VET in Ireland 3 TVET Programmes - institutional and workplace learning

Ensuring the relevance of TVET programmes Several structures and measures  Social Partnership agreements – current agreement ‘Towards 2016’ has an extended section on education and training across an individual’s lifecycle. Social Partnership came to an end in after 23 years  Involvement of the social partners at all national and local levels  Labour market research and guidance carried out / provided by range of national agencies  Labour market and VET programme reviews

Main VET providers  Upper secondary schools  Further and adult education and training centres  FÁS regional training centres + sub-contracted private, statutory and community providers  Sectoral training under other government departments  Institutes of Technology/Universities  Commercial providers  Professional bodies  Skillsnets – employer-led training networks supported by FÁS  Enterprises

Initial professional development of teachers / trainers / lecturers  Serious challenges in the VET sector outside of schools  Qualifications requirements vary or are non-existent  Many lack pedagogical training or need upskilling  A recent report recommends :  all VET teachers & trainers should have some pedagogical training  as a longer-term goal, pedagogical training should be offered to supervisors of VET students (e.g. apprentices, trainees) in companies  convergence in qualification requirement for teaching in different sectors of the VET system be encouraged -.

Workplace training  Substantial element of programmes such as apprenticeship, traineeship, specific skills training and some programmes in IoTs  VET in VECs provides only limited workplace training -  Recent OECD report called for ‘extensive use of workplace training in all VET programmes building on the existing types of provision’.

Workplace training  Far from systematic in many courses  Employers less willing...  ‘Curriculum’ - FETAC workplace learning module & associated standards developed through consultation with trainers & employers  Workplace mentors / coaches - formal training rare  Apprenticeships & traineeships - more structured  Apprenticeship training and traineeships are covered by national agreements between.training side &.social partners  I n apprenticeships the employer is or nominates, a qualified craftsperson as workplace mentor/assessor  Traineeships - skills coach training for experienced enterprise employees

Workplace training  Institution-industry links have become much more integral to HE  individual enterprises maintain close links with departments / faculties – courses, upskilling...  career guidance personnel maintain mutual communication with industry  Interface tends to be a local institutional issue - dependent on institution’s governance structures and / or contact networks

Access, transfer & progression  NFQ makes it possible for a person with a vocational qualification to progress to gain a qualification to become a member of a profession, such as a primary degree  In practice, the person’s progression will depend on acceptance on such a course - possible challenges due to:  limited inter-institutional co-operation  structural challenges  competition for HE places  lack of a system for RPL  and/or financial constraints  Increased levels of transfer & progression within HE by holders of tertiary-level Certificates or Diplomas on to degree level

 In 2009 a Framework for the Progression of Craftspersons - a progression route from Advanced Certificate – Craft to a Level 7 degree programme / beyond - framework facilitated progression for 40 craftspersons to L 7 in electrical engineering  Main obstacles were: lack of time & financial support; distance from provider; failure to have prior work & learning experiences recognised  A well-structured progression route - Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS) - progression from Post-Leaving Certificate courses to HE via FETAC Level 5 & some Level 6 awards  currently c.18% of applicants to HE hold a FETAC L5 or L6 major award Examples