Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I remember this issue came up at committee. I think there was a general welcome across the political spectrum for the legislation and the effort behind it. It ticks a number of boxes in regard to saving money but it is also about reform and change. As a result, some people will be worried about elements of change.

I should declare an interest in that I am on the board of management of Greenhills College in my constituency, which is a VEC school. It is a privilege to be on the board and I pay tribute to the hard work being carried out by the board members. They reflect the work of many VECs and school boards throughout the State. People give up a great deal of time to look out for schools and the positive role the schools have played in the past must be acknowledged.

The reforming measures in the Bill are unprecedented in scale and in what they set out to achieve. A new local ETB system will be provided by replacing the nine existing VEC Acts with one principal Act, which is positive. A total of 16 new training boards will replace the 33 existing VECs. An bord snip nua had originally stated that the number of VECs should be reduced from 33 to 22. That number has now been reduced to 16 and I recall the discussions with the Minister about arriving at this number. There was a great deal of concern about counties being left out of that process and about where the headquarters would be located. One of the positive aspects of VECs has been their flexibility and ability to change over the years. The original legislation was passed in the 1930s and, therefore, for eight decades, the VECs have been paramount in the State's delivery of education and training and this modernisation and overhaul offers opportunities and challenges that are part of a wider multifaceted legislative overhaul of the further education and training sector.

The VEC sector has been an important contributor historically to Government labour market interventions, originally in regard to high levels of youth employment in the 1980s and, more recently, in the provision of additional places under the PLC and the back to education initiative programmes as part of labour market activation strategies. The sector has had a culture of change at its heart. Concerns were expressed about the legislation in the context of the ability of the VECs to change in the light of difficulties being faced while maintaining their ethos and the radical element the VECs have shown over the years being lost in the proposed changes.

The 16 ETBs will have a greatly extended role. They will absorb a significant percentage of FÁS staff and will be tasked with delivering a broad range of training programmes on behalf of SOLAS when it replaces FÁS. It is important that the new ETBs have board members from all sectors of society, including parents. This again was one of the concerns expressed. The VECs are very much seen as part of the community and people were concerned the board membership should include parents and others from the local community in order that people would buy in. People working in the sector are worried about their rights, conditions and transfer of obligations and that came up when we discussed the heads of the Bill at the joint committee hearing earlier this year and I have no doubt it will be raised again on Committee Stage. Staff are worried about whether the changes will undermine their conditions and leave them with less favourable conditions. The Minister pointed out at the time that this would not be the case but it is understandable that those who represent this sector would be worried and would articulate those concerns in the discussion on the legislation.

The capacity of ETBs to shape the Ireland of the future will be significant. The ETBs will have a key role in identifying, prioritising and improving the educational and training standards that are so important for our future economic prosperity. Flexibility and responsiveness to changing and emerging needs has been a general feature of the operation of VECs. A key strategic consideration informing the restructuring of VECs is the need not only to retain and support this demonstrated capacity for flexibility and adaptability, but also to position the VEC sector to meet future challenges across the education and training sector generally. Many of the courses must not only be suitable for the labour market; they must also promote the ability and skills of the participants. This should not be only about a market driven response; it should also be about developing people. It is a key component of the ethos of those working in the community education sector that they develop the concept of lifelong learning.

During previous education debates, one of the key issues I focused on was lifelong learning and the importance of helping women with literacy problems who were not engaged in the education system. In many communities, the husbands or partners of these women are not on the scene. They are single parents and it is important that they have literacy skills and an interest in education. This will encourage them to bring books, newspapers and magazines into their houses, which in turn, will encourage their children. We all want schools and centres of knowledge to be open to the public and the vocational education sector has spearheaded that over the years. However, it is important that when courses are rolled out in the community, the flexibility of the past is built on and they are adapted to people's lifestyles and offered, for example, when the children are in school and so on. Schools need to be seen as a safe, inclusive and secure space. In communities ravaged by drugs or crime, people say the local school can be a secure space where they and their children can go and talk and feel safe.

Clearly, there were training difficulties in the past and that is where flexibility comes in but there is huge potential if we can get this right. Hopefully, this will happen, as we are not at cross purposes in this regard. Education at every level from kindergarten to university should be a right, not a privilege. We continue to experience major cutbacks in education and increasing costs in getting education. The Government needs to recognise the benefits education and training can add to the economy and to the lives of individuals. As unemployment continues to grow, it has become increasingly urgent that communities be provided with a centre that provides training and educational opportunities, which will allow people looking to learn new skills and subjects to find a job in a rapidly evolving jobs environment. Ensuring that all people, no matter what their economic and educational background is, have an opportunity to upskill is one of the most measurable ways in which our citizens can empower themselves and open up new opportunities for them. That is why we need to grasp this opportunity and the Bill offers the potential to implement far reaching reforming measures. We need a greater focus on education and training for people who suffer from literacy problems or adults who are returning to education. This would not only improve people's independence but would also ensure they became more employable.

This helps to improve their finances and Government revenue. It is a no-brainer.

I see a stronger focus on second chance education. I genuinely believe in the concept of lifelong learning, which is not just a slogan. We need supports to help people but there must also be community and individual buy-in. We must have courses and training to reflect the needs and aspirations of those people. It is a question of building on people's educational experience. There is nothing more demoralising for someone who wants to take a course than being told one is not suitable and cannot make progress in education. It is about that ladder and the steps forward.

I hope the education and training boards will ensure schools can work together and capitalise on economies of scale to allow them to secure better deals for uniforms and textbooks. This issue arose at the Irish Vocational Education Association, IVEA. The general secretary talked about economies of scale, bulk buying and the importance of saving money for that sector. Reference was made to making savings on uniforms. I upset many manufacturers when I referred to the uniform racket but I make no apology for it. I stand by that position. A number of multiples have become involved in the market, leading to a drop in price. It is a scandal that a child, although he or she may be large, must fork out €80 or €90 for a school jumper because it has a crest. Manufacturers can produce school crests for €2 or €3 and they can be bought internationally. Many of the uniforms come from China and families can access the product on the Internet. The families know the price they are paying and they know they are being ripped off. Bulk buying can work and it can be used to reduce fees for ICT school supplies and so forth. Although it cannot be contained in legislation, there should be an instruction from the Department that we want to see such change and co-operation in the sector. There should be support for this.

Any change to the Irish education and training system, through reform of public services, must strike a balance between securing efficiency and making delivery of services more effective in terms of learner outcomes and more rewarding from the point of view of those who deliver the service. Therefore, the reform of education and training provision must not focus exclusively on the expenditure side. Adequate provision must be allocated to the implementation of the training boards Bills so that meaningful reform of education and training provision can be achieved. It is a case of trying to find out the budget and how it will operate in the future.

The Minister referred to potential savings through the reduction in the number of chief executive officers. There is concern about headquarters where VECs are tied into long-term contracts. Buildings should not be turned into white elephants. There is a need to use them for educational purposes in such cases. It is important the buildings are not used for only one or two days a week but are fully availed of for some community activity if not aid for education. They could be hubs of education and centres of learning in the areas.

The Bill presents an opportunity that may not present itself again for many years to come. When considering the legislation, we must also work towards the delivery of high quality education that meets the needs of the most disadvantaged in society. Almost 500,000 people are unemployed and need to be upskilled. They are looking for opportunity and hope. The length of time people must wait when trying to access these courses is a key component of the matter, although it does not concern the legislation. Flexibility and the type of course offered represent a major responsibility for the Government to deliver. I have expressed my concern in respect of the gender of the board members. There should be parental and community involvement and buy-in is important. I wish the Minister well.

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