Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

One of the aspirations of this Bill is to facilitate improved engagement with students in order to promote equity in access to, and participation in, higher education. I appeal to the Minister here to consider the word "access" and to ensure that the pathway to an apprenticeship is more transparent and easier to navigate than it is currently so that increased participation will happen.

Turas Nua was appointed as a JobPath provider by the Department of Social Protection. The JobPath scheme left a lot to be desired for many people who found themselves out of work through no fault of their own. They found they were used for financial gain and pressurised into taking jobs that were not suitable. They were promised training and help with their CVs but this was at best minimal and inadequate. When applicants secured jobs themselves, their new employers were phoned on numerous occasions by Turas Nua. This frightened off new employers and often the applicants ended up not getting the job. Turas Nua stands for financial gain and inadequate training. The HEA needs to look at this and see for itself what is happening.

One of the main objectives of this legislation is to promote and support higher education institutions in achieving excellence in teaching, learning and research in higher education. There are more than 250,000 students in third level education. They are of mixed ability but have one focus, which is to be the very best that they can be. Studying in third level colleges and universities is all about working together with other students, working in teams, co-operating with others and pooling resources. This is very difficult to do in Zoom-type settings, as we know ourselves. I hope that this will be addressed as part of this legislation.

I have engaged with the Minister for Education on introducing an apprenticeship model at second level so that years are not lost for students who are happier doing practical subjects that would form the basis for apprenticeships. This could be introduced at the start of the senior cycle in second level, after the junior certificate or transition year programme when some students are thinking of leaving formal education. This could encourage this cohort of students to complete their education and they would have the skills appropriate to the career path that they will follow. These are practicalities that need to be addressed sooner rather than later in our education system. Practical skills are in short supply currently and if this is not addressed, we will have major issues down the road. I spoke to Limerick City and County Council and the Government five years ago about skills shortages. I sat on the board of the Limerick Education and Training Board, ETB, and spoke at length on the problems with apprenticeships and early school leavers. I pointed out that students were leaving school early but if we introduced an apprenticeship model after the junior certificate, they could do an apprenticeship as part of their second level education. Early school leavers could do an apprenticeship within the two-year senior cycle and possibly complete the leaving certificate applied programme. They would then have the tools they need for the career they want to follow.

As the father of a leaving certificate student, I would point out that the Department had access to all of the quarterly exams from junior certificate to the present day. I refer to the summer exams, Easter exams and Christmas exams, the results of which are all uploaded within each school in digital format. That data is available in all second level schools in Ireland.

All that could have been accessed. All our students who suffered an awful lot of anxiety and distress might have been spared had the Minister used this. Yes, I want every student in Ireland to sit the leaving certificate but I also want them to be able to use their quarterly examinations, which are in a digital format in secondary schools. They could have been used. We could ask the schools to do quarterly exams and they would do it. They know their students. It would make up for the lack of teachers during Covid and the people who were missing at that time. The Minister and Cabinet made the wrong decision. They had the tools, experience and knowledge to make the right decision.

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