NESC No.123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: Challenges and Opportunities. Conference 15the September, 2011 Some Responses: Barney O’Reilly

Report 123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: I speak in a personal capacity being a retired (recently retired) CEO of Kerry Education Service- the VEC in Kerry, We are told 317,00 jobs have been lost since the fourth quarter of 2007; OECD tells us we have the challenge of creating 370,000 jobs to recover our financial well-being education and training are conceptualised as a segment of 'Public Employment Services (PES) 'seven areas significant adjustments' (maybe it is six!) My comments will touch on three of them- Institutional reconfiguration, Priority to education and training, and Emphasis on Activation. a great opportunity was missed when the reconfiguration of VECs was not considered alongside the re-configuration of local authorities. Real progress towards joined-up government and indeed, benefits of a more profound nature touching on the engagement of the public with state services, and the enhancement of our democracy, could be effected by aligning administrative boundaries across public services to the maximum extent feasible. Maybe, it is not too late even yet for such ideas.

NESC123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: The transfer of FÁS training function to be a responsibility of the Department of Education and Science The establishment of SOLAS (Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna) as a DES agency, The reduction of the number of VECs from 33 to 16

Report 123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: SOLAS or Seirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna was announced on 27th July to ensure : the provision by VECs of 21st century high quality further education and training programmes which are integrated, flexible, value for money and responsive to the needs of learners, jobseekers and business....the national structures...consists of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Renewal and Jobs, the 'Senior Officials Group, the Department of Education and Skills and SOLAS. DES '..has emerged as a key driving force in developing an inter- departmental response to the crisis in the labour market),

Report 123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: There is a very substantial national co-ordination project involved in the integration of the Further Education and the Training systems at national level. The 'Structure of Skills Development Unit' within DES appears to be designed to effect FÁS /DES integration at a national or Departmental level...three years into the crisis a forum or a clearing house is still lacking where many of the actors who are in positions to, respectively identify, manage and deliver valuable projects '.(p189) ‘Procedures and an institutional forum are urgently needed through which projects can be speedily identified and assessed... ‘ (p.193) Nor is it clear that SOLAS, DES Unit, the National Employment and Entitlements Service (NEES), the Senior Officials Group or the Cabinet Committee will perform this function.

Report 123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: Re-configured VECs...responsible for the delivery to the public in an integrated way of both further education and training services ' (DES Statement 27/7/2011) or as put in the most recent statement.: '... the provision by VECs of 21st century high quality further education and training programmes which are integrated, flexible, value for money and responsive to the needs of learners, jobseekers and business.' A major challenge, in my view, relates to the lack of cohesion in the geographical areas for which integrated local planning involving local authorities, local partnership companies, NGO's and employers groups and people on the live register

NESC 1Jobseekers: Report 123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers:

Re-configured VECs A key public good essential to guiding the quality of private and public investment decisions on education is the quality of labour market intelligence...Ensuring that it is universally available is a pivotal responsibility of the state.'(p.87) This intelligence is needed at both the national and the local level- in the future by both SOLAS and the VECs. In the interim period, however long it lasts, this information will be needed by DES and also by the transition frameworks to be set up locally to facilitate the joining of the two elements of the Further Education and Training service - pending the 'ultimate' arrangements in mind for the future role of VECs.

Report 123:Supports and Services for Unemployed Jobseekers: Re-configured VECs a great opportunity was missed when the reconfiguration of VECs was not considered alongside the re-configuration of local authorities. Real progress towards joined-up government and indeed, benefits of a more profound nature touching on the engagement of the public with state services, and the enhancement of our democracy, could be effected by aligning administrative boundaries across public services to the maximum extent feasible. Maybe, it is not too late even yet for such ideas.