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Further Education and Training Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 April 2014

Wednesday, 9 April 2014

Questions (81)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

81. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the full extent of training, re-education or further education places likely to be available through the aegis of his Department in 2014; the extent to which this will compare with 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16989/14]

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Written answers

As the Deputy will be aware, SOLAS, the new Further Education and Training Authority, was established in October 2013.SOLAS has recently submitted for my consideration a draft integrated Further Education & Training Services Plan for 2014, which was prepared with the full co-operation and participation of the 16 Education & Training Boards (ETBs). It provides, for the first time, integrated information on a common basis, of the full range of further education and training funded by the Department of Education & Skills. This plan presents a detailed picture of how the State's investment of some €826 million in 2014 is being applied by ETBs and SOLAS against current policy objectives. According to that plan, it is expected that circa 88,000 unemployed persons will become new entrants to Further Education and Training in 2014 and that SOLAS, working with the ETBs and Institutes of Technology, will also lead and manage training for an estimated over 2000 new apprenticeship registrants and provide for the existing apprentice population of approximately 7,000. In total, it is expected that over 340,000 beneficiaries will avail of further education and training provision in 2014.

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