Adult Education

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 November 2012

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Ceisteanna (105)

Jonathan O'Brien

Ceist:

105. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on claims by the National Adult Learning Organisation, AONTAS, that a lack of financial support and suitable course options are the biggest challenges for adults returning to education; and the efforts being made by him to integrate adult guidance with course provision, connect with employers, explore other funding models for part-time learners and establish better systems to gather evidence on the effectiveness of adult learning courses. [51524/12]

Freagraí ó Béal (7 píosaí cainte)

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills (Deputy Ciarán Cannon)

My Department funds a range of further education and training programmes that offer guidance, access, transfer and progression opportunities for learners, involving 300,000 places. In addition to the provision of programmes, my Department and the Department of Social Protection support learners attending courses through the provision of payments, allowances, and maintenance grants.

The Government has embarked upon a major programme of reform in the further education and training sectors including establishment of SOLAS and the education and training boards. The Government through the Pathways to Work document and Intreo, the new integrated employment and support service, is also introducing improved service supports for the unemployed. AONTAS, in its recent position paper on budget 2013, indicates strong support for these structural reforms.

The Government's objective in this area is to raise the educational and skills level of adult learners, particularly among the unemployed, in order to help them to meet the requirements of the modern labour market.

Deputy Jonathan O'Brien

If the Minister of State has not seen the report I refer to I will pass on a copy to him.

Deputy Ciarán Cannon

I have seen it.

Deputy Jonathan O'Brien

One of the key findings of the report is the level of frustration felt by adult learners regarding the courses they are directed to take. Some felt the courses did not suit their skill sets, were leading nowhere or were not long enough to acquire the skills they needed to enter the workforce.

I welcome the programme of reform being undertaken by the Department of Education and Skills. The Education and Training Boards Bill has the potential to be one of the most reforming items of legislation in this area. For that reason, it is important that a voice be given to community representatives on the education and training boards. This is something we can discuss on Committee Stage of the Bill.

The amount of money allocated to this area is a small part of the overall education budget. I hope the Minister of State shares my analysis that this section of the budget needs to be protected because we are talking about people who are going back to further education in the hope of coming off the unemployment register and securing employment. I hope the Minister will take this into account during the budget deliberations.

Deputy Ciarán Cannon

I have read the document from AONTAS and I have substantial ongoing communication with AONTAS and also with NALA, another entity involved in adult education. Both organisations were involved in feeding information into the reform process outlined by Deputy O'Brien.

We were careful in the preparation of last year's and this year's budgets to ensure the spend in the area is protected as much as possible against the harshest winds of the recession we are all suffering at the moment. We have been creative and innovative in looking at other mechanisms for funding that sector. The Springboard programme assists those who have a third level qualification to re-engineer that qualification by engaging in a one or two-year course that would allow them to use their existing skills to look at career opportunities in other areas that might not have been apparent two or three years ago. They are undertaking those courses free of charge and being supported by the State while doing so.

A new labour market education and training fund will be announced shortly. Recipients will be awarded grants from a fund of €20 million that will provide 6,500 places for young people who are currently unemployed, more often than not long-term unemployed, to assist them in beginning the journey back to work. For many it will be a long and difficult journey but we must start it and allow them to gain the skills they will need to re-enter work. We are not just funnelling money through the usual channels, other innovative approaches are being taken to assist people who are in a difficult place.

Deputy Jonathan O'Brien

That is important because the figures show 300,000 people are accessing some form of learning or education, reflecting the huge appetite for people to get upskilled because they are aware of its value. There is also a social value, so that €20 million is welcome. We will await the budget, however, to see what impact it has. I take heart from the Minister of State's recognition of the importance of the area and I hope that will be reflected in the budget.

Deputy Ciarán Cannon

One of the most informative meetings I have had as Minister of State with responsibility for this area was a learners' forum organised by AONTAS six months ago where we spent the morning discussing with learners their needs and aspirations for what they want to achieve through interacting with the State and the learning supports it offers. The intention of SOLAS in the future is that the learner and his needs will be at the heart of the work we do and we will constantly interact with him during the learning process and afterwards to ensure the intervention we provide is of the highest quality and sets him on a path back into the workplace.