Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Nov 1999

Vol. 509 No. 6

Written Answers. - Employment Community Initiative.

Richard Bruton

Question:

564 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the new initiatives, if any, he plans to introduce as mainstream policy proposals to build on the various pilot initiatives undertaken as part of the NOW, Horizon and Youthstart programmes; the areas in which further pilot initiatives will be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21197/99]

Richard Bruton

Question:

640 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the new initiatives, if any, he plans to introduce as mainstream policy proposals to build on the various pilot initiatives undertaken as part of the NOW programme, Horizon programme and YOUTHSTART programme; the areas in which further pilot initiatives will be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21764/99]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 564 and 640 together.

The employment community initiative supports a range of innovatory projects under four strandsHorizon, people with disabilities; INTEGRA, disadvantaged and socially excluded; NOW, new opportunities for women, and YOUTHSTART, young people up to 20 who are at risk of social exclusion. Some 132 projects were supported in 1995-97 and a further 126 are now under way with a view to completion in early 2000.

Mainstreaming of the learning from the projects is being pursued through direct contacts with some project providers, links between my Department and the national support structures established for the initiative strands, submissions received from the support structures in relation to TEASTAS and the Green Paper: Adult Education in an Era of Lifelong Learning, participation in thematic working groups established for the projects, participation in the EU monitoring committee for the initiative, and in the mainstreaming forum established by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Examples of progress in this area include: the emphasis on a multi-agency partnership adopted as an integral part of the eight to 15 early school leavers initiative and the stay in school initiative, and the investment in additional supports pro vided for under these measures, and the development of linkages with other agencies as an intrinsic part of the work of programmes such as Youthreach, VTOS and adult literacy services; the provision of a new guidance, counselling and psychological services measure for Youthreach and continuance of the FÁS advocate service, the establishment of a working group to oversee the piloting of an adult guidance service and the work in hand to progress the development of a national educational psychological service; use of the Youthstart initiative supplemented by additional funds to support training in front-line counselling for staff in Youthreach, community training workshop and senior traveller training centres and use of Eurotrain in the delivery of inservice; the development of national certification at foundation level and level 1 by the NCVA in 1997 and 1999 respectively, and the work now under way to bring into effect the establishment of a national qualifications authority on a statutory basis. This will have a key influence of the development of flexible assessment and accreditation arrangements and improvement of progression pathways; integration of programmes such as pathways and bridge and elements of Youthlynx into Youthreach, and of Tramlines into the FASTTrack IT initiative; development of more flexible delivery arrangements envisaged under the back to education initiative, allied with expansion of adult literacy services; continuation of specific third level initiatives in the training of trainers for people with disabilities; continued use of resource materials and programme modules developed under the pilot actions; legislation to establish an educational welfare board to track and support participation in education of children at risk; and the establishment of a women's education initiative. Mainstreaming will be further progressed in the light of the national development plan and the publication of a White Paper on adult education.
Top
Share