Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of persons who undertook FÁS training courses in 2006; the percentage of those who were unemployed, who were in part-time employment and who were employed full-time; his plans for FÁS for 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25395/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A total of 69,000 persons commenced FÁS training courses in 2006 with roughly 35% of those attending training unemployed and 65% who were in employment.

In addition, in 2006, 176,000 persons attended Safe Pass and Construction Skills training and a further 9,000 persons attended Evening Courses. A training element was also included for the total of 32,300 persons who participated on Community Employment and Job Initiative schemes at some stage in 2006.

Statistics in relation to those in part-time employment who are participating in training are not available. The development of the Irish economy into one that is both knowledge-based and innovation-driven is crucial to the State's on-going prosperity. Labour market policy, and FÁS as the key labour market agency, plays a significant role in this going forward. In this regard two policy areas are particularly important. First we must continue to increase our focus on up-skilling those in the workforce, and secondly we must equip those not yet in the labour force to play their full part in it. FÁS' high priority goals set out in their latest Strategy Statement: `Entry to the Labour Market,' `Workforce Development,' and `Social Inclusion' focus on these policy areas.

In relation to up-skilling those already in the workforce through Workforce Development, the FÁS One Step Up initiative is crucial in this going forward. This initiative helps to up-skill our workforce and encourages the process of lifelong learning. In particular it focuses on lower skilled workers in SMEs, as that is where the greatest need lies. This is borne out by studies conducted by FÁS and other agencies, which suggest that it is in the lower to middle range of occupations, especially those in the services sector, that the greatest need exists to improve skills and productivity.

FÁS, in collaboration with the relevant departments and agencies as well as other key partners and employers, will continue to assist individuals and groups experiencing exclusion from training and employment opportunities. It will lead by example by continuing to raise its own levels of inclusion, equality and diversity among its own workforce and by demonstrating the benefits to both customers and stakeholders alike.

FÁS's plans for the future include extending the apprenticeship system to those trades already identified as suitable for apprenticeship as well as applying the apprenticeship approach to other occupations, including those outside the normal "skilled worker" area. FÁS will also maintain the increased resources allocated to company/ employee training and support targeted interventions to up-skill the employed, particularly those with low-level skills and older workers so that they will acquire more portable skills. In this context FÁS has approved six strategic alliances with representatives of the Trade Union sector to support employment prospects through raising skills levels, particularly through training those with low level skills and workers in vulnerable employment. The cost of this training is €8.8 million and it is expected that it will provide for the delivery of 21,870 training days to a total of 3,470 employed people.

FÁS's training provision for the unemployed will maintain a clear focus on jobs, either delivered through skills training on courses closely related to work or through foundation training courses with high probabilities of progression to more specific work/job related training.