Óráid
Address by Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan TD, at launch of Pathways to Work 2016 - 2020
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Check against delivery
Since 2011, all of us have worked day after day to create pathways to work.
That work, and the efforts of our people have paid off, with a 42% reduction in the unemployment rate since 2012.
The new strategy launched today sets out our plan to continue that work, and to have 2.2 million people in work by 2020.
I welcome the Strategy.
In particular, I welcome the increased focus on the role that education and training can play in creating those pathways to work.
Unsurprisingly, my department’s primary focus over the course of the new Pathways to Work Strategy will be the provision of education and training.
That education and training will build the right skills to attract, retain and grow job opportunities.
Since 2013 transformational reform and reorganisation of the further education and training sector has taken place, with the establishment of SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards.
Together, they are responsible for the planning and delivery of further education and training nationwide.
Since then, significant progress has been made.
We have published the very first Further Education Strategy.
And we have developed more evidenced based models of planning our services.
Based on local and regional labour market and skills data, annual plans are developed by SOLAS in conjunction with the ETBs.
These plans set out the detail of provision for the year, including costs, place numbers and information on priority cohorts - particularly the long term unemployed and unemployed youth.
A series of independent evaluations of the full time and employment focused further education and training programmes will take place.
These evaluations are designed to make sure that social and economic impact is the basis on which provision is planned.
The first of these, already underway, will examine the effectiveness of the Post Leaving Certificate programme.
The Strategy recognises that we can only make real progress by working together.
To my mind, one of the greatest achievements of the first Strategy was to get Government, employers, jobseekers and education and training providers working together.
My department and the Department of Social Protection will work closely together in the delivery of the new strategy.
This work will be supported by the good models of co-operation between the Intreo and ETB networks.
This year, we will issue updated arrangements in this area and this work will be supported with better data and IT systems.
Engagement with employers has been identified as a cornerstone in providing for the skills needs of the economy.
Employer engagement has been a central part of the success of programmes like Momentum.
Employers will be at the heart of the rollout of new apprenticeships this year.
And all of this builds on the strong links that already exist between higher education institutions and employers.
But we can, and will, do more.
This year, my department is going to establish a network of Regional Skills Forums.
These Forums will create regional spaces, to foster greater engagement between education and training providers, employers, and other stakeholders.
This will help us to identify much earlier where skill needs and deficits exist.
And it will give us a chance to have regional responses to these needs, to that the recovery can be brought to every corner of Ireland.
In the context of the changing nature of skill needs, my department is leading on the development of a new National Skills Strategy.
That Strategy will be published this month.
The Apprenticeship Council is working to modernise our apprenticeship system.
The planning and development of 25 new apprenticeship programmes, in areas like financial services, hospitality and ICT is currently underway.
These apprenticeships will come on stream during 2016.
We are determined to work side by side with the Department of Social Protection on the implementation of this strategy and to give jobseekers the opportunity to upskill and reskill, so that they are in a position to take up jobs as they are created and to participate fully in our economic recovery.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all who have been involved in the development of this strategy.
Now, we must all turn our attention to implementing this plan; to make sure there is a job for everyone who wants one.
Thank you.
ENDS