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National Development Plan 2000-2006 - Chapters V and X - Ireland
Tables and charts of the origninal text are excluded
Source: Government of Ireland
Chapter V: Employment & Human Resources Operational Programme
5.1 People are a country’s most important asset. Making full use of this valuable resource requires the adoption of policies which will enable all those who wish to do so to find a job and which will enable people to develop their skills levels so that they can realise their full potential within the ever changing market place. As a result of a comprehensive assessment of the skills attainment of the labour force and the skills requirements of the economy, Plan investment on the Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme will amount to £9.9 billion ( 12.6 billion).
5.2 Reflecting the EU Employment Guidelines and the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) investment will take place under four pillars.
In addition to the investment of £0.2 billion ( 0.26 billion) on equal opportunities under this priority further investment amounting to £1.06 billion ( 1.3 billion) is also provided for under Social Disadvantage in the Programmes for the Development of the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) and Southern and Eastern (S&E) Regions. This includes £250 million ( 317.5 million) for the provision of child care facilities. This represents the single biggest specific investment in the Plan under gender mainstreaming in pursuit of the objective of reconciling family and working life and facilitating access for women to education, training and employment. Equal opportunity in the National Plan covers both gender mainstreaming and the elimination of inequalities in order to address national priorities in relation to tackling social exclusion and poverty, and to meet the requirements of the ESF Regulation (Regulation No 1262/1999 of 21 June, 1999 — in particular Articles 1-3) and the General Structural Funds Regulation (Regulation No 1260/1999 of 21 June, 1999 — Article 1) respectively.
5.3 Ireland’s recent employment performance has been remarkable when compared with past experience or with current experience elsewhere in the developed world.
5.4 In the six years up to the second quarter of 1999, the labour force increased by 285,000 (an average of over 3% per annum). Much of this growth has been driven by demographic trends (including the reversal of migration flows) which have seen a large increase in the population of working age. However, as the table shows, rising labour force participation has also played a part, particularly since 1995. Virtually all of this increase relates to women, whose participation rate rose from 38.2% in 1993 to 46% by 2nd quarter of 1999; male participation showed a more modest increase, from 67.9% to 70.2% over the same period.
5.5 Employment grew even more rapidly, by 370,000 (over 5% per annum). This led to an increase in the employment rate, from 44.5% in 1993 to 54.5% by 2nd quarter of 1999. Again, women’s employment rate rose particularly rapidly, from 32% to 43.4%. However, the male employment rate, which had been falling previously, also showed a significant increase, from 57% to 66%. As a result, unemployment fell by 123,000, from 220,000 in 1993 to 97,000 by quarter one of 1999, bringing the unemployment rate down from 15.7% to about 6%.
5.6 The youth unemployment rate, although considerably reduced, from 25% in 1994 to 11.1% (2nd Qtr. ‘99), remains high in comparison to the adult (over 25) rate. In addition, early school leaving remains a concern. The preventative strategy remains key here in the first instance with a gradual extension of its application to longer duration young unemployed people.
Regional Analysis of the Labour Market
5.7 Regional analysis of the employment and unemployment situation Table 5.3 reveals regional differences in the labour force growth, participation and employment rates. Between 1993 and 1998 the labour force grew in the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) Region by 9% compared to almost 18% in the Southern and Eastern (S&E) Region. The female participation rate grew in the BMWRegion from 45% to 47% while in the S&E Region it grew from 47% to over 54%.
5.8 In both regions long-term unemployment has fallen faster than overall unemployment, indicating a previously unanticipated responsiveness to economic growth and the effectiveness of targeted active labour market programmes. However, there remains a strong structural component to those who remain in long-term unemployment.
5.9 The lack of educational attainment remains a critical factor in the risk and persistence of long-term unemployment. At the level of the individual, a wide range of disadvantage can present itself. Table 5.4 sets out educational attainment of the population by region and by gender.
In 1997 the proportion of the population (15 years of age and over) with education only up to primary level was 27% for the State. Across the two regions the breakdown was 33% for the BMW Region and 26% for the S&E Region. However, between 1993 and 1998 there has been a reduction, nationally of 77,600 or 9% in the number of people with only Primary Education. In the regions the percentage reduction was in the order of 9% for both. The percentage increase of those with Lower Secondary level education was 7% nationally with the regional increases of the same order. The percentage increase between 1993 and 1997 in those with Upper Secondary education was 8% nationally, 13.5% for the BMW Region and 6.6% for the S&E Region. For Non- Degree Third Level the increase was 36% nationally, 30% for the BMW Region and 37% for the S&E Region. The category Degree Third Level showed an increase of 25% nationally, 19% for the BMW Region and 25% for the S&E Region. The overall trend nationally is of an increasingly educated population reflecting, in particular, the availability of free second level education since the 1960s, the young profile of the population and the substantial investment in human resources development in the two previous structural fund programming rounds.
5.10 There are differences between the regions in the level of educational attainment. The proportion of the population with third level qualifications in 1997 at 20% in the S&E Region is ahead of the 14% for the BMW Region. In 1997 the representation of women among the population with lower levels of education (Lower Second Level or Primary Education) was lower in the BMW Region at 47% than in the S&E Region at 49%. 53% of those with third level education in the BMW Region are women while in the S&E Region the figure is 50%. The recent evaluation report of the ESF Evaluation Unit on Equal Opportunities between Men and Women indicates that women constituted 43% of all participants benefiting from ESF supported education and training in 1994-1999.
5.11 Sectoral analysis of employment shows similar patterns in terms of women’s involvement in the sectors but there are significant overall differences between the BMW Region and the S& E Region between the sectors. There are generally less women than men employed in both regions across sectors but this is less marked in manufacturing and the services. There are, however, more women than men employed in the professional services and other services. The BMW Region’s share of the State’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing employment is 44% while its share of Building and Construction and Manufacturing stands at 29%. Similarly, its share of employment in Market and Non-Market Services stands at 21% compared to the S&E Region’s share of 79%.
5.12 The latest available information on earnings from the Census of Industrial Production shows a marginally higher increase in earnings per capita for the BMW Region between 1994 and 1996, at 7.2% compared to 6.6% for the S&E Region but earnings per capita in the BMW Region still lag significantly behind those in the S&E Region by some 30%.
Early indications for 1999 and the labour force outlook
5.13 The increase in employment and fall in unemployment continued into early 1999. In the QNHS for the second quarter of 1999 employment was shown to have increased by 96,600 over the same period in 1998; the overall unemployment rate had fallen to 5.7%, and the long-term rate had fallen to 2.5%.
5.14 The employment rate has risen to just under 55%, with the female rate reaching over 43% and the male rate rising to 66%. The 1999 estimate of labour force growth assumes that immigration continues at its 1998 level of 23,000, and that participation, after the surge seen in 1997-98, reverts towards the more moderate upward trend seen in the preceding years. With employment continuing to grow strongly, further falls in unemployment are anticipated for the latter part of 1999.
Medium-Term Labour Force Outlook
5.15 The medium term growth of the labour force will depend on a combination of underlying demographic trends and developments in labour force participation. It is anticipated that the expected natural increase in the Labour Force will be augmented by further net immigration and higher Labour Force participation. As outlined in Chapter 1, annual average Labour Force growth of about 2% is assumed over the period of the Plan.
5.16 The labour market in Ireland is changing rapidly in the face of strong increases in employment and the decline in unemployment. On the basis of a continuation of the recent performance in employment, the Irish employment rate will have exceeded the European average rate in 1998. Unemployment rates are at their lowest level in two decades and, at this stage, well below the European average. The target set in the 1998 Action Plan of reducing unemployment to 7% by end year 2000 has already been exceeded.
5.17 As outlined above, Ireland’s recent Labour Market performance has been remarkable. While favourable Labour Market conditions are expected over the period of the Plan there are clear structural problems emerging that need to addressed.
5.18 The national stock of human capital needs to be improved further through training and education. As unemployment and long-term unemployment rates continue to fall, Ireland’s labour market is experiencing particular pressures, most notably in the high skills sector where there is an emerging imbalance between labour supply and demand. Retention in employment, through up-skilling and retraining of workers, is a major challenge in a highly dynamic business and industry environment. In a tightening labour market, efforts must be made to mobilise potential labour supply through a range of measures ranging from reintegrating the long-term unemployed in addition to encouraging more female participation and helping those suffering from disadvantage to access the labour market.
5.19 The National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) identifies unemployment, particularly long-term unemployment as a fundamental cause of poverty. While long-term unemployment has fallen even more rapidly than overall unemployment in recent years, there is a strong structural component to those who remain in long-term unemployment. Lack of educational attainment has been identified as a critical factor in the risk and persistence of long-term unemployment. Nearly three quarters of the long-term unemployed have no, or low, levels of educational attainment. Only 19% have attained a Leaving Certificate. Early school leaving still persists and the youth (15-24) unemployment rate, although considerably reduced, from 23.3% in 1994 to 8.5% (2nd Qtr. 1999) remains high by comparison with the adult (>25) rate.
5.20 In light of Ireland’s current and forecast economic, demographic and labour market situation, the key objectives of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 in relation to the Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme will be to:
5.21 The priorities identified in the 1999 National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) are seen as important to the consolidation of a successful labour market strategy and to the achievement of these key objectives. The NEAP priorities are:
5.22 In respect of education and training, the National Development Plan will facilitate the achievement of the following specific objectives:
5.23 The 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam put employment at the centre of Europe’s policy agenda and provided for co-ordination of national employment initiatives within a European Employment Strategy. At the first ever Jobs Summit in Luxembourg in 1997, the EU leaders agreed on an annual cycle to implement and review the European Employment Strategy. The process takes the form of agreed annual Employment Guidelines, set out under a four pillar framework of Employability, Entrepreneurship, Adaptability and Equal Opportunities. Member States give effect to these Guidelines through their National Employment Action Plans (NEAPs).
5.24 Ireland’s national strategy for employment and employability-related human resource development is set out in Ireland’s NEAP. This was prepared in the context of the European Employment Strategy and recently updated for 1999. The key objective of the NEAP is to bring about effective structural reform of the Irish labour market and to ensure that new employment opportunities are exploited in a sustainable way. The strategy is, at its simplest, two fold. On the one hand, it is a preventive strategy with the aim of helping to prevent people from becoming unemployed, by seeking to ensure that they do not leave the education system without suitable qualifications and, if they do become unemployed, by engaging with them in the early stages of their unemployment and offering them a choice of interventions aimed at minimising their unemployment duration. This preventive strategy also encompasses adaptability, by helping to ensure that those in the labour market are equipped to remain there in the face of rapid change, by way of continued learning and upskilling. On the other hand, the strategy aims to reintegrate those who are already long-term unemployed back into the labour market by equipping them with skills or providing work experience.
5.25 The NEAP strategy will form an integral part of the National Development Plan strategy on employment and human resources development. Having regard to the fact that investment in employability and human resources development tends to gravitate towards those areas with higher population densities and an available pool of skilled workers, the National Development Plan will seek to ensure that human resources needs of less developed regions are met through regionally targeted actions. In particular, the Plan will seek to enhance the labour force pool and skills levels with a view to promoting greater convergence between the BMW Region and the S&E Region in educational and skills attainment and labour force participation rates.
5.26 The measures in the Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme will be complemented by the Social Inclusion and Local Development measures in the Regional Operational Programmes. These measures will reflect the Equality and Employability Pillars of the NEAP and EU Employment Guidelines. The Research, Technological Development and Innovation (RTDI) and Indigenous Industry Measures in the Productive Sector Operational Programme will provide further assistance for developing enterprise and adaptability. It will also serve to boost human potential in research, science and technology and strengthen the research capability of third level institutions.
5.27 The Tourism, Agriculture, Forestry and Seafood Sectors made a significant contribution to employment and economic growth in the period 1994-1999 and they will continue to have the potential to do so in the period of the Plan. A new focus to reflect their changing operational environment will be required in the support being provided for human resource development within these sectors. Due to the nature of the sectors they are uniquely positioned to make a contribution to balanced regional development and, in particular, rural development.
5.28 Over the past ten years, tourism has matured into a major sector of the Irish economy with associated employment now at 127,000 or one in 12 of the work force. The remarkable success of Irish tourism is set to continue and Bord Fa´ilte estimates well over eight million overseas visitors annually by the year 2006 with tourism employment expected to rise by up to a further 50,000 over the period. This will happen simultaneously with change in visitor demographics, attitudes and lifestyles, combined with greater travel sophistication and experience on the part of both the domestic and foreign tourist. CERT training provision for the tourism industry attracts between 50%-60% female participation rates annually, depending on the particular programme. The male/female output levels on programmes very closely reflect the employment opportunities within tourism. The 1998 CERT Employment Survey (Hotels/Guesthouses and Restaurants) showed the male/female ratio in employment to be 48%:52%, compared to 44%:56% in the 1996 survey. At managerial level, women now account for over 40% of the total employed. During 1999, CERT will be examining participation rates on programmes and developing strategies to improve the gender balance on programmes where an imbalance currently exists. CERT, through its Return to Work Programme, encourages women back into the work force by providing flexibly structured training programmes (to take account of domestic responsibilities) and assistance in securing employment, particularly at local level. In addition, men are encouraged to participate in training programmes in skill areas that have predominantly attracted women, i.e. reception and accommodation.
5.29 The tourism industry will be expected to undertake more responsibility itself for the recruitment, training and development of its work force. The industry needs to adapt its approach to human resource management to take account of the potential now on offer to personnel, entering or already within the industry, for career progression and development as a result of a much expanded, competitively driven industry. The emphasis will be on maintaining quality customer service and competitiveness and continuing to attract more new entrants. Public intervention will be focused on the considerable tourism employment potential amongst socially excluded target groups such as the long-term unemployed, early school leavers, women wishing to return to work, non-nationals and older age groups, as well as offering employment for traditional school leavers. In addition to a more targeted mix of interventions to secure new entrants to the sector, a range of other policy measures are also required, including knowledge transfer programmes, certification of in-house trainers, and entrepreneurship programmes to encourage the industry itself to be more self sustaining in the future as regards human resource development.
5.30 A recent ESRI Study3 of likely future demand for agricultural training observed that ‘‘in agriculture and forestry, education levels remain low’’ and concluded that ‘‘while the demand for training in agriculture may be weakening, the need for it remains great if this important industry is to function effectively and prosper in Ireland’’. Noting the poor facilities at the colleges and, in particular, the lack of computerisation, the Study commented: ‘‘The agricultural training system is a significant component of the national educational and training system which is so vital to Ireland’s continued economic success. As such, it is entitled to enjoy the same measure of support for its ongoing activities, and the same level of investment in facilities, as other components of the system’’. Women make up almost half of all farm labour in Ireland, yet only a small fraction of farm women participate in training and education. The challenges facing the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Sectors are to improve education levels in the sectors, to address skills shortages relating to environmental issues and food safety, as appropriate, to upgrade skills for the development of alternative enterprises and to facilitate the use of new technology and to improve the gender balance in training programmes for the sectors.
5.31 The links between economic growth and education have been intensively researched. Indeed the rate of investment in education and training has been identified as one of the primary contributors to our economic development in recent contributions to the study of economic growth. There is a clear consensus that investment in education and training has a very high rate of return and that it accounts for a significant proportion of the observed variation in economic growth rates around the world. Many studies have demonstrated the contribution of the rising educational levels of the labour force to Ireland’s economic success. A survey of the largest multinational companies operating in Ireland in 1998 listed ‘‘labour force flexibility’’, ‘‘the educational system’’ and ‘‘labour force availability’’ among the five most important determinants of competitiveness.
5.32 Improvements in living standards will increasingly depend on the growth of the productivity of the employed labour force; this will depend to a considerable extent, on the development of the skills of the Irish work force through education and training. This is the key underpinning rationale for the continued significant increase in investment in the education and training system both within the context of the National Development Plan and indeed, as part of the overall programme of Government expenditure.
5.33 Whilst comparison of inter-country data on outcomes suggest that Ireland’s education system has produced consistently good outcomes, a great deal remains to be achieved if economic and social policy objectives are to be met. Investment in education under the Plan will therefore be concentrated on:
In addition, the Plan recognises the essential need to promote the success of the technological and university sectors in providing the highly educated skilled young persons who are vital to the continued attraction of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Ireland.
5.34 Low educational attainments have been found to increase the risk of becoming unemployed, of entering into long-term unemployment and eventually dropping out of the labour force and becoming impoverished. The Government recognises that, whilst other factors have also to be addressed simultaneously, it is clear that raising the educational attainment of the work force has to be a priority both from the perspective of reducing the equilibrium rate of unemployment and reducing the level of social exclusion. Accordingly, tackling low educational levels and preventing early school leaving will be a key objective of the National Development Plan. Resources devoted to meeting this challenge will have a very high benefit/cost ratio.
5.35 Training measures for the unemployed and those in employment are included under all four pillars. Measures to address educational needs are included under social disadvantage, lifelong learning and skills under the Employability Pillar and higher level skills under the Adaptability Pillar and equality under the Equality Pillar. The measures have been developed and will be implemented as part of an integrated strategy designed to meet national and regional employment and human resource development needs to 2006.
5.36 The implementing bodies for the Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme will, subject to the principles outlined in Chapter 12 on the Implementation of Programmes, include the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, FAS, CERT, Teagasc, BIM and others. Full details of the implementation arrangements will be set out in the Operational Programme and the Programme Complement for Employment and Human Resources Development. Detailed performance indicators for each measure at national and regional level will also be developed and set out in the Programme Complement.
5.37 The Employability Sub-Programme will comprise Lifelong Learning measures including Social Inclusion in the education sector and labour market training measures. The labour market training measures are an Action Programme for Unemployed, Active Measures for the Long-term Unemployed and Socially Excluded, Lifelong Learning (General Training, Back to Education Initiative, National Adult Literacy Strategy, Further Education Support Services and Languages), Early School Leavers Progression, Sectoral Entry Training for Early School Leavers and Long-term Unemployed and Skills Training for Unemployed and Redundant Workers. The Social Inclusion measures are Early Education Initiative, School Completion Initiative, Early Literacy Initiative, Traveller Education, School Guidance Service and Third Level Access.
Action Programme for Unemployed
5.38 FAS will play a major role, in co-operation with relevant Government Departments and education/training institutions, in implementing Guidelines 1 and 2 of the Employment Action Plan. The key innovation of these Guidelines is an explicit strategy of trying to stop the drift into long-term unemployment. This process began in respect of young persons in September 1998 and has been extended more widely in 1999. It will be implemented fully by the end of the year 2000 and will be continued throughout the period of the National Development Plan.
5.39 The process involves the identification by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs of persons approaching an unemployment threshold (6 months on the Live Register for young persons, 9 months for older persons) who are referred to FAS for a vocational guidance interview. The interview begins a process of advice and support to the unemployed individual. This includes referral to job vacancies, information on education and labour market options across the full range of providers and referral to such programmes as is desirable. For older persons it also involves referral to Community Employment or subsidised employment. A further option being expanded at present is Job Clubs which provide support in such aspects as preparing for interview, CVs and job search. Experience to-date has been positive. Of those referred in September-December 1998, 79% had left the Live Register by end-May 1999. Where the destination of these leavers was known, 53% had obtained jobs and 33% had entered education/training programmes.
5.40 Despite the continuing overall reduction in unemployment, there will inevitably be some persons who become unemployed and reach the Employment Action Plan thresholds. While it is impossible to predict the numbers concerned exactly, provision is being made for an estimated 50,000 referrals per annum, 35,000 in the S&E Region and 15,000 in the BMW Region. Many of these will be able to obtain employment directly through the advice and information services of FAS, but a proportion will wish to attend training or employment programmes. Provision is made in the Plan for 3,000 young persons and 9,500 older persons to enter such programmes each year, 2,000 young persons and 6,600 older persons in the S&E Region and 1,000 young persons and 2,900 older persons in the BMW Region.
5.41 Planned expenditure on the Action Programme for the Unemployed is £663 million ( 841.8 million), £464.1 million ( 589.3 million) in the S&E Region and £198.9 million ( 252.5 million) in the BMW Region.
National Employment Service 5.42 FAS will provide a National Employment Service to meet the needs of employers, job- seekers and job-changers over the period of the Plan, through its network of over 70 Employment Services Offices supplemented by part-time offices and electronic media. The Employment Service has been strengthened in recent years. It will be further strengthened in 2000, to meet the needs of those referred under the NEAP process. The Service will incorporate the specialist Local Employment Service for the long-term unemployed. It will further develop its ability to cater for the needs of job-seekers by expanding its guidance and counselling services, increasing its use of new information technologies to provide information and advice, and by closely tracking the progress of its clients on a caseload basis. Information technologies, including the Web, will be used to assist employers in notifying and filling vacancies. The Service will also develop its role in identifying the needs of job-seekers for training and advising training providers of such needs.
5.43 Expenditure under this measure will amount to £179 million ( 227.3 million), £125.3 million ( 159.1 million) in the S&E Region and £53.7 million ( 68.2 million) in the BMW Region. Over 120,000 persons are expected to register with FAS each year. Of these, it is estimated 84,000 will be in the S&E Region and 36,000 in the BMW Region.
Active Measures for the Long-term Unemployed and Socially Excluded
5.44 Although their number has fallen, there is a group who have been out of work for long periods and who have difficulty in returning to work. This includes those who are long-term unemployed, on One Parent Family Payment, people with a disability and dependants of the long- term unemployed. They require a range of services and programmes to assist their return to regular employment. In the past, Community Employment has been one of the main programme options for this group and has assisted a significant proportion of them to return to the work force. However, given current and projected labour market conditions, programmes of education and training, and supports to return to ‘normal’ employment can be preferable in many cases.
5.45 Government is adopting a series of measures to increase provision on these programmes, including increased training provision for the long-term unemployed, increased training allowances for the long-term unemployed, funding for the Back to Education Allowance Scheme and Back to Work Allowance places and improvements to the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme and the Social Economy. Increased flexibility of training programmes will be introduced to ensure that they meet the particular needs of persons with family responsibilities.
5.46 The aim over the period of the Plan will be to provide increased assistance to the socially- excluded through these types of measures, and consequently to reduce activity on public employment programmes such as Community Employment and the Job Initiative. Specifically, the combined numbers on these programmes are projected to decline from about 40,000 annually in 1999 to 28,000 by 2003.
5.47 Projected expenditure on Active Measures for the Long-term Unemployed is £1,717 million ( 2,180 million), £1,202 million ( 1,526 million) in the S&E Region and £515 million ( 654 million) in the BMW Region. Of the estimated 28,000 Community Employment and Job Initiative participants annually, 19,600 are expected in the S&E Region and 8,400 in the BMW Region.
Social Inclusion Measures in the Education Sector 5.48 The Social Inclusion measures within the education sector include an Early Education Initiative, a School Completion Initiative, Early Literacy, Traveller Education, School Guidance Service and Third Level Access.
5.49 The ESRI ex-ante evaluation identified the first priority for investment in education as being the needs of those whom the system fails. Addressing educational disadvantage requires interventions in the context of a continuum of provision from early childhood through to adulthood, with a strong focus on preventive strategies. This accords with the priorities in Guidelines 7, 8 and 9 of the NEAP which state that the quality of the school system will be improved in order to reduce substantially the number of young people who drop out of the school system early and that special attention will be given to the needs of minorities and other disadvantaged groups in order to promote and facilitate their integration into the labour market.
5.50 The aim of the Early Education Measure is to provide early interventions to encourage long- term education participation, address literacy and numeracy difficulties at an early stage and to prevent subsequent problems giving rise to long-term unemployment, social problems etc. The principal focus will be on families where the parents have a low level of educational attainment and on children with special needs (identified in recent research as greatly benefiting from early specialist education interventions). Funding will be directed at key target groups and provided on a devolved basis and integrated within area-based interventions in the case of areas with significant concentrations of educational disadvantage.
5.51 In the period 2000-2006, it is intended to build on the experiences from the 8-15 year olds early school leaver pilots initiated in 1998 and the Stay-in-School pilot established in 1999. The School Completion initiative will be designed to deal with issues of both concentrated and regionally dispersed disadvantage. It will have four strands — Research and Evaluation Strand, Tracking Strand, School Support Strand and Student Support Strand — which with the development of a primary pupils database will ensure that appropriate arrangements are put in place to facilitate increased retention rates in education and to completion of Leaving Certificate or its equivalent. In that context, one of the basic roles of the Education Welfare Service will be to ensure that services directed at tackling absenteeism and early school leaving are co-ordinated across a wide range of activity. Schools involved in the initiative will be required to operate on a multi-agency basis establishing appropriate cross community links. Studies of educational disadvantage and retention show that many pupils who fit into key target groups are dispersed throughout the system. Key elements of each school’s retention plan will be links with feeder primary schools and co-ordination with local agencies.
5.52 The achievement of high literacy skills is central to both general educational attainment and subsequent success. The National Development Plan is providing for a co-ordinated approach to the problem which will significantly improve literacy skills at all age levels. The key elements of the Early Literacy Measure are to:
There will also be co-ordination with the adult literacy service. The public awareness and materials development aspects of the measure will form the initial focus of the initiative and will be the principal objective of expenditure in 2000 and 2001.
5.53 The Government is committed to increasing the retention level at post primary to completion of senior cycle and to improving the participation of travellers in the education/training system. The objective is to encourage each traveller child of school-going age to participate in and benefit from the education system and to enable each pupil to develop to his/her full potential and to increase the retention level of traveller pupils to completion of post primary senior cycle and to provide them with further education/training progression options. It is anticipated that not less than 750 pupils will benefit each year from this measure, with approximately 525 in the S&E Region and 225 in the BMW Region.
5.54 The School Completion Initiative and Traveller Education Measure will be supported by the School Guidance Service, which has been a formal feature within second level for more than 30 years, has a major preventative role in helping young people at risk to remain in the formal education system. This service will be complemented by provision for guidance under the Lifelong Learning Measure for young people and adults who have either failed within or been failed by the formal system. The provision of guidance and counselling in second level schools is vital to enable each pupil to gain the maximum benefit from the education system. The aims of the School Guidance Service are to prevent difficulties encountered by students hindering their participation in or benefiting from the education system and to provide guidance regarding further education and third level options. It is anticipated that approximately 560 whole time equivalent Guidance Teachers will be employed as part of this service, in a school year, with approximately 406 in the S&E Region and approximately 154 in the BMW Region.
5.55 Participation in further education, particularly at third level, remains skewed by social classes with the lower social class groupings continuing to be underrepresented. While the factors underlying this phenomenon go beyond the educational system, there is a need for targeted intervention at the transition from second to third level education and at third level itself. Building on the existing arrangements, the development of Third Level Access is necessary to promote the participation of students with disabilities, students from disadvantaged backgrounds and mature ‘‘second chance’’ students.
5.56 The objective of this measure is to facilitate and improve access to the labour market for the beneficiaries whilst improving their long-term employability. It will:
Approximately 10,000 grant holders will receive additional support under this measure, with approximately 6,400 in the S&E Region and approximately 3,600 in the BMW Region.
5.57 The overall provision for Social Inclusion measures in the education sector will amount to £364 million ( 462.2 million) with approximately £273 million ( 346.6 million) in the S&E Region and approximately £91 million ( 115.6 million) in the BMW Region.
5.58 The demands of the global knowledge economy are such that a lifelong learning ethos is needed to underpin long term employability and living standards. Within the framework of the NEAP, a Working Group is being established tasked with developing a strategic framework and defining participation targets for lifelong learning. The strategic framework will be developed within the context of the broad definition of lifelong learning adopted in the 1999 NEAP, which includes all formal and informal learning activity undertaken on an ongoing basis with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence.
5.59 Training activities to support lifelong learning will involve the provision of more open, flexible, opportunities for acquiring skills. These will build on the following components which are already underway:
5.60 Lifelong learning for employed persons and the general public during the Plan period will be provided in two principal ways; (a) through the provision of short training courses to employees during normal working time, paid for by their employers, and (b) through the provision of part- time, evening, weekend and open-access courses for the general public. There is an increasing demand for such courses, which are largely self-financing. It is expected that an average annual provision for 30,000 trainees during the period will be required, 22,500 in the S&E Region and 7,500 in the BMW Region.
5.61 Provision for this measure will amount to £11 million ( 14 million), £7.7 million ( 9.8 million) in the S&E Region and £3.3 million ( 4.2 million) in the BMW Region.
5.62 The OECD Education at a Glance Indicators 1998 show Ireland as lagging significantly behind other countries in terms of the proportion of the population aged 25-64 with less than upper secondary education. The proportion is 50% for Ireland, compared with 18% in Norway, 19% in Germany, 26% in Sweden, and 34% in Denmark. Within the labour force alone, there are 658,7004 people over 15 with less than upper secondary education. In addition, the International Adult Literacy Survey points to adult participation in continuing education and training in Ireland (22%) also being considerably below the European average of 34%, and the best performer, Sweden at 54%.
5.63 According to the NEAP, 51% of the short-term unemployed, and just under 75% of the long-term unemployed have less than upper secondary education. Improved job prospects in recent years are resulting in participants being attracted out of educational courses into employment prior to completion and attainment of qualifications. For those most marginalised, an immediate return to full-time education or training is not always realistic. In addition, demographic change will make it an imperative to encourage those not at present in the labour force to re-enter employment. A range of factors are therefore converging which highlight the need for much greater flexibility in the delivery and timing of educational provision to enable it to be combined with family responsibilities or employment.
5.64 The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) involves the merging and continuation of existing levels of provision under Youthreach, Senior Traveller Training Centres, the Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme and Post Leaving Certificate courses, allied to new forms of provision of the courses. It will contribute to meeting the objectives of the NEAP under guidelines 1-9 and 20-22 and is particularly relevant to the preventative strategies in Guidelines 1 and 2.
5.65 The Back to Education Initiative will play a key role both in addressing the needs of those with minimal or no educational qualifications, and providing a re-entry route for those who wish to upgrade their skills in line with emerging needs. Access to information and communications technology training, electronic technician training, language skills, enterprise development, business, tourism, arts and crafts, child care, and a broad range of disciplines within the industry and services sector will form part of the approach as will access to the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations and other access programmes. Community education opportunities will be expanded and supported as part of the initiative, given the success of this model in reaching very marginalised groups.
5.66 The overall target will be to increase the opportunities for participation in lifelong learning through a significant expansion of part-time options so that by the end of 2006 approximately 50,000 early school leavers and adults will be participating annually in further education. Overall, the number of persons projected to avail of the initiative in the period of the Plan is approximately 320,000 including those pursuing full-time or part-time options, 246,000 in the S&E Region and 74,000 in the BMW Region. Expenditure under this measure will amount to £1,027 million ( 1,304 million), £790 million ( 1,003.1 million) in the S&E Region and £237 million ( 300.9 million) in the BMW Region.
National Adult Literacy Strategy
5.67 The 1995 International Adult Literacy Survey, published in 1997, found that about 25% of the Irish population were found to score at the lowest level (Level 1), performing at best tasks which required the reader to locate a simple piece of information in a text, with no distracting information, and when the structure of the text assists the task. This percentage is the highest in any of the countries surveyed, except for Poland. About 36% of the Swedish respondents scored at the highest levels (Levels 4/5) in the document scale while the corresponding figure in Ireland was about 12%. Ireland’s relatively poor performance means that addressing adult literacy levels must be a priority in the Plan. High levels of literacy and numeracy are a prerequisite for participation in a modern knowledge based economy. Literacy not only provides the tools for participation in a functional sense, but is also central to self-image, self-esteem and personal development. Literacy levels of parents can have a key influence on children’s participation in schooling, and the ability of parents to support their children’s learning. While a key goal under Guidelines 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the NEAP will be to address the literacy skills of the unemployed, and to upgrade the skills of those in employment, the measure will also facilitate free access to learning for other adults with literacy needs, irrespective of labour market status.
5.68 The National Adult Literacy Strategy will promote system development to ensure increased access to literacy, numeracy and basic education for adults whose skills are inadequate for participation in society. The measure aims to provide an integrated service to support access to employment, a return to lifelong learning or empower participants with the basic skills needed to participate in the social and economic life of their communities. Investment under this measure will therefore increase on a phased basis. It will be informed by an Inter-Departmental Working Group on literacy initiatives for the unemployed and will involved interaction with a variety of referral networks on an area basis involving key actors such as FAS, the Local Employment Service, the Area Partnerships, Welfare and Health interests, the Garda and probation services, schools, youth services, etc. Delivery will be flexible and innovative ensuring the service is provided in accessible locations at a range of times. It is proposed to have intensive programmes targeted at those most in need allied with family learning programmes and a small number of demonstration open learning centres and distance learning.
5.69 The National Adult Literacy Strategy will promote a rapid increase in participation, rising to 18,000 annually by the end of the Plan. It is anticipated that approximately 110,000 people will participate in the programme during the period of the Plan, 85,000 in the S&E Region and 25,000 in the BMW Region. Expenditure under this measure will amount to £73.8 million ( 93.7 million), £56.8 million ( 72 million) in the S&E Region and £17 million ( 21.6 million) in the BMW Region.
Further Education Support Services 5.70 If access to lifelong learning is to become a reality, the expansion of education and training provision needs to be accompanied by measures to meet the guidance, counselling and psychological service needs of participants while they are on programmes. Initial progress was made in this area arising from the Mid-Term Review of the Community Support Framework, 1994- 1999 when additional funding was provided to facilitate a guidance/counselling and psychological service for early school leavers in Youthreach, Community Training Workshops and Traveller Training Workshops and Traveller Training Centres.
5.71 A Further Education Support measure is proposed to support access to the Back to Education Initiatives and Adult Literacy opportunities through the provision of an adult guidance and counselling service aimed at supporting participants enrolled on programmes in the further education sector. It will also support improved quality through staff and programme development initiatives.
5.72 In relation to guidance, linkages with other agencies will form a vital part of the initiative, particularly at the initial referral and progression stages. The measure will be designed to avoid overlap and duplication with existing services in this area. The development of the guidance service in education will also provide an important contact point for providers in the FAS Employment Services. The development of the service will be advised by an inter-agency working group which will include the National Centre for Guidance in Education, FAS and educational providers. Attention will also need to be directed towards the development of an improved information base on education and training options.
5.73 Plan expenditure under this measure will amount to £35 million ( 44.5 million), £27 million ( 34.3 million) in the S&E Region and £8 million ( 10.2 million) in the BMW Region.
Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP), Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) 5.74 Whilst the above programmes are not being specifically provided for in the Plan, there will be further development within the funding arrangements of the Department’s LCA, LCVP and JCSP, which have as their objective the provision of a wider range of subject choices to young people who continue in the education system. At the level of the individual, these programmes contribute to enabling pupils to break the cycle of disadvantage and to avoid the problems of early school leaving, to develop to their full potential and to participate fully as citizens in society, and to maximise benefit from the education system and equip them with the skills necessary for lifelong learning.
5.75 The promotion of a greater general proficiency in languages has been identified as a key to protecting and enhancing Ireland’s competitiveness. At present, French and German are the dominant languages taught in second level schools with very low participation in other languages. In recent years new curricula have been introduced in order to improve the quality of language programmes and the level of student attainment.
5.76 Under the Community Support Framework 1994-1999, a pilot programme on the teaching of European languages in primary schools was introduced. Currently involving 270 schools, it is proposed to significantly increase the number of participating schools. During 1999, the Department of Education and Science initiated work to design a fuller policy on the teaching of languages which have low participation in second-level schools or are not available as part of current syllabi. Arising from this work, it is proposed to promote wider teaching of Italian, Spanish and other languages in post-primary schools.
5.77 Provision for this measure will amount to £22.5 million ( 28.6 million). Indicative expenditure between the regions is £14.6 million ( 18.5 million) in the S&E Region and £7.9 million ( 10 million) in the BMW Region.
Early School Leaver Progression
5.78 The Government has taken a series of measures to try to reduce the extent of early school leaving with the aim that at least 90% of young persons complete second-level education. The Department of Education and Science and FAS have developed a series of programmes to meet the needs of those who leave early. These programmes have been further developed in 1998 and 1999 to include increased foundation-training places, new bridging training programmes for access to higher skills training, advisory supports to assist progression and more flexible part-time and work-based options. A major investment programme in Community Training Workshops is underway, and improved literacy/numeracy provision is being developed. The Plan will continue to develop provision, both at foundation and progression phase, along the lines now being pursued.
5.79 An average of 6,000 early school leavers places per annum will be provided, 4,600 in the S&E Region and 1,400 in the BMW Region. Expenditure under this measure will amount to £203 million, ( 257.8 million) £156.3 million ( 198.5 million) in the S&E Region and £46.7 million ( 59.3 million) in the BMW Region.
Sectoral Entry Training for Early School Leavers and Long-term Unemployed
5.80 Professional craft courses in the tourism sector aimed at school leavers will continue to be provided in partnership with the Department of Education and Science, Institutes of Technology and local Vocational Educational Committees. The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation will be reviewing the mode of delivery of elementary certificate courses hitherto provided directly by CERT through a network of permanent and temporary training centres, with the aim of putting in place a system with a higher degree of industry involvement. Over the period of the Plan CERT are expected to contract out an increasing proportion of these and other programmes, and place a new emphasis on research, planning, standards and quality assurance of training provided by and for the industry.
5.81 This measure will provide the core of new entrants to the tourism industry and their career progression and employability will be enhanced through day release programmes and advanced skill programmes provided in a new and enhanced partnership between CERT, other training agencies and the industry. Within the period of the Plan, training and employment initiatives in tourism for the unemployed and the disadvantaged will be intensified through more targeted measures, both in terms of course content and geographical location aimed at:
5.82 Overall, the target will be to increase the number of trainees at entry level from 4,000 per year at present to an annual average of 6,000, 3,900 in the S&E Region and 2,100 in the BMW Region. This includes approximately 1,700 trainees, 800 in the S&E Region and 900 in the BMW Region who will train in third level institutions. The indicative allocation for Tourism Sectoral Entry Training is £170 million ( 215.9 million) inclusive of £80 million ( 101.6 million) for third level institutional training.
5.83 An indicative allocation of £59.2 million ( 75.2 million) is provided for entry training into agriculture. A basic training for school leavers entering agriculture is essential. In order to compete in the market place the skill and knowledge level of Irish farmers must be improved. The environment, animal welfare, equality, food safety, and the need to diversify the rural economy through development of alternative farm enterprises must also be taken into account. Studies have projected that the numbers of new entrants to farming in the 2000 to 2006 period will be 1,500 per annum, 900 in the S&E Region and 600 in the BMW Region. Appropriate training for all of these new entrants will be provided and will include initiatives to encourage female school leavers to enrol in mainstream courses.
5.84 Total expenditure on Sectoral Entry Training will amount to £229.2 million ( 291.1 million), £128.5 million ( 163.2 million) in the S&E Region and £100.7 million ( 127.9 million) in the BMW Region.
Skills Training for Unemployed and Redundant Workers
5.85 Skills training for young job-seekers, older unemployed persons and those made redundant has been successful in helping them to obtain jobs and employers to meet their needs for skilled recruits. Evaluation by the ESRI has shown that skills training has a significant positive effect on an unemployed person’s chances of getting a job. Areas which will be targeted to meet needs include software, computing and electronics.
5.86 The volume of public training provision will reflect the improved labour market situation. Three important types of training will be provided. Firstly, training in key skill areas to meet the needs of Irish industry in close liaison with firms, the development agencies and the Expert Group on Future Skill will continue to be provided. Secondly, provision will be made to assist those threatened with or affected by redundancy due to major factory closures. It is intended that provision will include relatively short training courses for persons still in employment, Job Clubs or similar interventions to help persons seek employment and start-your-own-business training. Thirdly, special programmes will be provided to help women to return to the work force after a break for family reasons. There will be a concerted effort to ensure that women can avail of such programmes by increasing delivery flexibility in the form of part-time and community-based provision.
5.87 Plan expenditure under this measure will amount to £106 million ( 134.6 million), £81.6 million ( 103.6 million) in the S&E Region and £24.4 million ( 31.0 million) in the BMW Region.
Entrepreneurship Sub-Programme
5.88 Measures under the Entrepreneurship Sub-Programme will include Training for Business and the Social Economy. The investment in entrepreneurship will be complemented by the substantial investment in RTDI and marketing under the Productive Sector and will help to enhance the competitiveness of Ireland’s indigenous industry in the global market.
5.89 Government has indicated in its White Paper on Human Resources, and in the NEAP that enterprises in Ireland need to increase, and better leverage, their investment in Human Resources Development. In the context of Ireland’s current labour market, and global competitiveness requirements, investment in human resources can help raise productivity. It can also help to provide workers with the skills and competencies needed to cope with the constantly evolving world of work.
5.90 Recent institutional developments, including the formation of Enterprise Ireland will support the enterprises in developing their human resource capability and skills training. Enterprise Ireland will focus on helping firms build up their internal capacity to develop their human resources as part of their business development. FAS will continue to play a key role in supporting enterprise training, especially in the domestic services sector. In addition, emphasis will be placed on quality assurance measures in terms of the training undertaken and on the deployment of standards such as Excellence Through People. Particular attention will also be paid to gender issues and to maximising the potential of people with disabilities.
5.91 Training policy will place a particular emphasis on SMEs, while at the level of the individual, particular attention will be paid to promoting entrepreneurial and management capability, ensuring the enhancement of progression pathways and the development of transferable skills.
5.92 Plan expenditure under this measure will amount to £200 million ( 254 million), £140 million ( 177.8 million) in the S&E Region and £60 million ( 76.2 million) in the BMW Region. It is estimated that 2,000 businesses will be assisted under the measure, 1,400 in the S&E Region and 600 in the BMW Region.
5.93 The need for this Social Economy Measure arises from the report of a working group representing relevant interests including the social partners. It builds also on the European Commission’s White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment. A National Monitoring Group chaired by the Deptartment of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is being established and FAS is establishing a National Support Unit to monitor and implement the programme.
5.94 The introduction of the Social Economy Scheme will be focused on specific projects that benefit the economic and social development of disadvantaged communities. The intention is that the programme will support imaginative, locally based initiatives in disadvantaged communities which have income-generating potential
5.95 A new social economy scheme will be introduced in 1999 and build up to full capacity by the year 2003. The objective is that by then about 2,500 persons will be employed on the programme at a total cost of about £213 million ( 270.5 million). As this is a new scheme it is difficult to predict take up but the scheme will seek to target an annual average of 1,700 persons in the S&E Region at a cost of £149 million ( 189.2 million) and 800 persons at a cost of £64 million ( 81.3 million) in the BMW Region.
5.96 Resources in respect of adaptability will be concentrated in Ongoing Sectoral Training, Apprenticeship/Traineeship, Skills Development, Employment Support Services and Quality of Provision Measures. A key objective will be to encourage ‘‘second chance’’ opportunities in regard to education, training and work.
5.97 This measure will support training on an ongoing basis in the Tourism, Culture, Gaeltacht Industry, Film Industry, Agriculture and Food, Forestry and Fisheries Sectors. Support will be provided to address skills shortages in these sectors and to address skills needs in SMEs. A key priority will be promoting skills development in less developed regions outside of the major urban areas and rural development. The investment in training will complement the investment in product development in these sectors and rural development generally under the Regional Operational Programmes. There will be increased recourse to tendering for the delivery of training in these sectors.
5.98 Support for training within the tourism industry will be provided by promoting additional accredited trainers and by providing a limited range of incentives to SMEs to develop systems, structures and personnel to enhance their human resource capabilities and practices. Building on the success of the Trainers in Industry Measure of the Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994- 1999 initiatives targeting key individuals within the career pathway will be commissioned to develop:
5.99 In the education sector, initial education and training, which consists of full-time craft and day-release programmes, and continuing training, which consists of formal off-the-job training for industry employees on Advanced Craft, Supervisory and Management level programmes, will continue to be provided by CERT in association with eight of the Institutes of Technology in the Technological Sector and the Killybegs Tourism College. Training will also be provided in heritage and cultural product and visitor management for staff working in cultural institutions.
5.100 The aim will be to provide a professional and skilled work force to meet the existing and emerging needs of the sector and thereby to enhance the quality of the tourism product and service. It will contribute to the realisation of the aims and objectives of NEAP Guidelines 8 and 18. Attention will be given to maintaining satisfactory gender balance in existing and future programmes and particular attention will be given to encouraging and facilitating recruitment of women and men to non-traditional areas of work and training. The output of highly skilled graduates/trainees from these programmes will assist the development of the tourism industry in all regions.
5.101 An indicative allocation of £17 million ( 21.6 million) is provided for Ongoing Training in Tourism. In the education sector, it is expected that approximately 400 trainees will participate in the programme annually, with approximately 170 in the S&E Region and 230 in the BMW Region.
5.102 Cultural training will provide a combination of off and on- the-job training to enhance human resource capabilities and practices in the industry. A key objective will be to maximise the tourism potential of the cultural sector through the provision of trained personnel capable of adding value and interest to the product. Investment in cultural training will also seek to contribute to balanced regional development.
5.103 Gaeltacht Training supports will seek to enhance the competitiveness of companies in Gaeltacht areas by using training to encourage the creation of new jobs and by upskilling those in employment to enable them to compete in the changing market place. It will also seek to reduce disadvantage by assisting rural people who are not in the labour force to gain employment.
5.104 Arising from an evaluation of the training needs of the Film Industry under the 1994-1999 Industry Operational Programme a national training committee for film and television industry was set up under the aegis of FAS. Current full-time equivalent employment in the industry is more than 4000. The Film Industry Strategic Review Group envisages a four fold increase in film production in Ireland over the next decade. Given this growth potential, it is anticipated that employment could grow to more than 12,000. Technological developments in the industry means that the emphasis on training will be on skills development to keep pace with technological advances. Of key strategic importance will also be training in script development.
5.105 An indicative allocation of £20 million ( 25.4 million) is provided to support training in culture, the Gaeltacht and the Film Industries, £4 million ( 5.1 million) in the S&E Region and £16 million ( 20.3 million) in the BMW Region.
5.106 The aim in relation to agriculture will be to tackle skills shortages relating to environmental issues, animal welfare, food safety, alternative enterprises and new technology. It is planned to deliver short courses to 5,000 to 7,000 adults per year to meet these needs, 3,000-4,200 in the S&E Region and 2,000-2,800 in the BMW Region. Gender mainstreaming will be pursued by providing special courses for rural women and consulting with women’s interest groups regarding course content and encouraging adult women to attend mainstream courses.
5.107 All agricultural training programmes are aimed at developing the knowledge and skills required by farmers to cope with change, to develop new enterprises, to adopt modern technology, to meet new consumer demands for food safety and traceability, to generate off-farm income, to cope with lower manpower inputs, to reduce input costs, improve product quality and to achieve these ends using animal friendly methods of production along with preserving and enhancing the environment. Certificate and diploma courses in farming, farm management, agriculture including the horse industry, forestry horticulture, food safety and rural enterprise will be provided under the Plan. Courses will also be aimed at prospective part-time farmers and other rural dwellers
5.108 The low participation by women in courses has major implications for the capacity of the industry to be efficient and to respond to change. Accordingly, a target of enrolling 1,500 women (900 in the S&E Region and 600 in the BMW Region) in courses specially for women has been set. Three target groups have been identified for women’s training, School Leavers, Unskilled Women in Farming and Women outside the labour force.
5.109 The actions proposed for training within the food industry take account of the White Paper on Human Resource Development and the NEAP by addressing skill requirements that will enable the industry to adapt to its changing environment. The Plan will support training which will enable relevant personnel to obtain the necessary skills and qualifications and will encourage management to afford ongoing priority to training requirements in the food safety and quality areas. Support will be provided only to training conforming to best international practice. Support will be given to training initiatives which target the development of new customer focused models of work organisation and of national industry led training standards. Public funding will also be provided towards the training of food workers in new technology and towards the training of graduates entering the industry. The supplier development programme — which aims to match the performance of the sector to the needs of the retailer in terms of delivery times etc. — will continue. An indicative allocation of £38.8 million ( 49.3 million) is provided to support training in the agriculture and food sectors.
5.110 The objective of the training in the seafood sector will be to expand the skills base and increase the availability of trained workers. The training will encompass measures to achieve structures training to support clear career progression in sea fishing, aquaculture and processing. The strategy will involve a significant increase in training for new entrants and will address the low level of training within the sector. The skills deficit will be addressed by fostering a lifelong approach to learning, improving access to training and providing flexible modular courses structured to work based training. Training for the industry will assist in underpinning growth in sustainable jobs and a more balanced geographic distribution of activity. The indicative allocation for this purpose is £10 million ( 12.7 million).
5.111 It is expected that the private sector will be more involved in training under the new programme. Training for the forestry industry will be directed towards improving the skills of the increasing number of participants in the sector, particularly among farmers, and supporting the expected growth in the scale and diversity of the sector which has an afforestation target of up to 20,000 hectares per annum. Forest establishment, harvesting and marketing will be targeted for training purposes. An indicative allocation of £12 million ( 15.2 million) is provided to support forestry training.
5.112 The provision for Ongoing Sectoral Training is £97.8 million ( 124.2 million), £44.6 million ( 56.6 million) in the S&E Region and £53.2 million ( 67.6 million) in the BMW Region.
5.113 The Government’s White Paper on Human Resources Development 1997 indicated that Traineeships would become the primary vocational skills and pre-labour market entry programme for young labour-market entrants. Traineeships provide a new model of training developed between FAS and employers involving periods of off and on-the-job training.
5.114 The education sector element is delivered through the regionally based Institutes of Technology, including institutes in the lesser developed regions (i.e. Sligo, Dundalk, Athlone and Galway-Mayo Institutes of Technology). The output of skilled crafts persons from the apprenticeship measure, assists economic growth in all regions.
5.115 The traineeship approach is successful because it matches the needs of employers for suitably skilled and qualified recruits with the needs of young persons for systematic skills development. The number of traineeships will rise from 700 at end 1997 through a targeted 1,600 at end 1999 to a figure of 5,000 by the end of the Plan period.
5.116 The rapid growth of the Irish economy has resulted in a rapid increase in the demand for crafts persons, and, in some cases, shortages of qualified persons. Employers, in co-operation with FAS, have tackled such shortages through large increases in apprentice numbers, recruitment of Irish nationals working abroad and employment of those previously unemployed. The Standards- Based Apprenticeship system, introduced in 1995, has proven successful. There were nearly 17,000 apprentices registered at the end of 1998; the highest number for fifteen years. Further expansion is expected to meet future needs. Total apprenticeship numbers inclusive of those in the education sector are expected to exceed 20,000 on average during the Plan period, 15,400 in the S&E Region and 4,600 in the BMW Region. The Plan will ensure that all such apprentices receive relevant, recognised, training to industry-standards. It will also be making particular efforts to increase participation of non-traditional groups including women and older persons.
5.117 A key element of this measure, run jointly between FAS and the Department of Education and Science, is the provision of off-the-job training in the Institutes of Technology. The apprenticeship system is structured in seven distinct phases of education and training of which phases 4 and 6 are delivered in the institutes. The aims of phases 4 and 6 are to provide all apprentices with the opportunity to learn, practice and develop the basic skills of their trade, to familiarise them with the terminology, tools, materials, equipment and working practices which will form the foundation for their further development and progression. In the education sector, it is expected that approximately 7,000 trainees will participate in the programme annually, with approximately 6,000 in the S&E Region and 1,000 in the BMW Region.
5.118 The aims of the apprenticeship programme is to provide the skilled crafts persons essential to ensure economic growth and enhance the sustainable employment prospects of persons who require training from the apprenticeship system, to secure skilled jobs as well as equipping participants with the skills necessary for lifelong learning. Apprenticeship is a key contributor to the realisation of the objectives/aims of NEAP guideline 8.
5.119 Provision for this measure will amount to £660.5 million ( 838.7 million), £515.2 million ( 654.2 million) in the S&E Region and £145.3 million ( 184.5 million) in the BMW Region.
5.120 A key policy objective of the Government is growing and improving access to employment through a major drive aimed at raising the skills profile of people through education. In so doing, the Plan will seek to build on the experiences of measures under the 1994-1999 Community Support Framework and will pay particular attention to mainstreaming the outcomes of relevant actions developed in the context of the Community Initiatives, ADAPT and EMPLOYMENT. A key objective of educational strategy in relation to Employability and Adaptability as well as under the Productive Investment Programme is to ensure an adequate supply of high quality output from the PLCs, Institutes of Technology and Universities at sub- degree, degree and post graduate levels, as appropriate. This is seen as essential to maintaining and enhancing Ireland’s ability to attract and retain highly mobile international investment in an increasingly knowledge based global economy. It also has the potential to play an important role in achieving balanced regional development. Middle and higher levels skills needs will be addressed through three measures in the National Development Plan, namely, Middle Level Technician/Higher Technical Business Skills, Undergraduate Skills and Postgraduate Conversion Courses. The objective of the Department of Education and Science policy is, through a series of targeted investment programmes, to enhance the capacity of colleges and universities to support industry through improved interaction and collaboration with the different sectors of the economy, staff development, investment in infrastructure, research and development facilities, training of graduates in research and development techniques and enterprise skills to strengthen the enterprise base of the economy.
Middle Level Technician/Higher Technical Business Skills
5.121 The objectives of the Middle Level Technician/Higher Technical Business Skills Measure are to:
5.122 The measure involves the funding of certificate and diploma courses in the regionally based Institutes of Technology, including institutes in the lesser-developed regions (i.e. Sligo, Letterkenny, Dundalk, Athlone and Galway-Mayo Institutes of Technology). Courses are offered in such areas as engineering, biotechnology, telecommunications, information technology, construction studies, marketing, business studies, accounting/financial services, chemical/pharmaceutical and food technology. It is proposed during the period of the National Development Plan to develop greater linkages with industry, including work placement during courses and joint initiatives to tackle particular skill shortages (e.g. the recent joint education/industry task force established to develop the National Certificates in Computing and Technology, to address the shortage of trained technicians). The provision of part-time/evening course modules and options within the programme will be facilitated, as resources permit, in the context of the promotion of lifelong learning in the IT sector.
5.123 It is anticipated that approximately 30,000 students will participate in the programme annually, 18,000 in the S&E Region and 12,000 in the BMW Region. Provision for this measure will amount to £1,056 million ( 1,340.9 million) over the period of the Plan, with £645 million ( 819 million) in the S&E Region and £411 million ( 522.9 million) in the BMW Region. The measure will address the objectives/priorities of guidelines 8 and 18 of the NEAP.
5.124 The issue of raising the skills profile of people and of addressing the skills needs of the economy has been identified as a key priority in the Action Programme for the Millennium, Partnership 2000, and in the NEAP (Adaptability Pillar — Guideline 18).
5.125 The key importance of the quality and quantity of graduates coming from the education system at certificate, diploma and degree level in attracting high technology industry has been acknowledged and a significant investment has been made in recent years to ensure that the skills needs identified in the high technology area are met by the availability of high quality graduates.
5.126 These various investment initiatives have resulted in a significant expansion in the number of third level places in the area of information and communications technology. This investment has followed the recommendations of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and the National Competitiveness Council which was established as part of the business education and training partnership set up to develop national strategies to tackle the issue of skill needs, labour market needs estimation and education and training for business. The focus of the Expert Group’s work to date has been on the technology skill needs of the hardware electronics and software sectors, having regard to the employment growth and future potential growth in these sectors.
5.127 The Undergraduate Skills Measure in the National Development Plan will provide the necessary current funding required to support the additional third level places being provided to meet skill needs and thereby contribute to increasing the adaptability of the work-force.
5.128 Expenditure on this measure is projected to amount to £90.6 million ( 115.1 million), £72.5 million ( 92.1 million) in the S&E Region and £18.1 million ( 23 million) in the BMW Region
Postgraduate Conversion Courses
5.129 The National Competitiveness Council, in its 1999 Report, identified the central position of skills as an essential element of long-term competitiveness and highlighted the need to alleviate pervasive skills shortages in the economy which threaten our capacity to realise our full growth potential. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs recognised multi-skilling and conversion programmes as a cost-effective and flexible mechanism to address emerging skills needs particularly in the context of the information society.
5.130 A key element in this programme is the inclusion of recruitment opportunities for graduates through a number of initiatives to be co-ordinated on behalf of industry by the Irish Business and Employers Confederation. Under the Plan, this programme will be continued and adapted to meet emerging skills needs in the period. This measure will address the objectives of Guidelines 8 and 18 of the NEAP.
5.131 It is anticipated that approximately 1,500 trainees will participate in the programme in an academic year, with approximately 1,300 in the S&E Region and 200 in the BMW Region. Provision for this measure will amount to £46 million ( 58.4 million), £39 million ( 49.5 million) in the S&E Region and £7 million ( 8.9 million) in the BMW Region.
5.132 The capacity of the education and training system to respond to the rapid changes in product and labour markets is critically dependent on the continued development of teachers, lecturers, trainers and investment in physical infrastructure. If the Government’s employment and jobs creation objectives are to be realised, the education and training sector has to be supported at a level to enhance its capability to form a dynamic partnership with enterprise and the community it serves. The maintenance and enhancement of the quality of education and training provision will be supported through three measures: Training of Trainers, Quality Assurance and Education and Training Infrastructure.
5.133 Investment is required in changing course mixes to reflect changing skill needs, improved staff skills and improved certification for educational institutions and FAS. There will also be investment to ensure that trainers and teachers have recognised pedagogical skills and qualifications. The need for such qualification extends beyond instructors to other staff such as training advisers and specialist trainers of people with disabilities and their needs will be addressed. Important elements of this training will be in respect of equality and of persons with disabilities.
5.134 The Training of Trainers Measure for primary and post-primary teachers will be delivered to a large extent through the national network of Education Centres and in conjunction with the Education Partners. The measure will include long and short cycle courses, some of which will lead to formal certification or the accumulation of credits towards an award. Modes of delivery will include conferences/seminars, modular courses, on-the-job training by visiting specialists and outreach training. Needs are identified on the basis of systems needs analysis studies undertaken at both levels of the system, and consultation with educational interests.
5.135 Training of Trainers will be provided for a range of programme areas and priority objectives in special and mainstream education. Priorities identified include revised and restructured curricula with particular emphasis on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), pedagogical skills, social inclusion issues, parent and school management needs in the effective management of schools and gender equity modules.
5.136 In an era of rapid technological change the need for skills updating in the technological, scientific and organisational fields is self-evident. The measure will provide additional opportunities to address these needs while also focusing on pedagogical training, teaching evaluation and appraisal and the development of management skills. In response to the broadening of higher education and training opportunities, the measure will also address gender equity and the particular needs of non-traditional student groups, such as students with disabilities, disadvantaged students and mature students. It will provide training for 400 FAS trainers, 280 trainers in the S& E Region and 120 trainers in the BMW Region. It is anticipated that there will be approximately 140,000 trainee days in an academic year, for the primary, post primary and further education sectors, 100,000 in the S&E Region and 40,000 in the BMW Region.
5.137 Expenditure on Training of Trainers will amount to £64 million ( 81.3 million), £45 million ( 57.2 million) in the S&E Region and £19 million ( 24.1 million) in the BMW Region.
Quality Assurance (including Training of Trainers)
5.138 The aim of the Quality Assurance (QA) measure in the third level sector (including Training of Trainers) will be to promote a quality culture across the whole range of activities in third- level institutions, and at the same time addressing societies concern for greater transparency and accountability. Under section 35 of the Universities Act, 1997 universities are obliged to establish procedures for quality assurance aimed at improving the quality of education and related services. Central elements in any system of quality assurance will include self-evaluation, peer review, reporting and external monitoring.
5.139 The Institutes of Technology will also be centrally involved in the development of quality assurance procedures under this measure especially in the context of the unique need of multi- level institutions. The Universities and the National Qualifications Authority will be involved in the management of this measure.
5.140 The establishment of a National Qualifications Framework, which is critical to the delivery of a high quality and efficient market led range of programmes will be a key horizontal objective under the Plan. Funding is being made available for the implementation of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999. A central objective of the Act is the need to ensure greater partnership, co-operation and cohesion between the education and training sector on the one hand and industry, business and the wider community on the other. The primary purpose of the Act is to put in place a legislative framework which will:
5.141 Provision for this measure will amount to £58 million ( 73.7 million), £54 million ( 68.6 million) in the S&E Region and £4 million ( 5.1 million) in the BMW Region. Included in the overall provision and in the provision for the S&E Region is £35 million in respect of the National Qualifications Framework which will apply horizontally. Under the Training of Trainers element it is expected that there will be approximately 4,000 trainees per annum, 2,850 in the S&E Region and 1,150 in the BMW Region.
Education and Training Infrastructure
5.142 The National Development Plan provision for capital expenditure on education and training infrastructure is £1.624 billion ( 2.062 billion). This will cover investment in primary and second level schools, further education centres and third level institutions in the education sector as well as FAS capital stock during the period 2000-2006. Such investment is necessary to ensure that education and training programmes and services meet the changing skills needs of individuals, society and Irish industry. The investment will cover buildings, new machinery and equipment and in the use of information technology. This investment, in new technology in particular, will facilitate continuing education and retraining programmes, the development of new open learning and distance education packages, outreach programmes, access for disadvantaged and non-traditional student and rural and community development. A requirement of all expenditure on premises is that it will take place in a cost-effective manner which will provide a safe and healthy environment and will lead improved access for people with disabilities.
5.143 Capital expenditure on the provision of education and training facilities will amount to £1.62 billion ( 2.1 billion), £1.2 billion ( 1.5 billion) in the S&E Region and £0.5 billion ( 0.6 billion) in the BMW Region. The FAS component of this capital expenditure is £49 million ( 62.2 million), £34 million ( 43.2 million) in the S&E Region and £15 million ( 19 million) in the BMW Region.
5.144 The Employment Support Services operated by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs have been successful in assisting unemployed people, particularly the long-term unemployed to return directly to the active labour market either by taking up employment or becoming self employed.
5.145 The unique feature of this service is that it is directly linked with and adds value to the direct contact between unemployed people and the Department which arises in the unemployment payments process. An essential feature of the service is that it operates in close co-operation with other relevant organisations, whether statutory or voluntary, which can have a role in addressing the needs of unemployed people, and also with employers and employer organisations.
5.146 The Back to Work Allowance Scheme (BTWAS) and the Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEAS) together with the advice and support services provided to unemployed people, form the core of the Employment Support Services. As indicated in Paragraph 5.45, there will be greater linkages between the various active labour market measures. The Employment Support Service will be further developed and adapted as changing labour market conditions and improved information indicate priority areas and groups with special needs requiring more focused attention. The BTWAS and BTEAS are supports for the most disadvantaged in the community — those who are unable without support to re-enter the labour market. These schemes by focusing on these groups will be key elements in the drive to achieve social inclusion.
5.147 A 1995 Evaluation of the BTWAS found that it was having a very positive impact and was playing a significant role in enabling the long-term unemployed to take up a job or become self employed. The primary objectives of the scheme are:
In 1998, there were over 29,000 places on the scheme, 19,472 employed and 9,962 self employed.
5.148 The purpose of the BTEAS is to encourage unemployed people and other disadvantaged groups to improve their educational qualifications, skills etc. with a view to returning to the jobs market. The programmes are targeted at unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities who are in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. The scheme covers the following study options:
The numbers participating in the scheme have increased progressively in recent years. In 1998, there were 3,852 participants while the number expected in 1999 will be of the order of 4,400.
5.149 £950 million ( 1,206.3 million) is provided for expenditure on the schemes under this measure, £665 million ( 844.4 million) in the S&E Region and £285 million ( 361.9 million) in the BMW Region. This will complement the £112 million ( 142.2 million) included in the Social Inclusion Provision in the Regional Programmes for Community Development. An annual average of approximately 33,000 long-term unemployed persons are expected to benefit from this measure, 23,000 in the S&E Region and 10,000 in the BMW Region.
5.150 Specific measures included under this Sub-Programme will include Educational Disadvantage Measure, Equal Opportunities Promotion and Monitoring, Refugee Language Support and Vocational Training and Pathways to Employment for People with Disabilities. The bulk of investment under equal opportunities will be included in the Regional Operational Programmes where some £1.03 billion ( 1.3 billion) will be spent on social disadvantage to include child care, youth services, local education and services for the unemployed, community infrastructure and crime prevention etc.
Educational Disadvantage Measure
5.151 A Women’s Education Initiative was established in 1998 with assistance under the 1994- 1999 Community Support Framework to assist projects to address the current gaps in provision for educationally disadvantaged women. Thirteen projects are being supported to develop models of good practice, to improve provision for educationally disadvantaged women. The aim is that these models will be capable of wider application and will impact on future policy thereby bringing about long-term change in the further education opportunities for educationally disadvantaged women and men.
5.152 The measure will provide for an expansion of such activity, focused not just on the particular needs of women, but also on the needs of educationally disadvantaged men. Funding will be used to seed innovation and learning which will inform future practice, particularly in ensuring effective strategies for those who are most in need. While many of the projects selected will continue to have a single sex focus, there will be scope under the initiative also to test innovative approaches to the development of community education models for other specifically marginalised groups. The aim of the projects selected under this initiative will be to:
5.153 Provision for this measure, will amount to £3.5 million ( 4.4 million), £2.5 million ( 3.1 million) in the S&E Region and £1 million ( 1.3 million) in the BMW Region.
Equal Opportunities Promotion and Monitoring
5.154 Ireland is developing a comprehensive legal framework for addressing inequality under the Employment Equality Act, 1998 and the Equal Status Bill, 1999. Under the new legislation, discrimination both in employment and in the supply of goods and services on grounds of sex, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the travelling community will be unlawful. The new equality legislation gives a new emphasis to tackling inequalities including between men and women. The Equality Authority (replacing the Employment Equality Agency) will promote equal opportunities for the target groups covered by the legislation. The Authority will have an investigations arm to secure effective enforcement of the legislation.
5.155 Training and educational institutions will ensure that the participation of both men and women is promoted and facilitated. This will be extended to further develop monitoring systems and gender proofing procedures. Under this measure, a technical assistance budget will be provided to enable the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to support gender mainstreaming of the National Development Plan for the period 2000-2006. Technical assistance will also be provided to the Department of Education and Science to fund a Dedicated Equality Unit to co-ordinate and monitor the process of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all areas of the educational system, a computerised management information system and Higher Education Networks. In particular, action will be undertaken to ensure that disadvantaged women are encouraged to participate in all training programmes. Positive action measures will be taken where necessary. Flexible delivery systems, bridging programmes, guidance and advisory services and staff development methods will be used to promote such participation.
5.156 The Equal Status legislation currently before the Oireachtas provides protection against discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the traveller community. Gender desegregated data, as well as data for specific groups such as travellers, people with disabilities, older adults, lone parents etc. has long been recognised as key to national strategies in monitoring progress in facilitating equality of access, outcome and benefit. A computerised management information system will be developed for programmes in the further education sector which are not embraced at present by the post-primary pupil data base. The programmes covered will include VTOS, Youthreach, Senior Traveller Training Centres and Adult Literacy programmes, so that participation patterns of specific groups can be monitored, as well as timely and regular data supplied on overall provision and outcomes. Participant information broken down by sex, age, economic status, subject/module choice, levels of certification, prior educational attainment and literacy levels, and progression, as well as programmatic information on access to supporting services such as child care, guidance and counselling would be an essential part of the approach.
5.157 All third-level institutions are charged with developing an equality policy. Both the Institutes of Technology and the Universities have set up Equality networks for the development and promotion of strategies to encourage equality of access, benefit and outcome for participants in third level education. These networks act as a catalyst in testing innovatory approaches, documenting and sharing good practice, networking providers, information and awareness raising and liaison and collaboration with a range of interests with an equality focus who are outside the third level system. Subject to networking and the collaborative approach outlined, it is proposed to support third level institutions to facilitate access of mature students to third level education. The target group are mature students accessing or participating in third level education other than through the Leaving Certificate route.
5.158 Provision for this measure will amount to £20.1 million ( 25.5 million) which will have a horizontal impact across both regions. The Units will be based in the S&E Region.
Vocational Training and Pathways to Employment for People with Disabilities
5.159 In spite of the improved employment situation in recent years, people with disabilities experience difficulties in gaining access to, and remaining in, the labour market. It is estimated that 80% of people with disabilities in Ireland are unemployed. The objective of this measure is to improve the employability of people with disabilities and to mainstream the delivery of vocational training and employment services to them. Activities to be funded include vocational training and pathways to employment for people with disabilities.
5.160 Many of the services which the National Rehabilitation Board (NRB) currently administers for people with disabilities will be restructured in 2000. The overall objective of the restructuring is to integrate services for people with disabilities more fully with the State’s general, mainstream services. In the context of this restructuring, responsibility for vocational training and employment of people with disabilities will transfer in 2000 from the Department of Health & Children to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Relevant programmes and services administered by the NRB will transfer to FAS. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FAS will review existing vocational training programmes and employment programmes for people with disabilities with a view to improving employment opportunities for disabled people and to developing and implementing flexible approaches to training and placement of people with disabilities.
5.161 It is anticipated that an increased number of people with disabilities will participate in training courses at FAS Training Centres. However, FAS will also ask specialist agencies to provide training on a contracted-out basis, drawing on the current expertise in the NGO sector, in particular, in relation to training of people with disabilities. Certification will be provided in respect of training completed, as a platform to progression to higher levels of training, education and employment.
5.162 Placement services for people with disabilities need to be developed to complement the investment in vocational training. A central objective will be to mainstream the delivery of placement services to include people with disabilities. Additional and flexible activities will be explored, including innovative projects which test new approaches to pathways to employment for people with disabilities. It is envisaged that these approaches will be developed in partnership between FAS and the voluntary/private sectors.
5.163 All activities will be targeted at men and women, with equality of access to services a fundamental consideration. Provision for this measure will amount to £175 million ( 222.2 million), £122 million ( 154.9 million) in the S&E Region and £53 million ( 67.3 million) in the BMW Region.
Refugee Language Support Unit 5.164 One of the priorities of NEAP is the promotion of equal opportunities for minority groupings. The significant increase in the number of non-EU nationals acquiring rights to reside in Ireland has given rise to the need to address the language difficulties experienced by refugees to ease their integration into the country.
5.165 In March 1999, the establishment of a dedicated Refugee Language Support Unit under the auspices of Trinity College Dublin, was announced. The objectives of the unit are (a) to ensure that the school going cohort will acquire sufficient competency to enable them to be absorbed into the education system and (b) to provide sufficient competency to those not of school going age to enable them to participate in training programmes, take up employment and to live independently.
5.166 The unit will assess each refugee’s language needs using a set of benchmarks to be developed for the purpose and then identify a suitable English language training programme. Each person’s progress will be monitored through the system. Expenditure will amount to £3.5 million ( 4.4 million), £2.5 million ( 3.2 million) in the S&E Region and £1 million ( 1.3 million) in the BMW Region.
5.167 The actions provided for under the Employment and Human Resources Development Priority of the Plan are an integrated package of measures which will impact positively on poverty. The measures are all targeted at people and supporting employment. They are specifically aimed at providing people with the necessary education and skills to enable them to acquire, develop and adapt life skills to participate in the labour force and to function in a complex and ever changing modern society and global market place. The key target groups are those who are in poverty or at risk of falling into poverty, namely: early school leavers or those at risk of becoming so, the long-term unemployed, women wishing to return to work, the low skilled and those with literacy difficulties, workers recently made redundant, older age groups, non-nationals and people with disabilities. The Priority objectives and targeting will, combined with the wider spatial focus to delivery of the actions, ensure systematic approach to tackling poverty blackspots whether urban or rural.
5.168 The Employment and Human Resources Development Priority will have a positive impact on the environment directly and indirectly. Many of the actions provided for will have a direct beneficial impact on the physical environment. All buildings benefiting from capital support will be designed and constructed, not simply to meet minimum statutory requirements in regard to planning and the environment, but will be developed in harmony with their environment and the principle of sustainable development.
5.169 Many of the measures provide training and work experience for people by way of community based projects. For example, the Community Employment Scheme and other community training and enterprises often have a direct environmental theme. Works involve activities such as landscaping, minor urban construction works, litter prevention, promotion of recycling and heritage maintenance projects etc.
5.170 Investing in human resource development will result in a better educated and trained population. In addition to the employability aspect of such investment there is the less tangible, but still real, effect of heightened awareness and self confidence. Because people, as producers and consumers of goods, have a significant impact on the environment, awareness raising is crucial to environmental sustainability. People, as they become self-aware as a result of education and training, also become aware of their environment. They are more receptive to information which encourages them to modify their behaviour in a way which will benefit the environment and are in a better position to make informed choices which impact daily on the environment.
5.171 The sectoral training in tourism, agriculture, forestry and seafood will impact in particular on the skills levels of rural dwellers. The development of specific courses in rural development in the newly established multi-campus Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute (TRBDI), will facilitate innovative approaches to rural and community development. More generally, the use of information and communication technology and other means to support distance learning will provide greater access to education and training opportunities for people who wish to continue to reside in rural locations. This approach will help to promote employment opportunities within the traditional rural sectors such as agriculture and to develop wider employment opportunities in alternative enterprises in rural areas. Combined with the public investment in infrastructure and the productive sector it should help to reverse the trend of rural decline.
Chapter X: Promoting Social Inclusion
10.1 Partnership 2000 defines social exclusion as cumulative marginalisation from production (unemployment), from consumption (poverty), from social networks (community, family and neighbours), from decision making and from an adequate quality of life. Creating a more inclusive society by alleviating social exclusion, poverty and deprivation is one of the major challenges facing Irish society over the course of the National Development Plan.
10.3 Social cohesion is an integral part of the partnership ethos which has developed in Ireland over the last twelve years and which has been the foundation of the State’s economic success. As well as setting out objectives of increased employment and maintaining and enhancing national competitiveness, Partnership 2000 contained a specific commitment to pursue social inclusion as a strategic objective in its own right. Closely aligned with this commitment is the Government’s undertaking to promote equality, involving the full integration into Irish society of women, people with disabilities, members of the Traveller Community and persons granted refugee status or permission to remain in Ireland. The National Development Plan contains a range of measures designed to promote social inclusion and the achievement of the Government’s objectives in this regard.
10.4 The benefits of Ireland’s rapid economic progress over the past few years are evident in the significant reduction in many of the key indicators of social exclusion. The National Anti- Poverty Strategy (NAPS) set a target in 1997 of reducing the number of people in consistent poverty over the period 1997-2007 from 9-15% of the population to less than 5-10% and set the goal of reducing unemployment from nearly 12% to 6.4%. The most recently available data from the ESRI and the CSO show that the NAPS targets set in 1997 have been substantially met. The number of people in consistent poverty has been reduced to 7-10%. By early 1999, overall unemployment had fallen to 5.8% with long-term unemployment dropping to 3%. In recognition of these developments, the Government has set a new target of reducing consistent poverty to 5% by 2004 and will draw up new social inclusion targets in consultation with the social partners.
10.5 However, it is clear that not everyone has benefited proportionately from this new-found prosperity — indeed, the disparity between higher income earners and the socially excluded may even have widened. In addition, concentration of poverty may be intensifying in certain areas for reasons such as the outward migration of previously socially-excluded persons who are now economically active, a factor which would also involve a loss of community leadership and beneficial role models. Indeed, in many disadvantaged communities, poverty, social deprivation and the effects of marginalisation are becoming, or may already have become, endemic and inter- generational.
10.6 Clearly, the outward manifestation of social exclusion and marginalisation is not limited to financial poverty or living in areas of social deprivation. Not only do disadvantaged people have greater reliance on the State for direct income support and housing, they also suffer from poorer health and lower educational achievement resulting in lower employability. Many marginalised areas are also disproportionately affected by crime and drug abuse, while a disproportionately large percentage of the prison population comes from them. As a