Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 27: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the further education, training and activation measures catered for by Budget 2011; her strategy for providing such measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47681/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government are committed to ensuring that an appropriate mix of training, work experience and educational responses are in place to support the unemployed and to enhance their employability. The training, work experience and education measures that are being implemented in 2011 are designed to help those who are unemployed gain valuable work experience, maintain close linkages with the labour market, improve their skills and education levels and ultimately to improve their career prospects.

The provision of training places for the unemployed for 2011 is currently being discussed between officials from my Department and the relevant providers. However, I expect that my Department will provide approximately 100,000 training places for the unemployed next year.

The number of places on the Work Placement Programme will be increased from the current 2,000 places to 7,500 places. This programme provides unemployed individuals with valuable work experience for up to 9 months which will considerably improve their chances of securing employment in the future. 5,000 of the additional places being delivered will be in the public sector. The remaining 500 additional places are for graduates in the private sector.

FAS are being provided with a budget of €7.3m with the objective of providing on-the-job training for up to 1,000 apprentices in the public and private sectors. This is a proactive approach to ensure as many apprentices as possible are progressed through the relevant on-the-job phases of their apprenticeship and attain their necessary qualifications. FAS intends to more than double the number of apprentices who can be placed and trained next year with provision for up to 1,000 places being made in the budgetary allocation. A number of other labour market activation measures will be introduced by FAS in conjunction with the higher educational sector in 2011 to assist up to 700 redundant apprentices and craftsperson.

A new Skills Development and Internship Programme for the Unemployed will be introduced next year. This programme aims to enable the unemployed maintain their links with the labour market while also facilitating their upskilling and reskilling, thereby improving their employability. As part of the programme participants will undertake a 12 month placement in a private sector and will also receive a substantial education and training offering. It is expected that the programme will commence by the end of the first quarter of 2011.

My Department is committed to the provision of upskilling opportunities and has maintained the level of funding invested in Adult and Further Education despite the budgetary challenges faced. The level of overall expenditure on Further Education has grown from over €177 million in 2000 to almost €426 million in 2010. The 2010 level of provision will be maintained for 2011.

It is estimated that over 170,000 learners will avail of part-time and full-time further education programmes ranging from FETAC Level 1 to 6 this year through the network of VECs nationwide. Over 40,000 full time places are available in Youthreach, Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), Senior Traveller Training Centre (STTC), and Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programmes. An estimated 125,000 learners will avail of part time provision in Adult Literacy, Community Education and Back to Education Initiative (BTEI).

In the Higher Education sector approximately 156,000 places will be available. In addition, next years provision for the unemployed includes a new €20 million Higher Education Labour Market Fund. The higher education sector has a key role to play in helping people who have lost their jobs to enhance their qualifications and related workforce skills. The aim of this Fund is to increase the number of part time and flexible up skilling opportunities available in the higher education sector so that people can continue to look for work and be available to take up employment while upgrading their qualifications and skills.

The suite of programmes that my Department will provide represents a significant diverse range of provision that is available for the unemployed in 2011.