Vol. 485 No. 2
348 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will quantify the impact on the numbers of people to be trained and the distribution across different skills of the extra spending on early school leavers; and the reduced spending on skills training and vocational preparation and training scheme. [22740/97]
As part of the mid-term review of Structural Funds 1994-99, new initiatives have been agreed for implementation in 1998 and 1999 under which £19.733 million will be provided for a minimum of 1,000 additional places for early school leavers in the Youthreach and Traveller training programmes. Arrangements are under way to establish 750 Youthreach places and 250 traveller places in 1998 by FÁS and the vocational education committees; £0.987 million will be provided for the strengthening of counselling, guidance and psychological services for participants on these programmes; £1.97 million will be provided for bridging and progression options for early school leavers through the FÁS training system, and 725 places within the FÁS system will be redeployed to progression options for Youthreach and Traveller trainees in 1998. This investment will increase the number of early school leavers undergoing training in FÁS and the vocational education committees under Youthreach and the Traveller Training Centres from 4,525 to 6,250 to 6,250 in 1998, with provision also for some 440 trainees on the FÁS bridging measures. The programmes are designed to provide integrated education, training and work experience, with a strong focus on the core skills of literacy, numeracy, communications and personal development, and exposure to a range of vocational options.
It is not possible to quantify in advance the distribution of trainees across specific vocational disciplines. As motivation is regarded as the key to successful learning for the target group, centres are encouraged to provide a flexible range of vocational options which best meets the interests of trainees and the needs of the local labour market. In general, the vocational options embrace computer literacy and office procedures, art and craft, catering and tourism, video, photography, drama, childcare, hairdressing, a range of construction options, horticulture and sport and recreation.
The investment will not involve a reduction in skills training under the Vocational Preparation and Training programme, although the expansion is part-funded by a saving on the VPT measure in 1995 which was carried forward on an interim basis into 1997 pending the outcome of the mid-term review.
