Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the training, education and programmes offered by FÁS in co-operation with her Department; the type of programmes offered; the duration of programmes; the take up of programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23204/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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FÁS offers a wide range of training courses and delivery methods to suit individual client needs in the development of their skill-sets. In 2009 I have almost doubled the number of activation training and work experience places through FÁS to 128,000. This is a substantial increase on the 66,000 places, which were available at the end of last year. Of these 92,000 training places on short courses are available to the unemployed and people on short-time work and will be delivered through three core-training initiatives, Short Courses, Night Courses and Online Courses. These courses are designed to develop new skills and competencies for the unemployed to assist them in securing employment. FÁS are providing such courses for a broad range of different sectors including the retail, IT, construction, manufacturing and services sectors.

Other training programmes provided by FÁS across the Training Services, Community Services and Services to Business categories include Traineeships, Bridging / Foundation courses, Return to Work Training Courses, Community Employment Schemes as well as more recent initiatives such as the Redundant Apprenticeship Rotation Scheme. Information on the range of training programmes offered by FÁS Training Services Division by programme type, duration and up-take are provided in tabular format below. Information in respect of Community Services Division and Services to Business Division by programme type and duration are also appended. Take-up across these different course categories varies depending on the course type, duration and location of the course.

My Department, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and FÁS are co-operating in relation to the Work Placement Programme and the Short Time Working Programme aimed at assisting the unemployed and those on a reduced working week. These Programmes were jointly launched by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms. Mary Hanafin T.D., and I on 27 May last.

The Work Placement Programme is a six-month work experience programme for an initial 2,000 individuals who are currently unemployed. Under this programme there are two streams each consisting of an initial 1,000 places of 6 months duration. The first stream is for graduates who before this year have attained a full award at level 7 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications and who have been receiving Job Seeker's Allowance for the last six months.

The second stream is open to all other individuals who have been receiving Job Seeker's Allowance for the last six months. Under this stream 250 places are being ring-fenced for those under 25 years of age. Participants on both streams of the Work Placement Programme will continue to receive their existing social welfare entitlements from the Department of Social and Family Affairs for their duration on the programme.

The Short Time Working Training Programme will provide two days training a week for 277 workers over a 52-week period. Under this scheme, workers who are on systematic short time working for 3-days a week and receiving social welfare payments for the two days they are not working will receive training for these two days. Participants on this programme will also continue to receive their existing social welfare entitlements from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Both Programmes are being administered by FÁS and it is too early in the process to provide specific information on take-up at this time.

As outlined above in response to the challenge of rising unemployment my Department has significantly expanded its provision of supports in training and education places offered by FÁS to the unemployed. I am determined that both my Department and I will continue in this regard as we examine new initiatives and new methods to allow us to continue to respond to the needs of the unemployed.

FÁS Training Services Division and Services to Business Division

FÁS Community Services Division