1. CHALLENGES AND CHANGE IN ADULT AND FURTHER EDUCATION MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY, OCTOBER 17 & 18 2014 A NEW NATIONAL FORUM FOR FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEVELOPMENTS, PERSPECTIVES AND A CHANGING LANDSCAPE Helen Murphy, WIT

2. FET FORUM  Introduction to the FET Forum  National developments/changing landscape/new perspectives  Roundtable/Group discussion FET Colloquium 2015

3. Further Education and Training Forum  What is it?  How did it emerge?  Why did it emerge?

5. Further Education and Training Forum  Forum Mission  “To continually improve the quality of teaching in the Further Education and Training Sector”  The Forum will champion the sector by developing collaborative working strategies and a community of practice  It will influence national policy for the sector and will establish links with the Department of Education and Skills, the Teaching Council, SOLAS, the ETB’s and QQI

6. Further Education and Training Forum  Objectives  Build a repository of research in FET  Develop links with key national and local bodies involved in FET  Facilitate collaboration between members  Host Institution nominated each year  Prepare for national colloquium in 2015

8. FET Forum  2011 to date developments  Working Group of HEI’s  New Regulations from the Teaching Council for Further Education Teaching Qualifications  HEI’s start developing new TEQ programmes  National panels of review  TEQ’s launched in 2012 and 2013 across 8 HEI’s

9. FET Forum Developments  HEI’s working in collaboration  Panel review process meant programmes were peer reviewed in a transparent way  HEI consist of universities, institute of technology, teacher education colleges and independent third level providers  Opened up conversations – opportunities fo collaboration and research

10. FET Forum Developments  In practice what has happened:  Networking  Shared experiences  Joint research proposals (under National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning)  Participation on EU projects  A more cohesive voice – better understanding?

11. FET Forum – Perspectives  Questions about what is Further Education? And what is Adult Education?  Are these qualifications putting a restriction on who can be a Further Education Teacher or opening up opportunities for adult educators to be recognised and have parity of esteem with “teachers”?  How do we protect the values of adult education within a restricted legislative framework (Regulation 5 Teaching Council)?

12. FET Forum – Perspectives  Employment opportunities for adult educators  Compromise the values and ethos of adult education?  Professionalise good/bad?  Excluded non accredited work? Community education and informal and non-formal learning in adult education  Improve quality of teaching and learning?  At what cost?/ issues of power and control

14. Further Education and Training-A Changing Landscape Questions/ Issues  Education and Training Boards  SOLAS  New stakeholders/new funders  A renewed FET sector - responsive, flexible and innovative  Labour market activation strategies  Diversity of learners  Transition to employment/higher education

15. The Changing Higher and Further Education Horizon in Ireland National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 (2011) Towards a Future Higher Education Landscape (2012) Education & Training EU 2020 (2009) Education and Training Boards Act (2013) Further Education and Training Act (2013) 7 Universities 13 Institutes of Technology 7 Colleges of Education Private providers 16 Education and Training Boards 200 Further Education Colleges

16. The Current Education Policy View Further Education and Training Strategy, SOLAS For Educators  Continued Professional Development for educators  National competency framework for tutors and teachers across FET  Standards and qualifications for staff referenced by recent developments and guidelines for new qualifications for teachers in Further Education (Teaching Council)

17. FET – Changing landscape  Who are the stakeholders?  Have they changed?  Where is the adult learner positioned in these changes?  What about the voice of the practitioner?

18. FET Forum  Thank you!  hmurphy@wit.ie