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Education and Training Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2022

Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Questions (54)

David Stanton

Question:

54. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of local training initiatives, LTIs, currently in operation; his Department’s plans to expand this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12706/22]

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Oral answers (6 contributions)

I have been interested in LTIs for some time. They could be said to be the Cinderella of the training structure. I am interested in hearing what the Minister has to say about the plans to expand the number of people taking part in these training initiatives and about the number who took part in them in the past year.

I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this issue. It is not the first time he has raised this issue with me and I am aware that he has an interest in the area. The LTI is a project-based training and work experience programme operating under the 16 ETBs in partnership with community and voluntary organisations. In 2021, the ETBs provided 212 LTI courses nationwide, involving more than 2,000 learners. Those are the latest figures I have. Training provision organised through LTIs is not intended to be permanent and it is this aspect that gives ETBs the flexibility to use resources in the community in response to emerging needs. This flexibility is one of the attractive aspects of the LTI programmes. They enable local communities to carry out valuable and necessary projects of benefit to their communities and are designed for unemployed people experiencing difficulty in gaining entry to the labour market.

The importance of the role played by LTIs within overall ETB provision is well recognised. I acknowledge that. All ETB provision is subject to annual funding requests and allocations based on learner demand. The national further education and training, FET, strategy, entitled Future FET: Transforming Learning National Strategy 2020-2024, sets out the ambition and vision for the further education and training system over this period. The expansion of any FET provision will be considered in the context of that strategy and of the new strategic performance agreements that are currently being agreed between SOLAS and the 16 ETBs.

This is an important development. SOLAS is sitting down with each of the 16 ETBs and asking about the strategic plan for further education and training in each area and how all the different provisions will fit into the strategic plan over its full term. My Department is committed to the continuing development of LTIs. We see the important services they provide to learners within communities, as well as the important benefit they provide to communities everywhere.

Will the Minister agree with me that the staff who work in these LTIs are important? Could he tell me what plans there are to help those staff in their professional development and to put in place an appropriate future staffing framework, as has been mentioned in the national further education and training strategy, Future FET, that was launched two years ago? Is the Minister concerned that LTIs are not mentioned in the national further education and training strategy at all? Will he tell me what can be done to ensure that the staff can be secure in their employment? Is it not true that they go from year to year and that there is no opportunity for advancement, promotion, incremental increases in salary or professional development? Would he agree with me that the staff need to be very skilled when dealing with a group of students who find it difficult to learn?

There were a couple of questions from the Deputy. He can speak about what the document is not referencing but I want to state in this House that it should not be taken in any way, shape or form as my view, the Department's view or the Government's view on the importance of the LTI programmes across the country and the role they have to play. I suggest to the Deputy that the most appropriate avenue to embed that importance will be in the individual strategic agreements being reached between SOLAS and each of the ETBs individually. Ensuring the LTIs are embedded in that strategic agreement with ETBs will be an important element and something I will follow up on as a result of the exchange we have had here in the Dáil this evening.

I know the 2021 funding allocation for LTIs is €18,963,596. The funding allocation and planned provision for this year is due to go to the SOLAS board in April. The actual spend will be available when ETBs finalise their accounts in April. The Deputy also makes an important point about training and continuous development of staff. It is something I will reflect on and engage with SOLAS on. I am happy to meet some staff members with the Deputy because I know he has a familiar interest in this.

I thank the Minister for the final commitment that he will look at the professional development of staff and the appropriate future staffing framework, which is mentioned in the national education and training strategy. In this particular instance, however, it seems to be missing; it is not there. I would be very grateful if the Minister could come back to me with concrete plans on this. I put it to the Minister that whatever about SOLAS and the ETBs, it is very important that at a national level, from his Department, the policy and strategy are fed down as well as up. I call on the Minister to ensure it happens in this case.

With respect to waiting lists to get into LTIs, does the Minister have information or can he come back to me later to let me know how many young people in particular did not get into LTIs despite wanting to? He spoke earlier about these being demand-driven and I put it to him that more people want to get in there because of the training and opportunities they get to develop themselves and learn.

Is the Minister aware of the Open Doors Initiative? Has he met its representatives or does he have plans to do so?

I am aware of it. I have not met them and I am not sure if they are looking to meet me. I would be delighted to meet them and am more than happy to set that up with the Deputy. As the Deputy rightly says, I will ensure that policy comes from both the bottom up and top down, for want of a better phrase. I will ensure that is reflected in my engagement with SOLAS, the ETBs and my Department.

I do not have the data that the Deputy is seeking. I will state clearly that I am concerned if a number of people, particularly younger people but anybody seeking to access LTIs, find themselves not in a position to gain that access. We are spending more money on further education and training probably than ever before and certainly more than in an awfully long time. This is demand-led and we want to provide opportunities for everybody to upskill, reskill and get into work with the career they want. There should not be any blockages like that. Perhaps the Deputy and I could discuss that in more detail. I will certainly inquire about the data and revert to the Deputy.

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