Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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842. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills regarding the evaluation of course content of e-college courses, whether there is any independent evaluation of the quality of the content; whether Solas senior management have self-tested each or any course; if Solas senior management engages with users of the e-college directly to evaluate their feedback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15483/25]

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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843. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the content of e-college fits with the Government's educational ambitions in the Programme for Government; whether extra content will be added to the offering which aligns with Government objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15484/25]

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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844. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans for adding content to e-college that might encourage people to pursue careers in the areas of public sector recruitment shortfalls such as the Gardaí, Defence Forces or healthcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15485/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 842, 843 and 844 together.

SOLAS delivers eCollege, the national online learning service for FET, which provides accessible and flexible free online learning opportunities for adult learners in Ireland, particularly focused on lifelong learning and upskilling in areas like ICT, business, and sustainability. The service aims to help people overcome barriers to education and adapt to the changing needs of the workforce. 

eCollege is procured from learning providers through competitive procurement processes and includes learner support (administrative, technical, pedagogical), design & delivery of courses, and third-party quality assurance for assessment and certification.

eCollege courses and content are rigorously evaluated through a robust contract management process, a quality assurance (QA) framework, which has 13 areas for compliance, and third-party monitoring and review of the courses.

Metrics on the participation, progress and outcomes are collected and analysed. Learner feedback questionnaires are obtained at various key stages throughout the course. In addition, the third-party QA assessor conducts site visits to the providers main site of operations to review their policies & procedures and audit their implementation as it pertains to the provision of the eCollege service. The QA framework and its operation operates on a risk-based approach with issues escalated, as required. 

Members of SOLAS’ Executive and Senior Leadership team (SLT) have completed eCollege courses, however they do not have the capacity to test every course. They are involved in the procurement, evaluation and selection of third-party providers. The eCollege Senior Manager also receives QA reports and regular updates on performance The SLT are also involved in the complaints process and from time to time participate if an issue or complaint requires their involvement. 

In developing the new Further Education and Training Strategy, eCollege learners participated in the consultation process contributing to a survey and online workshop. This allowed for opportunities for direct engagement with the SLT.

A priority of the Government is to ensure citizens have access to high-quality education regardless of their background. The Programme for Government pledges investment in a world class education system with a focus on lifelong learning, upskilling, and workforce adaptability. eCollege directly contributes to this goal by offering upskilling opportunities in high demand areas such as IT, business, project management, sustainability and business skills to support Ireland’s competitiveness and productivity.

eCollege supports flexible, online access to industry accredited courses, in broad skills areas such as  IT, digital, business and sustainability skills. This makes learning more accessible for adult learners with complex life and work commitments and those in remote or underserved areas.

eCollege does not provide courses with the purpose of encouraging people to pursue careers in areas such as the Gardaí, Defence Forces, or Healthcare.  To align with the Programme for Government objectives and the Further Education and Training Strategy, eCollege is currently pursuing a diversification agenda to continuously expand the reach, range and quality of the service based on learner and national skills needs.