David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans, if any, for the further development and expansion of local training initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51633/22]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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What are the Government's plans, if any, for the further development and expansion of local training initiatives, and will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter, which I have raised in the House previously? I look forward to his reply.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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Local training initiatives, LTI, are, and will continue to be, an important element of the broad range of education and training supports provided by the further education and training, FET, system to local communities. They operate under the education and training boards, ETBs, and are community-based training programmes targeted at economically, socially, geographically and educationally disadvantaged people. The programmes are designed to assist learners in entering or re-entering the labour market and-or further education and training. Training provision organised through LTI programmes is not intended to be permanent, and it is this aspect that provides ETBs with the flexibility to use their resources in the community effectively in response to new and emerging needs. The relevant programmes enable local communities to carry out valuable and necessary projects of benefit in their communities. The provision of training courses under the initiatives is influenced by the overall live register and local demand.

SOLAS approved an allocation of €16.83 million for 2022, which is broadly in line with the €16.53 million approved for 2021. The latest projections are that some 2,200 beneficiaries will take part in LTI programmes in 2022, compared with 2,095 in 2021.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

An operational guidelines working group, under the auspices of Education and Training Boards Ireland, which is the representative body of ETBs, is reviewing the operational guidelines applying to LTIs and other provision within the FET sector. The group is due to report to the ETB FET directors later in 2022.

The FET strategy, Future FET: Transforming Learning, sets out the ambition and vision for the FET sector up to 2024. As part of that strategy and the strategic performance agreements being agreed between SOLAS and the 16 ETBs, ETBs will be seeking to consolidate and standardise provision and supports to this learner group across all programmes, including those under LTIs.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Does the Minister of State agree that it is fantastic that people coming from, as he described them, "economically, socially, geographically and educationally disadvantaged" areas can benefit from these LTIs and that more than 2,000 people are benefiting? Will he confirm whether there are people on waiting lists because the LTIs cannot meet the level of need? Does he agree that the people who are providing these courses are skilled, and have to be in order to be successful, but that they are at a disadvantage because they do not have permanent contracts? Will he confirm whether he will examine this matter? I do not agree that LTIs should be temporary rather than permanent. They should be permanent. Will the Minister of State examine this matter and make these LTIs permanent so that people from the backgrounds he described can benefit from them in greater numbers? Will he focus on this for his remaining period in office?

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with the Deputy's sentiments on LTIs. In 2022, a provision of €16.83 million was approved by SOLAS for LTIs, which is broadly in line with the €16.53 million approved for 2021. The 2023 allocation for LTIs will not be decided until the FET budget is finalised with SOLAS, having considered the funding applications that will be submitted by our 16 ETBs.

The number of beneficiaries has declined in recent years. In 2018, it was 3,280. The figure dropped year on year to 2021. I assume that Covid played a role in that. While the planned provision across the 16 ETBs in 2022 was originally for just under 2,500 beneficiaries, a mid-year review saw the approved beneficiaries reduced to 2,205. The number has climbed again, which is positive. We are going in the right direction.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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It is fantastic that people can go through these courses, end up in employment or further education and training, and reach their potential. However, does the Minister of State not agree that, if the people instructing on these courses do not have certainty regarding their own career pathways, they will move on and their skill sets will be lost, as will their passion for helping what are mainly young people to get on the pathway to work? Will the Minister of State commit to examining the issue of the trainers not having certainty around their employment? It goes from year to year, so they leave their roles and move on, which is a major loss of passion, skills and experience. This is the one commitment I want from tonight's questions.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this important question and the Minister of State for his response. We need to consider this issue. People are dropping out of the education system and finding it difficult to get back into training. We need to do much more for them. One of the frightening figures over the past week was that 12% of households of people aged 20 to 64 years did not have an income coming in other than through State supports. The figure in the UK is 8%. In other European countries, it is 6%. Has this analysis been examined by the Department in order to see what further work can be done to develop additional educational facilities so that we can get people into training and then into employment?

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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A review of the LTIs' operational guidelines is in progress. The working group is a subgroup of the directors of the FET forum, which is served by a complement of staff from the ETBs. This group will facilitate consultation and engagement with the national stakeholders to explore, clarify and resolve specific issues that may arise. All relevant stakeholders will be invited to engage with the group. The review will cover the workings of LTIs.

On 21 March, there was a Labour Court recommendation on LTI community training supervisors. I will furnish the Deputies with the details. Suffice it to say that SOLAS has proposed issuing revised pay scales to LTI staff in line with the related linked grade increases. This proposal is being worked on within the Department. I will have a note sent to the Deputies.