Written answers

Wednesday, 24 September 2008

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

FÁS Training Programmes

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of courses available for retraining or upskilling of the workforce in each of the past five years; the extent to which such places have been taken up in each year; her plans to provide extra resources in this respect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31513/08]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 250: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of extra re-training or upskilling places expected to be provided the coming year; the extent to which this is expected to address job losses in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31515/08]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 251: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the resources available for the retraining of the workforce in view of recent job losses; the number of training or upskilling places available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31516/08]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 248, 250 and 251 together.

Over the past five years my Department's two key training providers FÁS and Skillnets provided upskilling and retraining to the following numbers of people:

YearFÁS*SkillnetsTotal Trainees
200355,5774,87560,452
200447,5434,87552,418
200551,6364,87556,511
200648,94723,05872,005
200788,16148,719136,880
* Figures exclude FÁS Services to Business trainees except for 40,499 in 2007.

It should be noted that the training provided by FÁS is split between their Training Services Division, which focuses on the provision of training to help people secure employment and their Services to Business Division, which focuses on the provision of training to people in employment. It should also be noted that training figures for the FÁS Service to Business Division are only currently available for 2007.

In 2008 the funding channelled through my Department for upskilling both those in employment and those seeking employment is expected to provide training to approximately 136,000 people. As can be seen from the above figures a substantial increase in the provision of training has occurred since 2004. My Department's budget for the provision of training those in employment has increased more than tenfold from approximately €7 million in 2004 to an expected €77 million this year.

It is not possible at this present time to accurately predict the number of available training places for 2009. Details of funding for next year will become available following the publication of the Budget for 2009.

FÁS, acting in conjunction with other relevant state agencies, has in place an early response team to implement procedures to deal with retraining of redundant workers. This allows FÁS to provide a range of proactive job-related services, supports and programmes, to assist individuals to return to the labour market. FÁS have already initiated the provision of a range of certified, short, flexible, modular programmes designed to upskill redundant workers so that they can enhance their prospect of securing employment.

A particular focus is being placed on providing support and retraining opportunities to construction workers who have been made redundant. A range of actions are being implemented by FÁS for those affected by the construction slowdown, including:

Focusing on providing retraining opportunities for redundant construction workers in emerging areas within the construction sector. This will include retraining in the following:

The installation of sustainable technologies

Environmental activity

Compliance and regulatory work

FÁS will also assist individuals in anyway they can in seeking employment aboard in construction in other EU countries. FÁS have held a European construction jobs fairs for employers from other EU countries.

Ensuring continuity in the apprenticeship system by assisting apprentices who have been made redundant complete their training.

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