Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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518. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of alternative education for early school leavers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52587/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, education is compulsory for children in Ireland from the ages of six to sixteen or until students have completed three years of post-primary education. Key considerations for my Department in this matter is our policy of inclusion.

However, while my Department primarily supports mainstream schools, it does provide funding for a small number of schools and centres which provide education for the small number of young people below the age of 16 who do not complete mainstream education. These out-of-school services are typically a provision of education, outside of the mainstream school setting, for children who have disengaged or encountered difficulties in mainstream education. This provision is an alternative option when all other supports, options and pathways have been tried and have not proved successful in maintaining the student’s engagement with mainstream education.

These settings vary in structure and design but provide an important service for a small cohort of students who have become disengaged from mainstream education. Examples of such are the Youth Encounter Project Schools and some alternative education settings. My Department has undertaken a review of education provision in the out-of-school sector. The recommendations of this review will inform future policy in this area.

For those learners who leave school at the age of 16 or above, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science fund a range of services. Youthreach provides a programme of second-chance education and training designed for early school leavers. The aim of the programme is to help young people in the 16 - 21 year old age group to make the transition from school to work through the provision of co-ordinated foundation training, education and work experience. The programme includes a considerable amount of personal development and exploration, where participants’ needs, interests and capacities are fully taken into account and has a strong emphasis on the core skills of literacy/numeracy, communications and IT, along with a choice of vocational options and a work experience programme. There are almost 6,000 places available under Youthreach each year, the majority of these places are operated locally by 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in 110 centres. Places are also provided through 32 Community Training Centres, and look after the training and employment needs of early school leavers, primarily aged between 16 and 21.

Also, apprenticeships provide a structured training programme and allow early school leavers to gain the skills and knowledge to succeed. There are currently 62 apprenticeships available leading to qualifications from levels 5 to 10 on the National Qualifications Framework. The basic entry requirement for apprenticeship is a junior cycle qualification. For those school leavers who do not meet basic educational requirements, there are a range of options available through pre-apprenticeship courses or recognition of prior experience which may provide alternate entry routes to an apprenticeship. Pre-apprenticeships are programmes targeted at young people aged 16-24, where the aim is progression to an apprenticeship. In addition, the Technological University Dublin Access to Apprenticeship programme is a 12 week programme which aims to support individuals aged 16-24 who have experienced particularly severe social or economic barriers to access craft apprenticeship roles.

The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out a five year plan which will make apprenticeship visible and available for all learners. The Plan addresses the clear need to broaden the awareness of apprenticeship as a work-based route to internationally recognised qualifications and experience for people of all ages, be they progressing in their career, school leavers, career changers or the unemployed. Under the Plan the impacts and outcomes will be examined to provide an evidence base for best practice and future interventions.