Further education and training programmes are available locally throughout the country. Participants on programmes such as the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme and Youthreach and programmes provided through the network of ETB Training Centres are paid travel allowances towards the cost of travel to courses and they are also entitled to childcare support under the Childcare in Education and Training scheme (CETs) which is administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
SOLAS, the new Further Education and Training Authority, recently published the Further Education and Training (FET) Strategy 2014-2019. This strategy is intended to give direction to, and guide transformation of, the further education and training sector for the next five years. It provides an overarching framework within which outcomes based funding and planning based on robust evidence reflect learner and enterprise needs, including the needs of current and future priority groups, including lone parents.
One of the keys goals of the FET Strategy is to support active inclusion of citizens in society. This involves supporting citizens, including those experiencing barriers to the labour market to fully participate in society, to access a range of quality services including education and training and to have a job. The FET sector will seek to increase levels of active inclusion through the provision of high quality, more accessible and flexible education and training programmes and supports suited to the identified needs of the individual. SOLAS will be carrying out research into the barriers to participation in FET to inform the development of appropriate interventions and specific supports.
