I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 121 together.
The National Training Fund (NTF) was established by the National Training Fund Act, 2000 to raise the skills of those in employment, provide training to those who wish to acquire skills for the purposes of taking up employment, and provide information in relation to existing, or likely future, requirements for skills in the economy.
In May 2010, responsibility for the NTF was transferred from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation to the Minister for Education and Skills.
There has been a shift recently in the focus of investment with more funding allocated to training those in employment and less allocated to training jobseekers, due to the upturn in our economy and growing numbers of people in employment.
I am reviewing the allocation of funding to programmes in the Further Education and Training and Higher Education sectors as between NTF and Exchequer sources in terms both of the appropriate emphasis required on training for employment and training persons in employment and of satisfying the needs of enterprise to meet strategic skills requirements.
The following table outlines the income and expenditure of the NTF during the period 2011 – 2016 and the estimated income and expenditure for 2017.
The information on participants is not readily available. My Department will collate this information and forwarded it directly to the Deputy.
NATIONAL TRAINING FUND: Income and Expenditure 2011-2017
|
INCOME
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017 Estimate
|
|
National Training Fund Levy
|
316,000,000
|
299,000,000
|
317,000,000
|
338,000,000
|
364,000,000
|
390,000,000
|
405,130,000
|
|
EXPENDITURE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Training Programmes for those in Employment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Training Programmes in Employment
|
54,236,000
|
52,467,000
|
39,600,000
|
39,600,000
|
42,600,000
|
55,100,000
|
80,400,000
|
|
Training Networks Programme - Skillnets
|
11,600,000
|
11,470,600
|
11,020,000
|
11,924,000
|
12,636,000
|
12,636,000
|
16,380,000
|
|
Training Grants to Industry
|
6,175,231
|
5,755,532
|
5,802,935
|
6,500,000
|
6,500,000
|
6,500,000
|
6,500,000
|
|
Workplace Basic Education Fund
|
2,800,000
|
2,170,203
|
2,549,707
|
2,800,000
|
2,800,000
|
2,799,000
|
2,800,000
|
|
Community & Voluntary Organisations
|
375,087
|
375,000
|
375,000
|
375,000
|
375,000
|
375,000
|
375,000
|
|
Continuing Professional Development
|
75,000
|
75,000
|
75,000
|
75,000
|
75,000
|
75,000
|
75,000
|
|
Total Training Programmes for those IN Employment
|
75,261,318
|
72,313,335
|
59,422,642
|
61,274,000
|
64,986,000
|
77,485,000
|
106,530,000
|
|
Percentage Breakdown for those IN Employment
|
23%
|
21%
|
17%
|
18%
|
20%
|
23%
|
29%
|
|
Training Programmes for Employment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Training Programmes for the Unemployed
|
235,091,000
|
243,719,400
|
237,960,000
|
222,625,000
|
212,008,000
|
216,266,000
|
220,702,000
|
|
Springboard
|
-
|
10,165,550
|
18,353,026
|
23,688,000
|
22,438,000
|
20,438,000
|
27,438,000
|
|
ICT Skills Programme
|
-
|
2,600,000
|
3,346,754
|
5,000,000
|
5,000,000
|
7,380,000
|
-
|
|
Labour Market Education & Training Fund (LMETF)
|
-
|
1,144,000
|
10,000,000
|
8,000,000
|
11,800,000
|
5,100,000
|
1,000,000
|
|
Training Networks Programme (Skillnets)
|
-
|
3,029,000
|
3,480,000
|
3,766,000
|
3,564,000
|
3,564,000
|
1,820,000
|
|
Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
|
-
|
-
|
7,500,000
|
13,441,000
|
6,000,000
|
6,000,000
|
-
|
|
European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF)
|
1,721,159
|
861,044
|
429,130
|
889,146
|
-
|
184,475
|
300,000
|
|
Technical Employment Support Grant
|
-
|
4,344,077
|
3,810,241
|
3,668,776
|
3,200,000
|
2,900,396
|
3,200,000
|
|
Community Employment Training
|
-
|
1,575,261
|
3,589,760
|
3,731,224
|
4,200,000
|
4,200,000
|
4,200,000
|
|
Labour Market Activation Fund (LMAF)
|
12,818,592
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total Training Programmes FOR Employed
|
249,630,751
|
267,438,332
|
288,468,910
|
284,809,146
|
268,210,000
|
266,032,871
|
258,660,000
|
|
Percentage Breakdown for those FOR Employment
|
77%
|
79%
|
83%
|
82%
|
80%
|
77%
|
71%
|
|
Provision of Information on Skills Requirements
|
1,376,000
|
1,138,000
|
906,000
|
816,000
|
706,000
|
648,000
|
860,000
|
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I refer to Parliamentary Questions Reference Nos. 19034/17 and 19035/17 in which you inquired about the number of participants of the NTF programmes from 2011 to date.
In my reply, I had stated that the information sought was not available at the time but would be forwarded to you separately.
The information is set out in the following table.
Number of Participants of NTF Programmes 2011-2016
|
-
|
Programme Title
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017 to date
|
Training for those in Employment
|
SOLAS
|
Apprenticeship
|
8,094
|
5,593
|
4,061
|
4,876
|
5,598
|
8,028
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
Skills for Work
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
3,155
|
2,958
|
Not Available
|
|
Skillnets
|
Training Networks Programme
|
36,238
|
37,293
|
38,572
|
39,591
|
42,228
|
44,413
|
9,851
|
|
IDA
|
Training Grants to Industry
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
7,401
|
8,643
|
9,627
|
1,224
|
|
The Wheel
|
Community & Voluntary Organisations
|
5,500
|
5,631
|
5,835
|
2,183
|
2,323
|
2,897
|
Not Available
|
Training for Employment
|
SOLAS
|
Bridging/Foundation
|
3,379
|
2,292
|
1,926
|
2,633
|
2,231
|
1,281
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
Community Training Centres
|
4,543
|
3,239
|
3,168
|
3,633
|
2,646
|
3,167
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
Local Training Initiatives
|
5,593
|
5,057
|
4,734
|
5,147
|
4,071
|
4,292
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
Specialist Training Providers
|
3,655
|
2,996
|
2,996
|
3,889
|
3,124
|
3,687
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
Specific Skills Training
|
18,683
|
18,541
|
14,419
|
15,227
|
13,693
|
14,310
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
Traineeship
|
4,937
|
5,234
|
3,863
|
4,366
|
4,079
|
4,151
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
VTOS
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
8,590
|
9,285
|
8,235
|
Not Available
|
|
SOLAS
|
LMETF -
MOMENTUM
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
6,179
|
3,574
|
5,553
|
735
|
Not Available
|
|
HEA
|
Springboard
|
4,767
|
5,425
|
5,320
|
4,321
|
7,016
|
8,926
|
2,445
|
|
HEA
|
ICT Skills
|
N/A
|
694
|
643
|
781
|
1,168
|
2,070
|
1,316
|
|
Skillnets
|
Training Networks Programme
|
5,875
|
7,012
|
7,306
|
6,858
|
6,695
|
5,915
|
551
|
|
DSP
|
EGF
|
836
|
103
|
276
|
137
|
15
|
66
|
10
|
|
DSP
|
Training Support Grant
|
9,855
|
12,613
|
13,416
|
16,551
|
10,580
|
9,557
|
1,522
|
|
DSP
|
Community Employment
|
N/A
|
21,081
|
22,575
|
23,249
|
22,813
|
22,356
|
22,121
|
