VET in Ireland - 2 edited

VET in Ireland 2
Young learnersOther learners
Entry to VET in Ireland
E&T systemin Ireland is characterised by astrong academic bias and late vocationalchoiceIn upper secondary (ISCED 3) -a minority of learners(34% of 57, 532 applicants in 2011) makea limited vocational choice– what might be termed‘vocational light’aLeaving Certificate Vocational (LCV)(28.5%)aLeaving Certificate Applied (LCA) (5.5%)Majority exercise vocationalchoiceon completion of upper secondary educationwhen they progressto:higher education(c. 65%) ,especially in anInstitute ofTechnology(46% of entrants to HE in 2009-2010)non-tertiaryfurther education and trainingin aPost-Leaving Certificate(PLC)course –c. 25%an apprenticeship- relatively small number –c. 2%joined designated apprenticeships in 2010other vocational training course-relatively small number
Young learners without a LC
62% progresstosome form of education ortrainingCommunityTraining Workshop(FÁS)Youthreach– (VECs & FÁS)SeniorTraveller TrainingCentresCommunityTrainingCentres
Guidance
Career guidance services “fragmented and weakly underpinned by information on labour market opportunities”-in post-schoolVET- demandfor guidance services outstrips supplyRecent report -post-primary guidance professionalsappear to uselabour market information “less than they ideally should”- initial professional development . . .. .PLC courses- in-houseeducation and careerguidanceYouthreach-counselling & psychologicalservices+ guidanceAdult Education Guidance InitiativeNationalForum on Guidancere-launched 2011Universitiesand theIoTsare not statutorily requiredto offer careers services and the provision can differ across the sector – but Careers Services growingFAS Employment Servicestransferred to theDepartment of Social Protectionin 2011. “Inadequate”- narrow focus on placement to the exclusion of counselling, profiling, activation, brokerage & outreach
CVET for persons at work
VETfor persons at workis primarily the responsibility ofemployers but . .. .XXUp to2008publicresourcesthrough FÁS initiatives, e.g.theCompetency Development Programme(CDP);theExcellence through People Programme(ETP);programmesin the public and private sectors-wastemanagement, roadconstructionandfilm industryFáilteIrelandoperates anational training subsidy schemeto train employeesinhospitality sectorXXSkillnets, thestate-funded, enterprise-led support bodyfor the promotion and facilitation of training& upskillingsupports and funds networks ofenterprises.Nowminimumof 10% of participantsmust beunemployed.XXTheNational TrainingFund(2000) resourcedby a levy on employers of 0.7% ofemployee earnings coversapproximately 75% of allemployees - socialpartners have a role inallocationofNTF -consistently underspent over the years& describedas ‘awash with money’in 2011TheSocialPartnership Agreement,Towards 2016- commitmentstoparticipation ofolder peopleinlabourmarket- has slippedoffactiveagenda.
RPL
Goodexperience of RPL practice- but largelyad hocorproject–basedAco-ordinated approachrequired -actionby a range of stakeholders across the VETsectorXX2006 –RPL Forum- included Skillsnets, NQAI, FETAC& 2 HE institutions, to supportRPLin theworkplaceXXFÁS,with IoTs,has developed protocols/ proceduresfor RPL forapprenticeshipsto facilitateincreasedaccessXXOther initiatives theretail, construction and childcaresectors
Unemployed & other learners
Irelandentered the rapidly accelerating economic crisis withweak activationmeasures- fragmentationinavailability & qualityManyprogrammesinparallel siloswith aconfusing array of diverseeligibility criteria, funding arrangements, learning opportunities& administrativestructuresNationalStrategy on Activation-adegree of convergence illustrated bynew VET governancestructures, theintegration of employment services& socialbenefit administration, andco-ordinationof labour market programmesby multi-disciplinaryteamsPriority groupslow-skilledthose agedunder 35 yearsthosepreviouslyemployed in decliningsectorslong-termunemployed(includingthose on widerange of social protectionpayments)