VET in Ireland 1
•
•
Labour market
Overall education &
training system
Economy & labour market
 A small,
open, trade-dependent economy,
increasingly based on the hi-tech & internationally
traded services sectors
 Onset of global financial crisis + near total collapse
in property and construction markets (second half
2008) =


rapidly contracting economy
sectoral decline in construction and related
professions, e.g. engineering and architecture8
 Unemployment
up from a low of 4.4% in 2004 to
14.24% in February 2012
Employment by NACE Rev 2 2011
'000
'000
'000
Oct. – Dec. 2011
Oct. – Dec. 2011
Oct. – Dec. 2011
Males
Females
Total persons
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing
71.8
8.6
80.4
B-E Industry
172.7
67.0
239.7
F Construction
100.3
7.2
107.6
G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
134.4
127.6
262.0
H Transportation and storage
72.0
19.1
91.1
I Accommodation and food service activities
53.6
59.8
113.4
J Information and communication
51.5
23.1
74.7
K-L Financial, insurance and real estate activities
45.8
56.4
102.2
M Professional, scientific and technical activities
58.1
35.9
94.0
N Administrative and support service activities
32.1
30.7
62.8
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
52.9
50.1
102.9
P Education
37.2
106.1
143.3
Q Human health and social work activities
45.0
193.0
238.0
R-U Other NACE activities
39.5
56.1
95.6
Total
966.9
840.8
1,807.8
Economic sector (NACE Rev. 2)
NOTE: ISCO – 88 table in text
1
2
3
Education/skills profile

The National Skills Strategy (2007) recommended that:


A total of 500,000 individuals who do not have upper
secondary (ISCED 3/Level 5 NFQ) or equivalent move up
NFQ one level by 2020
Specifically, there is a need to upskill:

70,000 from NFQ Levels 1 & 2 to NFQ Level 3 (ISCED 2)

260,000 up to NFQ Levels 4 & 5 (ISCED 3)

170,000 to NFQ Levels 6- 10 (ISCED 5a, 5b & 6)
Structure of
the
national
education
and training
system
Adult (aged 16
& over)
education &
training in:
VECs
FÁS
BIM
Fáilte Ireland
Teagasc
Community,
commercial &
other training
centres
Universities
Institutes of
Technology
Enterprises
National Framework of Qualifications
Levels 1 – 6 FETAC Further Education and Trainng Awards Council (up ISCED 3/4)
Levels 3 – 5 State Examinations Commission (ISCED 2 & 3)
Levels 6 – 10 HETAC Higher Education and Trainng Awards Council (ISCED 4, 5a, 5b & 6)
Levels 6 – 10 Dublin Institute of Technology (ISCED 4, 5a, 5b & 6)
Levels 7 –10 Universities (ISCED 4, 5a, 5b & 6)
Current Governance in
VET System
Other Government
Departments
Department of Education and Skills
Higher Education
Authority (HEA)
National Qualifications
Authority XX
HETAC
XX
FETAC
XX
National
Council for
Curriculum
&
Assessment
State
Examinations
Commission
(SEC)
FÁS
HQ
BIM
XX
8 FÁS
Universities
Institutes of
Technology
VET Colleges and
Centres
Vocatio
nal
Schools
Post –primary schools
with VET in upper secondary
Regional
Centres +
contracted
providers
XX
Sectoral Training
33 Vocational
Education
Committees (VECs)
XX
Teag
asc
Proposed Governance in
VET System by end of 2012
Higher Education
Authority (HEA)
Qualifications and
Quality Assurance
Authority Ireland
(QQAI) XX
SOLAS
XX
National
Council for
Curriculum /
Assessment
Other
Government
Departments
Department of Education and Skills
State
Examinations
Commission
(SEC)
Sectoral Training
16 Education and Training
Boards XX
Universities
Institutes of
Technology
VET Colleges and Centres
Vocational
Schools
Teag
asc
BIM
Post –primary schools
with VET in upper secondary
Recovery . . ..
 National
Recovery Plan November 2010 to restore
order to the public finances & drive economic
recovery
. ..
 VET
is a key recovery strategy