ERIC ED542554: Spotlight on VET: Ireland

2013·2.5 MB·English

by  ERIC

Ireland
European Centre for the Development
Spotlight on VET of Vocational Training
EN EN
Education and training in figures
ISCED LEVEL 3-GEN ISCED LEVEL 3-VOC
Further information
100
Participation
32.1 34.2 37.5 38.8 44.3 46.5 49.9 51.5 52.2 56.1 67.0 69.7
in IVET
80 Behan, J. et al. (2012). National skills bulletin 2012. Dublin: Expert group on future skills needs/FÁS.
Students at ISCED 3 by
www.skillsireland.com/media/EGFSN25072012-National-Skills-Bulletin-Publication.pdf [accessed
vocational or general 60
programme orientation 11.12.2012]. Spotlight on VET
(%), 2010 40 Expert group on future skills needs (2007). Tomorrow’s skills: towards a national skills strategy. Dublin.
www.skillsireland.com/media/egfsn070306b_national_skils_strategy.pdf [accessed 11.12.2012]. Ireland
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67.9 65.8 62.5 61.2 55.7 53.5 50.1 48.5 47.8 43.9 33.0 30.3 Higher Education Authority (2012). Higher education: key facts and figures 2010/11. Dublin: Higher
0
Education Authority.
UK EE IE PT FR DK EU-27 DE BG SE NL FI
www.hea.ie/files/HEA%20Key%20Facts%20%26%20Figures%2010.11%20Final_0.pdf [accessed
Source: Eurostat, Unesco/OECD/Eurostat data collection, date of extraction, 5.11.2012.
11.12.2012].
ISCED 5B ISCED 5A/6 McNaboe, J.; Condon, N. (2012). Monitoring Ireland’s skills supply 2012: trends in education and
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Percentage of 25-34 training, outputs. Dublin: Expert group on future skills needs/FÁS.
year-olds with tertiary 50 www.skillsireland.com/media/EGFSN25072012-Monitoring-Irelands-Skills-Supply-Publication.pdf
education by type 40 38 30 [accessed 11.12.2012].
34 26
30 27 31 24 37 38 OECD (2012). Education at a glance 2012: highlights. Paris: OECD Publishing.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag_highlights-2012-en [accessed 11.12.2012].]
20 19
10 14 17 18
0 7 10 6 3 2 8 8 80
DE aEvUer-a2g1e DK EE FI NL SE FR UK IE www.education.ie Department of Education and Skills 44 EN
Source: OECD, 2012. www.erc.ie Education Research Centre – T
I-3
0
Lifelong learning 35 32.3 www.skillsireland.ie Expert group on future skills needs -12
% of population aged 30 www.fetac.ie Further Education and Training Awards Council -978
eind2 tu5hc-e6a 4tfio opunar rawtincediep tkarstai nipngrini oingr 2250 25.0 23.8 16.7 15.8 www.hea.ie Higher Education Authority -EN-C – d
to the survey, 2011 o
15 12.0 11.6 8.9 7.8 6.8 www.nqai.ie National Qualifications Authority of Ireland i:10.2
5 5.5 www.examinations.ie State Examinations Commission 801
1.2 /9
6
0 4
DK SE FI NL UK EE PT EU-27 DE IE FR BG 08
Source: Eurostat, labour force survey, date of extraction, 5.11.2012.
ISCED ISCED ISCED
Youth employment by C ountry 0-2 3-4 5-6
education level
Finland 21.4 60.8 80.6 ISCED International standard
Employment rate of
Germany 46.0 64.9 78.5 classification of education
population aged 15-24 Netherlands 54.2 71.7 76.9 ISCED 0-2 Pre-primary, primary and
by highest level of lower secondary education
Denmark 50.1 69.3 72.0
education attained in ISCED 3-4 Upper secondary education European Centre for the Development
Ireland and selected UK 34.5 53.3 70.0 and post-secondary education of Vocational Training
Member States (2011) Ireland 7.7 39.9 63.7 ISCED 5-6 Higher education
Estonia 13.6 44.1 62.0 Countries listed by the percentage of their Europe 123, 570 01 Thessaloniki (Pylea), GREECE
Bulgaria 3.8 33.7 58.8 population educated at least to level 3. PO Box 22427, 551 02 Thessaloniki, GREECE
Sweden 18.5 61.2 56.5 Tel. [phone], Fax [phone], E-mail: [email protected] 978-92-896-1137-4
Portugal 22.2 30.5 49.9 Copyright © European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), 2013
France 14.1 39.4 48.9 Source: Eurostat, labour force survey, All rights reserved.
EU-27 21.6 44.4 55.5 date of extraction 5.11.2012.
Ireland
Spotlight on VET
Structure The Irish education and training system Second-chance education
The national framework of qualifications (NFQ), launched in 2003, is a system of 10 levels that describes VET is also offered in the form of second-chance education; programmes include: VTOS (vocational
the Irish qualifications system. Each level is based on nationally agreed standards of knowledge, skill training for the unemployed), youthreach (for early school-leavers aged 15 to 20) and the back to
TTyyppiiccaall IISSCCEEDD NNQQFF
and competence and reflects what an individual is expected to know, understand and be able to do aaggee HHiigghheerr EEdduuccaattiioonn –– PPoossttggrraadduuaattee lleevveellss lleevveellss education initiative (part-time FET for adults). There are a range of awards, full and partial, at NFQ levels
following successful completion of a process of learning. Almost all awards made through the 1-6.
State-funded sector, and many in the private sector, have been placed on the NFQ. Most awards made PPhhDD ((33++ yyeeaarrss)) IISSCCEEDD 1100
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to VET participants are made at NFQ levels 5 or 6, with a smaller share at NFQ 7. The NFQ was
MMaasstteerrss ddeeggrreeee//ppoossttggrraadduuaattee cceerrtt.. oorr ddiipplloommaa ((11--22 yyeeaarrss)) 99
referenced to the European qualifications framework (EQF) in 2009. 2211++ Distinctive features of VET
HHiigghheerr ddiipplloommaa ((11 yyeeaarr))
There are only 27 trades which are part of the formal apprenticeship system in Ireland. Most initial
IISSCCEEDD
Governance 55AA vocational skill training in Ireland is provided either by FÁS or a VEC and is of relatively short duration.
88 Several vocationally-orientated education courses are provided by the tertiary sector, mainly through
In Ireland, the main providers of VET are the national Training and Employment Authority (FÁS – a HHiigghheerr EEdduuccaattiioonn –– UUnnddeerrggrraadduuaattee institutes of technology.
non-commercial semi-State body, part of the public sector) and vocational education committees (VECs Recent reforms in Ireland’s VET, which were part of overall reforms, have focused on:
– public sector bodies at county level responsible for vocational and continuing education). Other HHoonnoouurrss • improving transparency and progression opportunities of VET by aligning almost all State-sponsored
sottahteurtso.r Ty hpersoev ibdoedrsie isn aclrued feu nBdIeMd (frsoemaf othoed e ixncdhuesqtruye trr aanindin sgo)m aen dp rToegaragmasmce (sa grericceuilvtuer aasl strisatiannincge) ,f raommo thneg 1188--2211 bbaacchhOOeerrldldooiirnrn aaddrreeyyggrreeee bbaa((c3c3h-h-44ee--llo5o5r r y y ddeeeaeagrgrssrr))eeee 77 • itmrapinroinvgin, ga nredl emvuacnhc ein o tfh VeE pTri vtraatien isnegc btoyr ,a wligitnhi nthge p nroavtiiosnioanl fwraitmh elawboorukr omf aqrukaelitf inceaetidosn.s;
European Social Fund. Most VET occurs within the State sector, although private providers also play a HHiigghheerr IISSCCEEDD
((33 yyeeaarrss))
role. cceerrttiiffiiccaattee 55BB
((22 yyeeaarrss))
Challenges
VET is provided at different levels, although the bulk occurs on completion of upper secondary level
education. While it is possible to proceed to apprenticeship training following completion of lower
Early school-leavers: although Ireland has made steady progress in improving its early school-leaver rate
secondary education (ISCED 2), most (around 90%) pupils continue to upper secondary education in
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(declining from 14.6% in 2002 to 10.6% in 2011) and compares favourably with many other EU countries, it lags
Ireland.
behind the top performing countries (such as the Czech Republic). Further, at 12.5%, the proportion of male
Post-secondary non-tertiary programmes are primarily, although not exclusively, aimed at those who
early school-leavers remains considerably above that of females (8.7%). The challenge in Ireland is to address
have completed upper secondary education. Training can take the form of:
the gender gap and to continue to reduce the early school-leaving rate, particularly as those with lower
FFuurrtthheerr eedduuccaattiioonn && ttrraaiinniinngg ((FFEETT))
• apprenticeships (2% of total first year enrolments): young people acquire craftsperson status by
education attainment are at greatest risk of unemployment.
combining off-the-job training (in FÁS training centres and institutes of technology) and on-the-job AApppprreennttiicceesshhiipp –– uupp ttoo 44 yyeeaarrss FFuurrtthheerr
1188++ TTrraaiinneeeesshhiipp eedduuccaattiioonn && IISSCCEEDD Unemployment: in 2011 the unemployment rate in Ireland stood at 14.3% (quarter 4); however,
training (with an employer); training leads to an NFQ 6 craft certificate; partial awards are also made; PPLLCC CCoouurrssee && OOtthheerr FFEETT ttrraaiinniinngg ((FFEETT)) 44 unemployment rates were considerably greater for those with less than upper secondary education (24.7%)
• traineeships (4%): delivered by FÁS for a range of occupations (such as financial advisors assistant,
pharmacy sales assistant); training leads to an NFQ 5 or 6 award; partial awards are also made; ning SSeeccoonndd cchhaannccee 55 (cSeonutrrec eo: nS LfuMnRdUin ga neaffleyscitsiv eo f lCabSoOu rd amtaa)r.k eOtn aec otifv athtieo nm omset assigunreifsic aangta cinhsatl lean gbeasc kogvreoru nthde onfe xdte fcelwin inyge aprsu bwliicll
• relatively short training courses (average 16 weeks) (47%) in a vocational skill (such as computer ai
hardware maintenance, hairdressing) with a work-experience component delivered by FÁS; 22nndd lleevveell 22nndd lleevveell hip tr •• fYfYoooorruu etethhaarrrreellyyaa cchh –– expenditure.
• post-leaving certificate courses (PLCs) (47%): delivered in either further education/training (FET) 1155--1188 SSeenniioorr ccyyccllee SSeenniioorr ccyyccllee ces sscchhooooll lleeaavveerrss 44 Lifelong learning (LLL): while the State funds a range of industry initiatives designed to upgrade the skills of
cpoelrlseogneasl /ocro rsee csokinlldsa arny dl ewvoerl ks cehxopoelrsie; ntrcaei;n itnhgis ilse apdrosv tiod eadn iNn FaQre 5a so rth 6a ta winacrludd; ep atertciahln aicwaal rkdnso awrlee daglseo, LLCC((E2E2 oyoyerer aaLLrrCCss)V)VPP ((22 LLyyCCeeaAaArrss)) apprenti •• aVaVgTgTeOeOddSS 11––55 --2200 IISSCC33EEDD tLhLoLs ep ainrt iecmippaltoioynm einn tt,h Iere claonmdi nlagg sy ecaornss iids erreacbolyg nbiesheidn da sle aad iknegy cmouenatsriuerse info Lr LILre plaanrtdic itpoa tcioonn tirnautees .t oIn ccoremapseintge
made; o internationally as a knowledge economy (Expert group on future skills needs, 2007).
t vvooccaattiioonnaall
• training for other occupations (unknown): delivered by secondary level schools, FET colleges, private ttrraaiinniinngg ffoorr tthhee Restructuring: almost all vocational education and training in Ireland is delivered by FÁS or by one of a
1155--1166 OOppttiioonnaall ttrraannssiittiioonn yyeeaarr
providers or sectoral providers (such as for tourism, agriculture or fishing); awards, full or partial, are uunneemmppllooyyeedd network of 33 vocational education committees (VECs). Invariably, existence of so many different deliverers of
made, usually at NFQ 5 or 6.
•• BBaacckk ttoo further education and training has created some duplication and confusion. The existing structure is about to
Third level (ISCED 5B with focus on practical, technical or occupational skills) VET is provided mostly 1122--1155 22nndd lleevveell EEdduuccaattiioonn IISSCCEEDD undergo a profound change. The 33 VECs are to be reduced to 16 and will form local education and training
33
by institutes of technology, but also, albeit to a lesser extent, by universities and other higher education //1166 JJuunniioorr ccyyccllee ((33 yyeeaarrss)) IInniittiiaattiivvee –– 22 boards (LETBs). The resources of FÁS, which are involved in delivery of VET courses, are to be transferred to
providers. Courses (at ISCED 5b) are mainly in the areas of business, science and technology; ppaarrtt--ttiimmee FFEETT the 16 LETBs and FÁS is to be dissolved. A new education and training authority, SOLAS, is being established
ooppttiioonn ffoorr
successful completion leads to a higher certificate (NFQ 6) or an ordinary bachelor degree (NFQ 7). to replace FÁS. SOLAS will be responsible for funding further education and training and for monitoring efficacy
66--1122 PPrriimmaarryy lleevveell ((66 yyeeaarrss)) aadduullttss IISSCCEEDD 11 22 of VET courses provided by LETBs.
44--66 PPrree--pprriimmaarryy ((22 yyeeaarrss –– jjuunniioorr && sseenniioorr iinnffaannttss)) IISSCCEEDD 00 11
It is hoped the new agency will bring a more integrated approach to provision of VET in Ireland which has been
subject to a high degree of fragmentation. SOLAS will operate under the aegis of the Department of Education
and Skills. It is envisaged that the new structure will ensure provision of improved, relevant, high-quality training
LCVP: leaving certificate vocational programme; LCE: LC established; LCA: LC applied.
for learners.
Source: Author based on skills and labour market research unit (FÁS).