Written answers
Thursday, 19 October 2023
Department of Education and Skills
Further and Higher Education
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will agree to ensuring that a threshold of core funding is put in place to enable supported training organisations to continue to carry out their critical role in providing education and training for the most vulnerable students across our education system; if he will ensure that immediate funding pressures for 2023 are addressed as a matter of urgency through the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45683/23]
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans he has to resolve the funding crisis facing the provision of supported training; if he and his Department will meet with providers such as (details supplied) as a matter of urgency to agree sustainable funding levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45684/23]
Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 134 together.
The Education and Training Boards (ETBs) contract Specialist Training Provision (STPs) to provide learner-focused training and related services, to assist individuals to enter or re-enter the labour market. STPs address the identified training needs of people with disabilities who are experiencing exclusion and labour market disadvantage.
This includes the Rehab Group's National Learning Networks operating throughout the county who offer vocational courses funded by the ETBs and rehabilitative training programmes funded by the HSE. I am aware of the short-term funding pressures being experienced by STPs. SOLAS is engaging with the ETBs to arrange for once-off support to assist the STPs in response to these pressures.
SOLAS will continue to engage with the Department of Health to review the funding model for STPs going forward.
SOLAS are also undertaking an independent evaluation of the STPs. The purpose of the evaluation is to generate evidence-based conclusions and propose recommendations about the quality, effectiveness, on-going relevance and overall value of vocational training that is currently delivered and the integration of this training within the wider further education and training provision by ETBs. The evaluation, which is due for completion later this year, will inform the future direction of the strategy in this area.
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