Dáil debates

Wednesday, 26 November 2008

10:00 pm

Photo of Tom McEllistrimTom McEllistrim (Kerry North, Fianna Fail)
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Many businesses throughout the country have been affected by the major downturn which is gripping the world's economy. The increasing number of people who have become unemployed represents a major challenge that we must address. Certain sectors of the economy, in particular the construction and manufacturing sectors, have seen a downturn in activity with subsequent corresponding significant increases in unemployment.

Rising unemployment levels coupled with the downturn in the Irish economy represent the most demanding challenge which Ireland has faced in almost 20 years. That employment in manufacturing should be declining in an economy such as ours is no surprise. Manufacturing follows cheap labour, wherever it goes. In short, the answer to the loss of labour intensive manufacturing is retraining and education. FÁS, the VECs and other educational establishments provide a wide range of courses for people who need to be re-trained or who need new or better qualifications to return to the workforce. However, it is increasingly important to do more than provide training and education for those who have lost their jobs.

The need to constantly up-skill and educate those in employment at every level from the shop floor to the highest levels of management is also crucial and one of the best insurances against future unemployment. This is why our education and training establishments need to become even more flexible with regard to the availability, organisation and structure of courses, particularly for mature students and those in employment.

We can all recall something of a minor furore when the then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey, introduced a new primary teaching course for graduates run by Hibernia College. The degree involved a mixture of tutorials, coursework, teaching practice and on-line study. This course is now very much accepted and Hibernia's founder, Seán Rowland, recently received an award for entrepreneurship.

Distance learning should no longer be considered the poor cousin of traditional on-campus learning. Flexibility is a major advantage of such courses, as students can study when it suits. Moreover, the courses also allow more flexibility when it comes to completion. Since the Open University pioneered distance learning in the 1960s, the concept has evolved to meet the demands of modern living and to match the expectations of professionals who are keen to further their education, but because of time, location and personal commitments, are unable to do so in the traditional setting of a university.

Many of lreland's universities now offer distance learning programmes and have responded to the growing need for courses aimed at professionals who seek to attain a masters or other postgraduate qualifications. At the Institute of Technology Tralee, masters programmes are offered on a part-time basis over two calendar years with module workshops, residential and bimonthly facilitated action-learning group meetings.

This year, the UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business launched its first postgraduate distance learning programme, a masters degree in management. It offers a range of business-related subjects including marketing, management, law and human resource management. The decision to offer this course in a flexible manner has resulted in a course intake some three times greater than before, despite the fact that it was never advertised.

In addition to distance learning programmes, other more flexible programmes have also appeared on the Irish market from such establishments as Dublin City University, the Open University and the Irish Management Institute. The need for greater choice and flexibility can be accommodated by courses which allow candidates to learn at their own pace. The concept of a credit bank, whereby students can work towards qualifications such as diplomas and from there to masters degrees offers many advantages including motivation.

The development of student support structures aimed at assisting students to complete their studies could include a personal tutor, a person available to discuss course matters by telephone, e-mail or through a drop-in service. Entry requirements tend to be more flexible and to acknowledge to a greater extent workplace experience. At Dublin City University, for example, there are five entry routes to its distance learning programme, including evidence of substantial relevant work experience. Flexible learning offers greater advantages for employers and hopefully we can look forward to an expanding range of courses including courses with a strong workplace focus and tailor-made or bespoke diploma courses for companies. Employers often prefer the distance learning option, as it offers some reassurance that staff can engage with the learning process in a flexible way and it can reduce the likelihood of constraints on the ability of staff to complete work.

We must maintain the competitive edge provided by the skills of our workforce. Responsive and flexible training programmes are providing both individuals and businesses with the necessary skills to succeed in the ever-changing global economy. Such colleges as the Institute of Technology Tralee along with the universities, vocational education committees and FÁS——

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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The Deputy should conclude.

Photo of Tom McEllistrimTom McEllistrim (Kerry North, Fianna Fail)
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A lifelong learning framework aimed at enabling experienced professionals to further their education in a flexible manner is developing. The development of flexible learning at all levels should be supported and encouraged.

Photo of Seán HaugheySeán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. A key priority for the education system is to continue to respond to the needs of learners across the sector and to respond to the wider needs of society and the economy. Much progress has been made in adapting and responding to these needs. This can be seen in the very substantial programme of curriculum change across both primary and post-primary levels, the development of new learning opportunities outside the traditional post-primary system, the expansion of third level, the growth of a new fourth level and the provision of adult and further education opportunities.

With regard to flexible learning, one particularly significant development in recent years is the national framework of qualifications, NFQ. The framework was introduced in 2003 to bring greater coherence and a shared understanding to the Irish system of qualifications. Through its system of ten levels, spanning awards from basic literacy to post graduate learning, the framework seeks to recognise all learning, wherever it is gained.

Flexibility for learners is a core principle at the heart of the framework, as it incorporates not just major awards such as the junior certificate or bachelors degrees, but also minor awards for partial completion of those major awards. This enables learners to move at the pace most appropriate to them and their lifestyles, secure in the knowledge that their learning is being recognised along the way. Principles have also been laid down for the recognition of prior learning, such as that attained in the workplace and other non-formal settings. The framework also provides support for education providers in determining policies on access to programmes, transfer between programmes and progression through programmes leading to awards at each level of the framework. It is especially important that non-traditional progression paths are facilitated and this is a key focus of a current National Qualifications Authority of Ireland study on the implementation and impact of the framework.

The introduction of the leaving certificate applied and leaving certificate vocational programmes has significantly enhanced the range of options available to post-primary students. The facilitation of external leaving certificate candidates by the State Examinations Commission and especially the option to sit examinations for one or more subjects also increases flexibility for learners.

In the area of further education, the back to education initiative, BETI, which commenced in October 2002, provides flexible part-time options throughout the sector. It is targeted at adults with less than upper second level education, including unemployed adults. It aims to give those who wish to return to education an opportunity to combine their return to learning with family, work and other responsibilities. Programmes are offered on a part-time basis in the mornings, afternoons, evenings or at weekends. Under this initiative a programme may be offered comprising as little as one hour per week, or as much as 17 hours per week, depending on the needs and demands of the prospective learners. Initially, only back to education initiative participants with a social welfare entitlement or medical card were entitled to free tuition. In order to encourage participation, from September 2007, free tuition on the BTEI was extended to participants with less than an upper second level education. Child care support is provided to enable participation by those with child care needs and courses are often organised at times when children are at school.

The Department of Education and Science is working with the Higher Education Authority to support the expansion of opportunities for flexible learning. Developmental funding has already been allocated under the strategic innovation fund, SIF. Examples of projects being funded through this fund include the supported flexible learning project. The aim of this project is to establish mainstream flexible learning at the institutes of technology to meet learner and workforce development needs. The institutes of technology, including the Dublin Institute of Technology, are collaborating on this project. Successful implementation of the project will result in mainstreaming supported flexible learning within and across the institutes.

Employer engagement is another key feature of flexible modes of learning. The Cork Institute of Technology roadmap for employer-academic partnership, also funded under the strategic innovation fund, will identify learning needs within workplaces, draw up a comprehensive plan for partnership between employers and higher education institutes, and offer a single, simple, relevant, inclusive framework to facilitate interaction with the workplace.

These are but two of the projects funded under the strategic innovation fund to develop flexible modes of learning in partnership with industry. The outcomes of these projects will be vital in meeting the core challenge of providing flexible learning opportunities in the higher education sector. In addition, my Department and the Higher Education Authority will advise on the development of a national policy on open, distance and blended learning.

I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue and providing me with an opportunity to outline the recent developments in supporting flexible delivery modes across the education sector.