Published on 

Ministers Quinn and Cannon launch five year strategy for Further Education and Training

Pictured are Paul O' Toole, Chief Executive SOLAS with Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Minister of State for Training and Skills Ciaran Cannon.

Pictured are Paul O' Toole, Chief Executive SOLAS with Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Minister of State for Training and Skills Ciaran Cannon.

The first ever strategy for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector is being launched by Education Minister Ruairí Quinn and Minister of State for Training and Skills Ciarán Cannon.

The overall aim of the Strategy is to develop a world-class integrated system of further education and training in Ireland, which will promote economic development and meet the needs of all citizens.

Five high level strategic goals have been identified:

  • Skills for the Economy: to address the current and future needs of learners, jobseekers, employers and employees and to contribute to national economic development
  • Active Inclusion: to support the active inclusion of people of all abilities in society with special reference to literacy and numeracy
  • Quality Provision: to provide high quality education and training programmes and to meet the appropriate national and international quality standards
  • Integrated Planning and Funding: FET provision will be planned and funded on the basis of objective analysis of needs and evidence of social and economic impact
  • Standing of FET: to ensure a valued learning path leading to agreed employment, career, developmental, personal and social options.

Speaking at the launch in the Chester Beatty library in Dublin Castle, Minister Quinn said:

This is an ambitious strategy that seeks to rebuild the entire Further Education and Training sector. This is a big challenge, but one that is timely and necessary. There is no single area as important, to the very texture and fabric of our society, as ensuring that our people are able to find work and get paid a living wage for it.

The development of a learner database for the FET sector is a particularly welcome action in this Strategy. For the first time, this will allow us to track the progression of our citizens, from post-primary education, through further education and training and higher education. There is a lot we can learn from the progress our people make through education, and this will also help us to ensure that we direct funding towards the most successful courses.

The Five Year Strategy for Further Education and Training (2014-2019) can be accessed at

http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/Further-Education-and-Training-Strategy-2014-2019.pdf

Read the full press release

here

.