Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 June 2004
134 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Science the provisions being made by his Department to support lifelong learning and adult literacy programmes in 2004-2005; the role his Department will play over the coming 12 months in the development of workplace education programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19441/04]
View answerThe adult literacy service is organised by and delivered through the vocational education committees throughout the country. The service is resourced and managed by the VECs, with funding from my Department. Funding for adult literacy has increased in recent years from just under €1 million in 1997 to over €19 million in 2004. Client numbers rose in the same period from 5,000 to 30,000 per year. The increase in funding has also enabled the introduction of special programmes targeted at groups with particular literacy needs. Such programmes include family literacy, literacy for deaf people and workplace literacy.
In the area of workplace literacy, joint initiatives have been developed at local level through co-operation between the vocational education committees, FÁS, the National Adult Literacy Agency, NALA, and local employers. Funding has been provided for a course in workplace basic skills training for experienced group literacy tutors in the VEC service. The course is designed to familiarise the tutors with key issues in basic skills training in the workplace and also identifies strategies for the introduction and implementation of programmes in this context.
Programmes under way at national level include the return to education programme, which is a joint initiative between FÁS, VECs and NALA, which provides an intensive literacy programme for community employment workers on FÁS community employment schemes. In addition, a focused workplace literacy programme, jointly funded by my Department and the local authority national partnership group, is available nationwide for local authority outdoor staff.
The commitment and support of employers is a fundamental requirement for the successful implementation of workplace literacy programmes. In seeking to support and encourage employers to participate in such programmes, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has approved a project proposal from NALA to design and deliver a workplace basic education programme for SMEs. A pilot programme for the development of a certificate in workplace skills has also been approved by that Department under the ESF-aided in-company training measure of the human resources development operational programme.
