asked the Minister for Labour the number of people who have completed AnCO/FÁS courses in each of the years from 1985 to date; the number of these persons who are in (a) full-time jobs and (b) part-time jobs; and if he will ensure that such information is obtained in order to ascertain the benefits of such courses.
Written Answers. - Training Courses.
220.
The number of people who have completed AnCO/FÁS courses in each of the years from 1985 to date is as follows:
|
1985 |
38,500 |
|
1986 |
37,000 |
|
1987 |
44,000 (including 10,300 on Job Search) |
|
1988 |
38,700 |
|
(to October) |
(including 9,200 on Job Search) |
The placement rates from training programmes vary across programmes and locations. On mainline programmes, such as specific employable skills, the adult placement rate, upon completion of the course, varied between 65% and 70% over the period in question. Other programmes, such as community training and travellers' workshops, contain a high social content and there is, accordingly, a lower placement rate. Data on job placements are not disaggregated by full-time and part-time employment.
Placement rates, however, are not always the most appropriate measure of training courses' effectiveness. For example, they are influenced by the educational standards of the participants. Programmes, therefore, whose participants have high educational standards would be expected to achieve higher placement rates than programmes with less qualified participants such as Youthreach.