Gerard Griffin National Co-ordinator VTOS

ETBs QQI SOLAS DSP HEA Local Government

Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS) Higher Education Authority (HEA) Universities and other Colleges Institutes of Technology Primary education Secondary Education Department of Education and Skills Quality and Qualificatio ns Ireland (QQI) Public Employment Services Community Employment Programmes Department of Social Protection 16 Education and Training Boards Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) FÁS Institutional reform

The full extent of FET provision in the State is very broad ranging and includes many actors in addition to the ETB’s and SOLAS. €826 million investment by DES/SOLAS Approx. 22,000 courses in 2015 Approx. 340,000 will receive Further Education or Training in ,000 will receive Further Education 77,000 will receive Training. Scale of Further Education and Training

 Enrolled/started January 1 st : 5448  Stating Courses during 2015: 5414  Beneficiaries of provision in 2015: 10,862  SOLAS funding: €77M

ETB FET Mission 1. Access & Progression 2. Quality Teaching & Learning 3. Stakeholder Engagement 4. Governance & Leadership

 This is about supporting learners to access and sustain participation in education and training, and to progress in all aspects of their lives, including personal development, further education and/or employment.

 This is about communicating with learners, staff, community partners, employers, other agencies and education providers and using feedback to enhance the quality and relevance of our work.

 This is about ensuring that the quality of our education & training provision is supported by management and administration systems that meet the highest standards of accountability, transparency and compliance

 This is about promoting a culture of continuous improvement and organisational learning in ETB FET Service, so that staff, learners, employers and communities have confidence in the quality and relevance of FET in our catchment area

Learner VTOS PLCs Apprenticeship Community Education Statutory provision Traineeships Youthreach Specific Skills Training BTEI Literacy & Numeracy

Skills Economic growth Insulator v unemployment Social Inclusion & Social Mobility ‘SMART’ economy Employment growth

FET Employment Progression to further or higher education and training Wider benefits of learning: Social benefits Wider benefits of learning: Personal development Wider benefits of learning : Professional development To achieve employment as an outcome for an increasing number of FET graduates, FET curricula needs to be aligned to the identified skill needs of the economy.

 A micro-environment of learning, care, support, guidance  A personal service – relatively small numbers  Personalised education and training  Tutor-student support  Student-student support

 VTOS has been and is...  An education and training opportunity to enable eligible individuals to gain qualifications at lower, upper and post-secondary levels -  An income maintenance scheme to enable individuals in receipt of qualifying social welfare payment to continue their learning on a full-time basis  A funding framework to provide ETB’s with resources to respond to the learning needs of unemployed adults so as to facilitate their return to employment

 Intergenerational effect...  Community effect...  Local, national and international contribution

 Geographic spread of PLC courses nationally  Capacity of PLC provision to respond to changes in the economy and labour market  Range of fields of learning covered by PLC courses  Demand from employers for PLC graduates (sub-degree qualifications)  Aim of the PLC programme?  Factors influencing introduction of new courses and termination of others  Teacher and tutor qualifications  Constraints in responding to future needs.

 Maintain specific distinguishing characteristics ◦ eligibility criteria – age; social welfare status ◦ full-time provision ◦ needs-based provision ◦ ‘learner-centred service’ ◦ learning supports - guidance etc ◦ focus on certification ◦ focus on progression  Firmly locating the programme in Local FET services and relationship to other programmes in your ETB and elsewhere

 Locating VTOS within emerging landscapes ◦ Responding to economic downturn ◦ Contributing to up skilling labour force ◦ Contributing to social inclusion  Focusing on your USP – unique selling point – locally and nationally – within the context of FET programmes

 Maintain clear vision and mission to steer by in choppy waters of change, debate, uncertainty  Imagineer– imagine, engineer...  Use your experience, track record, longevity, strengths, successes, skills to ◦ Shape the development of adult learning in your ETB ◦ Make alliances with other colleagues ◦ Continue to keep the adult learner at the centre of all you do....