Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2024
345. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has carried out an assessment of the potential of remote delivery in further education and if new initiatives are planned in this arena. [50444/23]
View answerThere are online and blended learning opportunities available across Further Education and Training. The Covid pandemic accelerated the digital transformation across the 16 Education and Training Boards, who all have virtual learning environments to digitally support learning, whether in classroom, blended or remote/fully online settings. The ETBs provide a wide range of blended and online programmes, based on the strategic skills priorities of their regions, which are searchable at www.fetchcourses.ie.
eCollege, the national online learning resource for the FET sector, is funded and co-ordinated by SOLAS. It provides flexible, certified, tutor-supported online learning opportunities for skills development, with a range of courses in digital skills, project management and business skills. Its online courses are entirely flexible and can be taken at a time to suit the learner. There are 40 programmes currently available with a further 20 new programmes planned. eCollege fees were removed in 2020 during the pandemic and courses remain free, attracting 21,153 learners in 2022. SOLAS carried out a Strategic Review of eCollege and Digital Learning Supports which recommended that eCollege be developed. SOLAS aims to enhance the reach, range and quality of the eCollege service in the future, to ensure a sustainable and expanded portfolio of learning opportunities are available to an increasing number of FET learners.
Additonally, SOLAS-funded agencies, including NALA and An Cosán, offer a number of online, remote and blended courses. NALA’s on-line platform ‘Learn with NALA’ offers both non-accredited and accredited courses on-line. In 2024 NALA expect to provide training to some 1,600 beneficiaries.
The recently launched 24 new short, stackable micro qualification programmes offered by the ETBs and developed collaboratively with industry, combine tutor support which can be in person, blended or online with self directed learning including the preparation of work related assignments.
