Vol. 471 No. 3
14 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that State vocational training programmes are geared to train women for traditionally male jobs and vice versa, by encouraging flexibility in relation to all course timetables in order to facilitate participants with home commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20581/96]
The responsibility of my Department in relation to vocational training programmes relates mainly to the provision of statutory protection against discrimination. Accordingly the Employment Equality Bill which I published recently includes specific protection against discrimination in the terms on which vocational training courses are offered, where access to such courses is refused or in the manner in which such courses are provided.
Responsibility for the provision of state vocational training programmes rests primarily with FÁS, the education authorities, CERT and Teagasc under the aegis of the Ministers for Enterprise and Employment, Education, Tourism and Trade and Agriculture, Food and Forestry respectively. Accordingly, the gearing of such programmes to train women for traditionally male jobs by encouraging flexibility in course timetables to facilitate participants with home commitments is a matter in the first instance for those training and education authorities.
At the same time my Department has sought to facilitate progress in this area through its involvement in the preparation of the National Development Plan and its subsequent participation on the monitoring committee to oversee the EU Human Resources Operational Programme. It has also sought to stimulate child care provision through pilot projects in areas of disadvantage with a view in particular to support women wishing to access employment, education and training.
