Mr. Michael Moriarty:

As the Chairman and the members of the committee will be aware, the intention behind the establishment of the education and training boards and SOLAS in 2013 was to provide for better co-ordination and delivery of education and training, leading to the development of a world-class integrated system of further education and training in Ireland. Under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, the role of each education and training board is to "plan, provide, co-ordinate and review the provision of education and training ... in its functional area". As we have heard, the role of SOLAS is to have responsibility for the strategic co-ordination and funding of the further education and training sector. The further education and training strategy that was mentioned by Mr. O'Toole, which was published in May 2014, provides a roadmap for this process. As the main statutory authorities delivering further education and training, education and training boards and their representative body, Education and Training Boards Ireland, have significant roles to play in realising that strategy.

A key part of the successful implementation of the strategy will be the provision of the capacity and resources to manage the delivery of training and education efficiently. If the strategy is to fulfil its mission, education and training boards need appropriate structures and supports and adequate resourcing. The detailed implementation plan for the further education and training strategy sets out how the education and training boards will assist in the fulfilment of the goals identified in that strategy. I would like to mention some of the 13 actions, from the total of 53 identified in the plan, that relate to Education and Training Boards Ireland and the education and training boards themselves. We will be responsible for modifying further education and training provision in accordance with the skills needs of industry; reflecting direct employer involvement in designing courses; providing education and training in entrepreneurship, which is something we hope to do next year; developing appropriate further education and training interventions and supports for active inclusion; ensuring an effective support service that identifies education and training needs and matches them to the needs of industry is available for all learners who need it; developing a co-ordinated programme of continuing professional development; developing a further education and training customer charter; ensuring there is effective continuing professional development; developing partnerships with further education support services, curriculum development units and other agencies and bodies locally and nationally; and devising and implementing an integrated guidance strategy in association with SOLAS.

Education and Training Boards Ireland has identified a number of concerns regarding possible impediments or roadblocks to the achievement of these actions. While I am sure these issues will be addressed, it is important to place details of them on the record. A strategy is needed to address salary scales and career structure development for the tutors who deliver further education. They need a proper career structure in this sector. The further education and training sector now stands shoulder to shoulder with the first, second and third level sectors, but it needs the same focus. It needs to be professionalised. The professionalisation of the role of tutors is one of the key ways of doing this. This sector also needs a capital budget for building improvement works, as it is the only one of the four sectors I mentioned that does not have such a budget. While the recruitment moratorium does not affect front-line services, it certainly affects the support staff we have. That is critical, as is the guidance strategy. A proper, effective and well-resourced adult guidance service needs to be in place to make sure the most marginalised people, including those in the most difficult circumstances and the long-term unemployed, are directed in the right direction in terms of their future skills needs.

One of the means by which SOLAS supports the delivery of integrated further education and training by the education and training boards is by allocating funding to those boards.

This funding includes the cost of running the former training centres which have transferred to the ETBs which are constituted from the old VECs and the FÁS training division. They are providing integration of further education and training at local level within the catchment area. This is a significant advantage in terms of customer identification with education and training boards.

We continue to hold high-level meetings with our colleagues in SOLAS and there is a collaborative approach at national level in respect of the implementation plan for the further education and training strategy. The putting in place of funding agreements ensures that ETBs retain ownership over their own local planning but within national guidelines while ensuring there is consistency in quality across the regions.

Underpinning the further education and training, FET, strategy is a commitment by ETBs and SOLAS to establishing an appropriate advisory infrastructure so that provision is informed directly by employers and responds to emerging needs at both national and local level as well as a commitment to develop and provide new courses and programmes that are quality assured and adhere to the relevant awarding body quality system. There is also a commitment to advance the recommendations of the apprenticeship review and to establish new models of work-based learning within further education and training, FET. Education and Training Board Ireland, ETBI and ETBs will continue to collaborate with SOLAS to achieve the aims of the FET strategy and to advance the actions listed in the implementation plan. However, it is imperative that adequate resourcing and funding are put in place to allow ETBs to fulfil both those commitments and their mandate as set out in the Further Education and Training Boards Act 2013.

In conclusion, I thank the members of the committee for their invitation to discuss the provisions contained in the FET strategy in which ETBI and our member ETBs are centrally involved. My colleague and I will be happy to respond to questions from members.