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Early Child Care Education

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 June 2013

Thursday, 13 June 2013

Questions (184)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

184. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to develop the early childhood and education sector workforce development plan 2010 into a working plan that is adequately resourced and implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28487/13]

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Written answers

The Workforce Development Plan for the Early Years Sector was published in 2010 by the Department of Education and Skills. The Plan acknowledged national and international research evidence which establishes a strong correlation between the availability of an appropriately trained workforce to staff early years services and the ability to deliver high quality pre-school provision. The implementation of the Workforce Development Plan is being overseen by the Early Years Education Policy Unit of the Department of Education and Skills, which is co-located with my Department.

The Plan sets out the key areas that emerged from an extensive programme of research and consultation: These key areas are:

- The necessity for clearly articulated professional pathways into and across professional domains of practice related to the care and education of children. These include occupational role descriptors with associated qualification levels.

- The establishment of an agreed set of national standards for all awards in early childhood care and education (incorporating core knowledge, skills, competencies and work experience) across all relevant levels of the National Framework of Qualifications in Ireland.

- Access to flexible, affordable and nationally accredited learning opportunities at all levels of qualification for pre-service and in-service professional development.

- The necessity to ensure consistent quality of ECCE courses nationally across a range of variables including content, delivery and work placement.

The publication by FETAC of Common Award Standards at Levels 4, 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications ensures that there is consistent quality of ECCE courses across the country and delivers on one of the key areas set out in the Workforce Development Plan. I view this as an essential building block for developing and upskilling the workforce.

The Workforce Development Plan identified different distinct groups including new entrants to the workforce who wish to become appropriately qualified for specific occupational roles and responsibilities, and unqualified practitioners in the current workforce who want to achieve the Level 5 award. For new entrants to the workforce the publication of Common Award Standards at Levels 4, 5 and 6 is a welcome development. Programmes of learning developed to meet these new award standards will incorporate national practice frameworks and will reflect national policy objectives, thereby ensuring that graduates are fully prepared to enter the workforce. Training providers have begun to meet the new award standards in respect of the FETAC Level 5 Major Award in Early Childhood Care and Education. The first programme has been developed and is being provided through the VECs.

My Department and I have been working on a comprehensive Pre-School quality agenda that will, inter alia, work towards increasing the qualification requirements for all childcare staff. Future developments relating to early years and education, including workforce development, are being considered in the context of the National Early Years Strategy for children aged from birth to six years, which is being developed by my Department and expected to be completed later this year.

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