asked the Minister for Labour the progress which has been made to date in implementing the Youthreach programme; if it is intended to issue a certificate to those who complete the course; if it is intended to re-establish the social guarantee board to monitor the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Youthreach Programme.
2.
In October when, in consultation with my colleague, the Minister for Education, I launched the Youthreach programme, I said that it would be phased in from January 1989. That is still the position.
Under the new programme, young people who leave the educational system without qualifications and who fail to find employment, will be offered up to two years' education and training on a combination of programmes to suit their particular needs. During the programme they will be paid weekly allowances on the same basis as FÁS trainees.
In 1989, 3,000 first year places on foundation programmes will be required. Education agencies will cater for 600 participants and the manpower agencies for 2,400. FÁS are now planning the provision of the required number of places and I understand that the vocational education committees are doing the same at the request of the Department of Education.
In relation to certification, work on this area is continuing. I consider it to be important that every young person who completes the programme will be given meaningful certification which will assist him or her in his or her subsequent search for employment. I hope to be in a position to make further announcements in the near future.
I have no proposals to re-establish the Social Guarantee Advisory Board. The Youthreach programme will be managed locally by education and manpower agencies and nationally by a committee representative of the Departments of Labour and Education and their agencies.
How many young people leave school without certificates? Will the Minister give an indication of the proportion of young people who will be picked up by this scheme next year? Why are the Social Guarantee Advisory Board not being reformed as that would be a better procedure for monitoring the Youthreach scheme?
It is estimated that about 6,000 young people are involved, about 10 per cent of the total leaving the educational system each year. They leave without qualifications and, from the survey, 3,000 of these have not found employment and continue to seek it or training. We will be including these 3,000 young people and, although there is a backlog, we hope to be able to cope with the numbers each year. The question of the Social Guarantee Advisory Board was discussed at length and it was agreed that the best functions of the board should be maintained. In the old system FÁS, the Youth Employment Agency, AnCO, Manpower, the VECs and the Departments of Education and Labour were involved. Three of those agencies have been incorporated in FÁS and the VECs are working with the Department of Education. Nationally, the Departments of Education and Labour will look after these young people and locally the Department of Education will be involved, including the VECs and FÁS. The Social Guarantee Advisory Board was unwieldy and, therefore, we have integrated the best of the board in the new set up. While we are abolishing the name the principles remain the same.
What age groups are involved in the Youthreach programme? Does it apply to 15 and 16 year olds or does it include 18 and 19 year olds? Many people leave school at various stages, even at 18 years of age, without a qualification such as the leaving certificate.
Young people over 18 years of age can participate in other courses, so we are talking about those aged 14 to 17.