Written answers
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Department of Social Protection
Education and Training Provision
John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the courses available through her Department or agencies in County Kilkenny to assist those wishing to upskill or return to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49453/14]
Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Department in conjunction with other Departments and agencies (most notably the Department of Education and Skills and Solas) has put in place a range of options for reskilling as part of the wider whole of government approach contained in the Pathways to Work Strategy.
The former FAS training provision is being transferred to the new regional Education and Training Boards (ETBs). The main FAS/Solas programmes of relevance to DSP clients are Specific Skills Training, Traineeships, Local Training Initiatives, and training for people with disabilities through Specialist Training Providers. In 2014 seven hundred and fifty eight places were provided by FÁS/Solas in Kilkenny.
MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions, is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobsinitiative. It was rolled out by the Department of Education and Skills in 2013. MOMENTUM supports the provision of free education and training projects to allow long term jobseekers to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors. Details of MOMENTUM courses offered in Kilkenny in 2014 are shown in the table below.
| Momentum Courses offered in Kilkenny-2014 | Number of Places available | Numbers referred | Learners recruited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality and Tourism | 24 | 36 | 15 |
| Early Childhood Care and Education | 24 | 26 | 19 |
| Looking Forward 2- Warehousing and Logistics | 16 | 29 | 16 |
| Tourism Today | 24 | 29 | 15 |
| Coach Driving with Guiding | 24 | 44 | 24 |
Those wishing to upskill or return to work who are long-term unemployed can undertake re-training on a full-time basis and generally qualify either for a Solas training allowance or for support from the Department of Social Protection’s Back to Education Allowance scheme. Where the training is part-time or of shorter duration, support may be provided under the Part-time Education Option (PTEO) and Education Training and Development Option (ET&D). Details of education courses offered in Kilkenny in 2014 are shown in the table below.
| Numbers currently on Education courses in County Kilkenny as 3/1/15 | Kilkenny LO | Thomastown LO | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springboard | 21 | 1 | 22 | |
| Back to Education Allowance | 197 | 51 | 248 | |
| Part-time Education Option | 35 | 8 | 43 |
When taken together these reforms and initiatives constitute a comprehensive approach to the reskilling of the unemployed.
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