Trevor Sargent
Question:39 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the measures in place to tackle the high degree of literacy problems in 34% of long-term unemployed and 15% of short-term unemployed. [26854/01]
Written Answers. - Literacy Levels.
The problem of adult literacy is primarily a matter to be addressed through the education system. My colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, has put in place a range of initiatives in the education field to address this problem in more effective and innovative ways than in the past, as set out in the White Papers on Adult Education. The figures quoted by the Deputy refer to a survey carried out by my Department among unemployed people in Galway. There is a range of back to education programmes operated through the employment support services of the Department. These programmes are designed to encourage and facilitate unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities to build up skills and qualifications which will enable them to compete in the workplace.
The Department's back to education programmes range from basic literacy courses to postgraduate university courses and include the back-to-education allowance scheme – BTEA – which covers second and third level courses, the education, training and development option and the part-time education option. The BTEA is an educational opportunities scheme for persons who wish to pursue approved second or third level courses of education. There are two options available under this scheme, the second-level option and the third-level option. Under the education, training and development option courses that are not covered under the BTEA scheme may be approved. This option covers a broad range of courses, including personal development courses, basic education classes comprising literacy classes and numeracy training, general training courses and the acquisition of specific job skills. Persons availing of this option retain their unemployment payment and are deemed to be available for work for the duration of the course. Furthermore, the back to education programmes recognise that many unemployed people wish to pursue part-time courses of education as an alternative to the more structured full-time course. People can pursue a broad range of part-time courses, including literacy courses, and retain their social welfare payment, once they remain available for employment.
This year, in recognition of the fact that attendance at literacy and other courses may entail expenses for those on a tight budget, I introduced an allowance of £25, or 31.74, per week to cover the cost of travel and meals for long-term unemployed people who attend approved training and development courses run by locally based service providers. My Department's job facilitator network uses this allowance in tackling and identifying literacy and other problems which are impediments to employment and training among the long-term unemployed. It is hoped that up to 1,000 people will avail of this option in 2002. As part of their normal intervention with the long-term unemployed, job facilitators also organise training programmes in literacy and numeracy through vocational education committees where they identify such needs. All job facilitators and information officers in my Department receive literacy training from the National Adult Literacy Agency, which helps them to recognise and take action on literacy problems. Finally, the vocational training opportunities scheme which is administered by the Department of Education and Science through the vocational education committees has been operating since 1989 and was established as a special initiative designed to cater for the particular education and training needs of the long-term unemployed.
The Government recognises that literacy problems are a major impediment to full participation in society and are committed to aiming resources at those most at risk from long-term unemployment due to the lack of such skills.
Question No. 40 answered with Question No. 12.