Written answers

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Department of Education and Skills

Further Education and Training Programmes Provision

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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490. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons that were trained via third party trainers-providers with a view to entering the haulage industry; the number of persons that have passed the heavy goods vehicle driving test as a direct result of participating in a Government supported course; the number of persons that have taken up full-time employment as a haulier after completing one of these courses; and if she is satisfied that the various Government sponsored programmes avert the looming professional driver shortage as identified by the industry. [40214/14]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I understand from SOLAS that in 2013 there were 339 learners who completed full-time HGV courses - 158 on HGV Artic and 181 on HGV Rigid.

In 2014, up to the end of September, there were 327 learners who completed full-time HGV courses - 73 on HGV Artic and 254 on HGV Rigid.

In 2014 SOLAS published a Further Education and Training Services Plan 2014, which sets out details of the full range of training and education provided by the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) during the year. The career cluster methodology that SOLAS have utilised in producing the Services Plan has linked FET provision to the skills shortages in the Irish labour market and to identified employment opportunities. A total of 18 career clusters have been identified by SOLAS and one of these clusters is focussed on training and education programmes in the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics sector in order to meet skills shortages. This sector is also one of the targeted areas of the second round of the Momentum programme for long term unemployed people that was launched in recent weeks.

Approximately every two years, SOLAS commissions independent researchers to carry out a survey to track employment and progression outcomes for participants completing training and employment programmes. The most recent survey, published in June of this year, documents the experiences of those who exited during the summer of 2012. Whilst this survey provides global information on progression and employment outcomes it does not track the outcomes in relation to specific training programmes or clusters. The survey is available on the SOLAS Website, www.solas.ie. Work currently underway in SOLAS and the ETBs on the development of a new learner database, along with data matching against other systems, will improve our capability to track specific outcomes for participants in coming years.

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