Public Consultation to inform the development of the Further Education and Training Strategy (2025-2029)

SOLAS, the Further Education and Training (FET) Authority, commenced work in 2024 on the development of a new five-year strategy for the Further Education and Training sector in Ireland.

As part of this strategy development process, we are engaging in a public consultation to help develop a strategy and vision for the next five years, which will deliver an ambitious plan to power the potential of individuals, communities and enterprise through lifelong learning and workforce transformation.

A record number of over 400,000 Further Education and Training (FET) places were taken up in 2024 indicating significant growth in the learner base across the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) which has expanded by a quarter since the end of 2022.

With the second national FET strategy Transforming Learning coming to its conclusion at the end of 2024, SOLAS, mandated by Government, has already begun a wide-ranging strategy consultation process with its partners in the Education and Training Boards and stakeholder groups including enterprise, learners, other Government Departments and agencies, second level education providers and representative groups to help set out a clear vision for future growth, transformation and development.

Submissions are now invited from interested parties to assist SOLAS and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in setting out the strategic direction of Further Education and Training in Ireland up to the year 2029.

• The public consultation document (English version) can be accessed here.
• The public consultation document (Irish version) can be accessed here.

SOLAS is seeking your views on three thematic areas that will be fundamental to the success of the new FET Strategy:

• Theme 1: Delivering on Ireland’s Skills Needs
• Theme 2: Fundamentally Changing the Way We Deliver FET
• Theme 3: Further widen participation by linking to communities and services.

Submissions should be emailed to fetstrategy@solas.ie with “FET Strategy Submission 2025- 2029” in the subject line and should be submitted on or before 5pm on Friday 21st February 2025.

The closing date for submissions to the Public Consultation on the FET Strategy is 5pm on Friday, 21 February 2025.

Queries can be directed to fetstrategy@solas.ie

Please note that under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 to 2014, information provided during this consultation may be liable to be disclosed. It is intended that all submissions received will be made available under the Freedom of Information Acts and as such may be published on our website following the publication of the Statement of Strategy.

A report on the findings of the consultation process will be developed to inform the design and development of the next FET strategy. This report may be published https://www.solas.ie/dataprotection.