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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris has today welcomed news that Active* Consent classes are being successfully rolled out in Further Education and Training (FET) colleges across the country.
Some 300 FET staff across the majority of the 16 Education and Training Boards have begun training on how to deliver consent workshops, receive disclosures, or be a champion for consent in their centre, while Kerry College has already embedded learner workshops which reached 700 learners before the end of last year.
The successful expansion of Active* Consent comes after new figures revealed 22,000 higher education students took part in the initiative last year, a 15 per cent increase on 2021/22.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said:
“This programme has been incredibly successful in both schools and higher education institutions, and so it’s wonderful to see that Further Education and Training colleges have been so proactive in adapting the model too.
“It is one of my top priorities to ensure that we create campus cultures which are safe, respectful, and supportive for all staff and students.
“I want to emphasise to everyone that we all have a role to play to ensure that we create a culture of zero tolerance which will contribute to a change in attitudes, increased awareness, and greater care for victims.
“Staff and students are entitled to a safe environment to study and work free from harassment or violence. Education and awareness raising are invaluable steps in achieving this.”
The Active* Consent programme focusses on equipping staff in the FET sector with the information, skills and support they need to facilitate workshops in their institutions on promoting positive, active consent, as well as training them on how to deal appropriately with a disclosure of sexual violence.
It also aims to reach marginalised and traditionally hard to reach target groups, such as communities experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and members of Ireland’s immigrant communities.
ETBI General Secretary Paddy Lavelle said:
"The arrival of the active* consent education and training programmes to the further education and training sector has been met with great enthusiasm and interest.
“Since the introduction of three core programmes in July of last year staff and learners across the sector, for the first time can now be equipped with the relevant knowledge, skills and resources embedding a culture of positive active consent for the future. ETBI through our Professional Learning & Development Hub are delighted to be supporting the FET sector in this critical area."
In addition to the 22,000 higher education students who took part in Active* Consent last year, a further 2,271 attended ‘The Kinds of Sex You Might Have at College’ live drama performance.
The Active* Consent initiative is jointly supported by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Justice.
SOLAS and Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) have been working in partnership with the Active* Consent team based at NUI Galway to deliver programmes for FET staff across the sector.
Funding for the programme has come from the Dormant Accounts Fund.
Training is offered by the Active* Consent team via a number of different programmes namely: Facilitator Training; First Point of Contact training; CPD Module participation.
FET-based initiatives focus on a tiered approach, from brief messaging and all staff awareness to more specialised training.
There are a number of pilot sites for FET Active* Consent training:
There are also pilot sites for Youthreach/Apprenticeships: