The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh T.D. is today (Friday June 7) inviting applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons, for appointment as chairperson to the board of SOLAS for a five-year period up to 2024.
An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS), the Further Education and Training Authority, was established in October 2013 under the Further Education and Training Act, 2013. It is a body under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills.
SOLAS funds, co-ordinates and monitors further education and training provision by education and training boards (ETBs) on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.
In 2018, the 16 ETBs supported more than 300,000 trainees, delivering education and skills across 33 in a wide range of sectors including built environment, engineering, food and beverage, IT and tourism.
Minister McHugh said: “SOLAS makes a vital contribution in driving strategic reform in the further education and training sector.
The new chairperson will play an important leadership role in the continuing reform of the sector and ensuring the delivery of education, training and skills that enable young people, students and trainees to succeed in the labour market and thrive in society.
The Minister will appoint the chairperson of SOLAS following the selection process, which is being managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) under the revised procedures put in place in late 2014 for the appointment of persons to positions on state boards.
More information about the functions of the SOLAS board and the type of competencies required, as well as how to apply to for the position can be found at online at http://www.stateboards.ie/stateboards/campaignAdvert/105290.htm
PAS will convene an assessment panel to consider and assess the expressions of interest it receives. The panel will offer a shortlist of suitable candidates for the Minister to consider before an appointment is made.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 26 June 2019.
Notes to Editors
The Public Appointments Service (PAS), established under statute in 2004, provides an independent shared service in recruitment, assessment and selection to organisations across the civil and public services. On 30 September 2014, the Government decided that the PAS should also be given responsibility for putting in place an open, accessible, rigorous and transparent system to support Ministers in making appointments to state boards. The dedicated website, www.stateboards.ie, is the channel through which the PAS advertises vacancies on state boards. It is also the means through which accomplished, experienced and qualified people, including people who might not previously have been identified as available for appointment, can then apply to be considered for particular vacancies.
An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS), the Further Education and Training Authority, was established in October 2013 under the Further Education and Training Act, 2013. SOLAS is responsible for the strategic co-ordination and funding of the Further Education and Training (FET) sector.
The legislation sets out the overall structure of SOLAS and provides for its functions in the areas of:
• the development and implementation of a national strategy for the delivery of further education and training;
• consultation with key stakeholders in relation to the provision of further education and training;
• coordination with the National Employment and Entitlement Service – Intreo in the delivery of further education and training programmes to those seeking employment;
• advancing monies to the education and training boards and other training bodies;
• assessing whether bodies engaged in the provision of further education and training programmes perform their functions in an economic, efficient, and effective manner;
• developing and facilitating the development of new and existing further education and training programmes;
• conducting research relating to the functions of SOLAS.
Funding for further education and training is provided by the Department of Education and Skills from the Exchequer and the National Training Fund. SOLAS is the main recipient of FET funding and allocates the bulk of this funding to ETBs to deliver FET services at local level.