FET Strategy. Enabling Themes The passion and expertise of staff in KWETB and their commitment to putting learners at the heart of everything is evident throughout its services. Whilst some progress has been achieved by engaging with staff to expand their remit delivering integrated service provision, there remain numerous legacy design matters that need to be resolved nationally. As we enter the next phase of FET Strategy Implementation these matters need to be tackled along with a clear sense of how ETB staffing and structures should evolve to deliver future FET. KWETB will work with SOLAS around the creation of a pipeline of capital projects and continue to place a focus on service provision being learner and performance centred.
FET Strategy. Enabling Themes The passion and expertise of staff in Waterford Wexford ETB and their commitment to putting learners at the heart of everything they do is evident throughout its services. Whilst some progress has been achieved by engaging with staff to expand their remit in delivering integrated service provision, there remain numerous legacy design matters that need to be resolved locally and nationally. As we enter the next phase of FET Strategy Implementation, these matters need to be tackled along with a clear sense of how ETB staffing and structures should evolve to deliver future FET. Waterford Wexford ETB will also work with SOLAS around the creation of a pipeline of capital projects and continue to place a focus on developing FET that is learner and performance centred. Staffing, Structures and Capabilities WWETB will work with XXXXX and DFHERIS at a national level to advance a FET management structure that reflects the priorities set out in the FET Strategy. This new structure will have to allow for flexibility around re-assignment of roles based on service need, and WWETB will support the introduction of a FET practitioner role as required. A particular focus is required around an integrated management structure for a FET College of the Future. There are clear plans for an integrated FET College in Wexford, and WWETB and SOLAS will work to agree and support the appropriate structure to underpin this. An integrated structure will also be required for the FET College of the Future proposed for Waterford, which brings together what was formerly training and further education activity, and SOLAS will work with WWETB to support work on a capital plan for a FET College in Wexford. WWETB will produce baseline data for existing FET staffing levels to inform the national baseline, identify gaps across the ETBs and to develop the future FET staffing structure. A strong focus will be placed on the role of Professional Development in terms of upskilling and reskilling staff, through engagement with the Professional Learning and Development hub and related training for WWETB staff. Over half of WWETB FET staff engage in PD and WWETB will work to grow participation. WWETB will support work to reform the FET funding model. It reflects Waterford Wexford ETB’s ambition to move away from programme brands and silos, and it is willing to help pilot any new funding model approaches. Digital Transformation Initiation of blended learning, as a result of the pandemic wa...
FET Strategy. Fostering Inclusion Like all ETBs, the pandemic had an impact on those learners most at risk of marginalisation, many of whom were ill-suited to purely online learning and who found the prevailing environment immensely challenging. Xxxxx ETB ‘lost’ a significant base of these learners. Xxxxx ETB will place a major emphasis now on key targets groups and lost learners. Xxxxx ETB will work to target the hardest to reach groups, ensuring consistent learner support for all and embedding inclusive practice across provision. Xxxxx ETB is well along the journey of integration. Xxxxx ETB will continue its commitment to rolling out FET Universal Design for Learning Badges across staff in collaboration with AHEAD. It will implement all the good practice guidelines and toolkits developed by the sector around assessment and provision to meet learner needs. These include: Properly targeting the needs of the most vulnerable target groups requires working intensively at community level and with community-based organisations. The Mitigating Against Educational Disadvantage Fund (MAEDF) was a notable asset in making these connections and enhancing access to FET. Xxxxx ETB had relatively low levels of drawdown under this fund to date but it is committed to maximizing the reach of the fund in future and increasing participation now that it has been mainstreamed (and rebranded as the REACH fund). It is noted that ETBs are increasingly being asked to take on a community development role and this must be carefully managed and planned with partner agencies at national and local level. Xxxxx ETB will look at establishing MoUs with key community education partners to underpin an enhanced role for community education. Targeting Priority Cohorts Participation by Roma, Traveller, Refugee and Asylum seekers has declined during the pandemic and Xxxxx ETB will focus on reengaging with those learners. The widening participation indicator (which incorporates these groups and also people with disabilities) dropped by over one-third between 2019-2021. Xxxxx ETB has been asked to accommodate significant numbers of Ukrainian refugees and this will be a major priority in 2022 and 2023. ESOL provision is available online and face to face and is expected to grow significantly for this reason. Partnership working with local community education providers and interest groups will support Xxxxx ETB to understand and While consistency in learner support is still in development Xxxxx ETB commits to con...
FET Strategy. Creating Pathways Creating effective pathways into FET, within FET and from FET to higher education will be critical to realising the ambition and targets set out in this agreement. Xxxxx ETB has invested significantly in improving access and facilitating a more seamless learner journey through the FET it offers. The Government commitment to a unified tertiary system requires this work to be built upon by developing closer links to HE partners in the region, putting in place a system which allows pathways into FET throughout lifetimes and careers will be essential to meet the demands of our rapidly evolving economy and society. Integrated FET Pathways The Future FET integrated approach is based on a clear strategy to facilitate progression within FET from one course to another, advancing along the National Framework of Qualifications, with learner guidance and support and quality assurance playing an important role in ensuring potential pathways are transparent from the outset. The establishment of the Xxxxx College Campus serves as a model for an integrated approach to FET delivery and access to FET courses and programmes. Learners benefit from the approach, with a comprehensive website providing information to prospective learners, having a single point of admissions for courses, and having clear pathways to employment or progression to other tertiary education options. In 2021 Xxxxx ETB began the transition of VTOS provision and training courses at Levels 3 and 4 to a New Pathways Programme Category under Xxxxx College. This allowed all School to FET Pathways Xxxxx ETB has developed initiatives with Schools and FET to develop a greater awareness for Second level students of the spectrum of provision within Xxxxx ETB. To ensure this happens in a coordinated matter the following events are scheduled during the academic year: • Meeting with Xxxxx ETB principals by Xxxxx College Management and Admissions team. A coordinating team has been established to create links with Transition year and Senior cycle classes. This involves the Director of Further Education and Training, Director of Schools, Youth and Music, Post Primary Principals and Admissions. • The Post Primary_FET initiative this year will involve our FET sports department working with 2 participating Post Primary schools Transition Year programmes in the area of sport with the following modules Basketball, Health Related Fitness and soccer at QQI Level 4. The second initiative is to provide for TY ...
FET Strategy. Fostering Inclusion Like all ETBs, the pandemic had an impact on those learners most at risk of marginalisation, many of whom were ill-suited to purely online learning and who found the prevailing environment immensely challenging. Although Cork ETB ‘lost’ a base of these learners, particularly in community education, to its credit, the ETB actually managed to maintain and slightly increase their numbers of learners recorded in priority cohorts, although declines in certification of transversal skills and provision linked to Adult Literacy for Life do need to be addressed. Cork ETB will continue to xxxxxx inclusion by working to target the hardest to reach groups, ensuring consistent learner support for all and embedding inclusive practice across provision.
FET Strategy. Building Skills Photo XXXXX has a long legacy of working closely with industry to deliver on skills needs across the region. With a large training centre in Athlone delivering apprenticeships and a range of other training courses, there is a platform from which to build a wider FET College of the Future which can reach a larger base of learners and engage with a larger base of employers with agile and flexible skills development responses. Rebooting Skills Provision The pandemic has had a profound effect on FET across Longford and Westmeath. Overall learner numbers have fallen and employment outcomes have declined. While this is a trend that has been replicated across much of the sector, the fall does seem to have been relatively greater for LWETB. The most immediate priority therefore must be to find a way to reboot skills provision to return to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. The increased promotional potential for PLC courses via the link between FET and the CAO, and the ability to fully utilise the capacity and reputation of the training centre once more to stimulate demand and introduce new offerings, should support this. XXXXX will work towards returning to 2019 levels with further growth then possible.
FET Strategy. Fostering Inclusion Like all ETBs, the pandemic had an impact on those learners most at risk of marginalisation, many of whom were ill-suited to purely online learning and who found the prevailing environment immensely challenging. Although GRETB did maintain their overall reach to learners in priority cohorts from 2019 to 2021, it was also accepted that a number of learners were also ‘lost’ during this period. There are tangible signs of increased engagement to date in 2022 and GRETB will continue to target the hardest to reach over the course of this agreement. It is also committed to embedding consistent learner support and driving the delivery of the Adult Literacy for Life cross- Government and cross-society strategy.
FET Strategy. Fostering Inclusion Like all ETBs, the pandemic had an impact on those learners most at risk of marginalisation, many of whom were ill-suited to purely online learning and who found the prevailing environment immensely challenging. To its credit however, Tipperary ETB managed to actually increase the number of learners engaged from priority cohorts over this period, from 647 in 2018 to 791 in 2021, and maintained provision related to Adult Literacy for Life. This is a substantial achievement and testament to the efforts and the offer of Tipperary ETB across their communities over this period. The one key area that suffered during the pandemic however was certification of learning at Levels 1-3, and the ETB must refocus in order to restore these outcomes to pre- pandemic levels and grow further. By embedding consistent learner support across all FET provision, driving a new regional approach to delivery of the ALL strategy, and expanding targeted community initiatives, there is a clear direction for fostering inclusion in Tipperary.
FET Strategy. Building Skills As the largest ETB, City of Dublin has a wealth of skills development infrastructure spread across the city. Building on the strong community footprint of its long-established colleges of further education and training and training centres, it will embrace a more integrated FET College of the Future model to build its profile and offer to become the ‘go to’ place for skills development in the capital. Rebooting Skills Provision The first challenge for CDETB, in common with many of the ETBs, is to ensure provision returns to pre-pandemic levels, following the closure of some facilities, restricted capacity and the reluctance of some learners to engage over the last two years. Unsurprisingly, the level of direct employment outcomes reduced significantly in 2020, with the damage done to hospitality and retail sectors perhaps contributing to an even worse picture in Dublin city than across other regions. The Skills to Compete initiative, an initiative designed to break down programme silos and focus on the holistic upskilling required by those left out of work as a result of COVID-19 to get back into sustainable employment, got off to a slow start in Dublin. In 2022, just 944 places were filled, below the contribution that would be expected given CDETB’s relative scale, funding and provision in comparison to the wider sector. Over the three-year period of this agreement CDETB will develop its profile as a driver of skills and a key resource for enterprise across Dublin.
FET Strategy. Creating Pathways Creating effective pathways into FET, within FET and from FET to higher education will be critical to realising the ambition and targets set out in this agreement. KWETB has considerable strengths in this area, and is committed to developing and facilitating a more seamless learner journey through the FET it offers. It will further drive demand for FET and apprenticeships among school leavers in the region. The Government commitment to a unified tertiary system requires this work to be built upon by developing closer links to HE partners in the region, with putting in place a system which allows pathways into FET throughout lifetimes and careers will be essential to meet the demands of our rapidly evolving economy and society.
