Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports and or options available to private colleges who are now seeking to avail of Government funding and supports; if he will explain the process of attaining FETEC and or FÁS accreditation for such colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4230/13]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I understand that in order to provide programmes leading to FETAC awards, providers must become registered with FETAC, which involves establishing policies and procedures for quality assurance of provision and agreeing those policies and procedures with FETAC. Once they are agreed, providers can then submit programmes of education and training for validation. Information on these processes can be found on FETAC's website, www.fetac.ie. It should be noted that FETAC was amalgamated with HETAC and the NQAI in November 2012 to form a new body called Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). QQI is currently in the process of establishing its own revised procedures and, once adopted, they will appear on their website, www.qqi.ie.

FÁS do not accredit Colleges or Contractors. I am informed, however, that when FÁS Training Services procure training, contractors must become pre-qualified on the FAS Contract Training Tender List (CTTL). To become pre-qualified it is not currently necessary to be a registered FETAC provider. Once on the FÁS Contract Training Tender List, the contractor is invited on a rotational basis to partake in mini regional tenders for provision of training courses. In addition, when FÁS competitively funds training programmes, such as the Momentum Programme, contractors have to become pre-qualified, as outlined above, but with one key difference in that they have to be accredited by either an awarding body on the Framework of Qualifications or by an awarding body aligned to the Framework. Again there is a second stage tendering competition in this scenario. Education and Training providers should liaise directly with FAS with regard to their eligibility for tendering for training in this regard.