Written Answers Nos. 248-258
248. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the improvements and innovations he has made in respect of rolling out industry standard apprenticeship and workplace learning programmes in the catering and hospitality sectors; the way in which he is seeking to engage employers to mentor and train employees in the catering and hospitality sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4475/17]
View answer249. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that qualifications (details supplied) can be rolled out to train and accredit a cohort of skilled staff to deal with the acute staff shortage in the catering industry; if developments have been made in the design of new apprenticeships here; the levels of engagement with employers he is having; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4480/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together.
The Apprenticeship Council was established in early 2014 to oversee the expansion of the apprenticeship system into a range of new areas. Its first task was to formally invite proposals for new apprenticeship programmes from consortia of enterprise, professional bodies and education and training providers. Over 80 separate proposals were received all of which were evaluated by the Council. Included in these proposals are a number of proposals in the hospitality sector, particularly in the culinary area.
Work is progressing on the development of a new Commis Chef Apprenticeship led by the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurants Association of Ireland working with Kerry Education and Training Board. It is planned that this programme will commence in 2017. The Apprenticeship Council recently approved development funding for a separate proposal to develop a Chef de Partie Apprenticeship. The Council will continue to work closely with these consortia to develop their proposals into sustainable apprenticeships that can be delivered on a nationwide basis.
As the Deputy is aware all statutory apprenticeships in Ireland must lead to an award on the National Framework of Qualifications. Legislative amendments are necessary to facilitate the inclusion of awards made by non-national awarding bodies such as City and Guilds within the National Framework of Qualifications. These amendments will be contained in the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill. The Heads of this Bill are currently being prepared by my Department in consultation with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
252. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is engaging with the European Alliance for Apprenticeships to develop a fit-for-purpose workforce in view of the fact that the current apprenticeships programmes offered are providing accreditation for trades mainly within construction or the manual trades; if his attention has been drawn to the European apprenticeship focus on accrediting workplace skills; the amount of funding available to develop apprenticeship programmes; the steps he has taken to access this and develop an innovative workplace skills programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4484/17]
View answerMy Department has been working with the European Alliance for Apprenticeships to achieve a common goal of increasing the quality, supply and attractiveness of apprenticeships. As part of these commitments my Department undertook in 2013 to carry out a review of the Apprenticeship system in Ireland.
An independent group produced the Review of Apprenticeship Training in Ireland, which was published in 2014. The review contained a range of recommendations to expand participation of apprenticeship, including the establishment of an Apprenticeship Council. The Council was established in November 2014 and immediately began work on a call for proposals for the development of new enterprise-led apprenticeships. The call issued in January 2015 and over 80 proposals were received from industry stakeholders working with education and training providers. The Apprenticeship Council has been working with the proposers of these new programmes to develop them in sustainable apprenticeships that can be delivered on a nationwide basis. The funding for planned and forecast expansion in 2017 will see an additional €20 million provided.
An Action Plan to expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland 2016-2020 was launched on 26th January 2017 and sets out how state agencies, education and training providers and employers will work together to deliver on the Programme for Government commitments on the expansion of apprenticeship and traineeship in the period to 2020. 50,000 people will be registered on apprenticeship and traineeship programmes over the lifetime of the Action Plan, a doubling of current activity.
The Plan sets out how we will manage the pipeline of new apprenticeships already established through the first call for proposals and also commits to a new call for apprenticeship proposals in 2017. The Plan sets out a clear 10 step path for the development of new apprenticeships and also sets an overall development timeline for a new apprenticeship of 12-15 months. The Plan also commits to examining the potential for public sector engagement with the apprenticeship system.
The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship, the first of the new programmes developed through the Apprenticeship Council’s first call for proposals, launched in September 2016 and an Industrial Engineer Apprenticeship commenced in November 2016. 13 further new apprenticeships are due to launch later this year in various sectors including medical devices, polymer processing and financial services.
In addition, a campaign to promote apprenticeship is currently being developed by SOLAS in consultation with key partners, including the Apprenticeship Council. The campaign will raise awareness and promote the value of apprenticeship for individual apprentices and for employers and it will cover both existing apprenticeships and the new apprenticeships now coming on stream.
254. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has consulted with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training and the European Training Foundation in respect of rolling out a workforce training programme that is fit for purpose according to the skills gaps in the workforce here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4487/17]
View answerThe National Skills Strategy 2025 identifies Ireland’s current skills profile, provides a strategic vision and specific objectives for Ireland’s future skills requirements, and sets out a road map for how the vision and objectives can be achieved across the education and training sector.
With over 140 Actions, the Strategy sets out the Government's commitment to improving and using skills for sustainable economic growth and outlines how we can develop a well-skilled, adaptable workforce.
SOLAS are developing a Further Education and Training policy framework for employee development (PFED) to guide Education and Training Board activity to support skills development for those in employment, in consultation with partners, aligning with the National Skills Strategy. It is expected that the employee development policy framework and implementation plan will be published in Q2 2017.
In the context of the development of the National Skills Strategy and developing responses to skills needs, my Department has had due regard to EU and international research and best practice.
256. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the status of the recruitment of a new National Educational Psychological Service psychologist for assignment to a school (details supplied). [4516/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an educational psychological service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are in the NEPS section of my Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.
NEPS psychologists are recruited via regional panels formed from national recruitment competitions administered by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). The previous panel which had existed in this regard had reached the end of its useful life and was closed in autumn 2016. A new national recruitment competition has been put in place by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) to fill vacancies within all NEPS Regions. The resulting interview process associated with this competition will be completed in the current week immediately following which recruitment panels for each NEPS region will be formed. PAS will then finalise the processing of the candidates, including Garda vetting, and propose each candidate in series to my Department Human Resources Section for contract negotiations and formal job offer.
It is envisaged that the process will produce new NEPS psychologists for assignment to schools, including that to which the Deputy refers in his question, by the end of the current academic year. In the interim this school will continue to have access to the SCPA for its assessment needs. Direct support from NEPS to the school in the event of a critical incidents will in any case continue to be provided.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
257. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aindrias Moynihan den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cén dul chun cinn atá déanta go dtí seo i ndáil le scoil nua a thógáil do Choláiste Ghobnatan, Baile Mhúirne, Co. Chorcaí, Uimhir Rolla 70920O agus cathain a chuirfear dearadh na scoile nua ar fáil. [4584/17]
View answerBeidh an Teachta ar an eolas go bhfuil tionscadal tógála don scoil atá i gceist san áireamh i gClár Tógála 6 Bliana de chuid mo Roinne (2019/21). Tá mo Roinn i dteagmháil le húdarás na scoile i gcomhthéacs achoimre an tionscadail a chur le chéile.
258. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he and his Department have had communication from the board of management at a school (details supplied) and the patron in regard to enrolment issues in 2017; if he is in a position to identify an amicable resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4602/17]
View answer261. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties in respect of meeting enrolment requests at a school (details supplied); if, together with the patron of the school, he will endeavour to meet the requirements of the parents and the management board by way of approval of a third stream for the school, having particular regard to the demographic changes in the area and the need to plan accordingly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4614/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 261 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department recently met with representatives of the school referred to by the Deputy and it was agreed that a further meeting would be convened within the coming weeks.
It was agreed also that this would allow adequate time for updated demographic data, taking into account overall current and projected pupil numbers in the area, and the enrolment position in the case of the school in question and other schools in the area; the various factors that contribute to the compilation and operation of any waiting lists; the impact of expansion of school capacity in the case of this school on other schools in the area to be clarified and assessed. As part of this process, this further information was supplied by the school to the Department recently. The information is currently being considered and my Department expects to be in further contact with the school authority and Patron in relation to the data assessment process.
