or non-existent. While some courses, in community development and health care support, for example, are meeting a need in the community, other courses are not. The demand for beauty therapists, hairdressers, for example, is far lower than the number of students completing those courses and therefore, a balance needs to be struck in that area.

On the issue of apprenticeships and those who worked in construction moving on, the important point is that there is a variety of apprenticeships available that match the needs of employers. The apprenticeships must be very specific. One could do a FETAC 5 course in business studies or secretarial studies but there are no jobs in those areas in Carlow. Therefore, there is no real point in doing a FETAC 5 course in those subjects unless one intends to progress to third level. The objective is to make FETAC 5 courses and apprenticeships more specific to industry demands. Recently, for example, there was a JobBridge apprenticeship for a cheese-maker, where the apprentice will be trained up in a very specific area in which there are employment opportunities. While generic skills are important, students also need to develop more industry-specific skills in order to be employable.

Deputy John Lyons mentioned the Pathways to Work initiative. As part of our service, the local jobs club runs courses five mornings a week and we meet clients from those courses all of the time. We do our best to provide courses and opportunities for them, as well as giving them information and guidance.

Courses in generic skills, however, such as Safe Pass and first aid, will not get a person a job. If a person is in a jobs club and only has generic, construction related skills, that will not get that person long-term employment, although the jobs clubs are great for interview skills and as a start. Even just to be in a jobs club to talk to others and to network is hugely beneficial because those involved are meeting people who are working or who are not that long out of the workplace. They are back in the loop and can then look at other opportunities or education and training board courses or going to college.

We would meet those people every week. We are very involved under a new interim protocol with the Department of Education and Skills where we meet clients referred directly from the Department of Social Protection on a weekly basis. There was strong informal co-operation and integration before but it is now on a more formal footing where the IRCU, employment services and the FÁS activation manager would meet on a far more formal basis than before. We are getting referrals all the time and our services have never been busier. That knocks on from Pathways to Work and closer co-operation and integration with that.

The question was asked if we should be doing this or whether it should come from the Government. We are very aware of employment opportunities locally and we pass these on to clients. Every week our information officer would hand to clients a list of jobs from the local press. Many people are going for generic skilled jobs where a high level qualification is not needed, so it is almost impossible to get those jobs. The jobs with specific skills, such as in engineering or where computer aided design, CAD, skills are needed, require a person to have some education and FETAC level 5,6 and 7 qualifications. Just knowing about those job opportunities will not help. A person must upskill to meet the needs of those employers.