Vol. 500 No. 6
130 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to promote the vocational skills of school leavers who are finding that factory work does not result in the learning of sufficient skills to equip them for the transitory work market which is now commonplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4717/99]
A critical aim of the curricular reforms within the second level school system is to enhance the relevance of programmes to emerging economic and social needs, to provide a range of choices which cater for the diverse needs, interests and abilities of the school population, and to encourage more young people to remain within the system to completion of senior cycle second level education. Within senior cycle, the leaving certificate applied and the leaving certificate vocational programmes, now being followed by over 32,000 pupils, are designed to strengthen the vocational and technical dimension of curricula and to provide opportunities for experiential learning and the development of enterprise, critical thinking and analysis skills. For those who leave the system early with qualifications, Youthreach, provided jointly by FÁS and the vocational education committees in an out-of-school setting, provides an integrated programme of education, vocational training and work experience.
At post leaving certificate level, the opportunities to pursue vocational training leading to national certification have increased dramatically in recent years, and there are now some 23,810 students on these programmes. Means-tested maintenance grants were introduced for PLC students for the first time in 1998.
Under the vocational training opportunity scheme and the back to education allowance scheme, second chance education and vocational training is provided for adults over 21 who are at least six months unemployed. In addition, my Department has recently published a Green Paper: Adult Education in an Era of Lifelong Learning which will be a focal point for extensive consultation and debate on the future development of the adult education sector in the period ahead.
I am aware of the ongoing need for young people and adults in the workplace to continue to upgrade their skills in a climate of globalisation and rapid technological change. Educational institutions have a central role to play in this process in developing flexible responses to changing needs in partnership with industry and the community. In that context, my Department will be developing part-time options under the VTOS, Youthreach and PLC programmes on a pilot basis during 1999.
