Meeting of EDF Skills Sub-Group

31st May 2006, Adelaide House, Belfast

 

Sub-Group Members:

 

Michael Maguire

Anne O’Reilly

Raymond Mullan

Heather Stevens

 

Apologies

 

Chrissie McCann

Gordon Bell

Richard McMullan

Tom Gillen

Robson Davison

 

 

1.                  Welcome and Minutes of Last Meeting

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 30th January were agreed without amendment.

 

2.                  DEL / INI Relationship

 

Heather Stevens informed members that work was underway on the development of a model to improve the joint working between DEL and INI. Some pilot activity had already been undertaken but arrangements and protocols were at an embryonic stage.

 

The Skills Sub-Group were encouraged by this development and by the future intention of INI to participate with the work of the Group. Members welcomed the opportunity to review the ‘Relationship Proposals’ at the next scheduled meeting in August.

 

ACTION: DEL and INI to present paper at Skills Sub-Group meeting on 22nd August 2006

 

3.                  EDF Objectives – Dept. of Education Role

 

Discussion on this crucial issue was reluctantly postponed due to the unavailability of a representative from the Department of Education. Given recent changes at the most senior level in the Department members understood that work was underway on a review and re-working of the Departmental Strategy.

 

The Sub-Group requested a presentation to specifically address the issues of alignment between EDF Vision objectives and Departmental Strategy.

 

ACTION: DE to prepare and present ‘Alignment ‘paper at the next Skills Sub-Group meeting

 

4.                  Skills Strategy for NI - Funding

 

Based on a preliminary analysis of the available data on funding for the Skills Strategy the Chairman highlighted a number of areas for concern. Worryingly it suggested an under funding of the Skills Strategy resulting in an inability to deliver against EDF Vision objectives. The need for additional resources or as a minimum the re-allocation or more intelligent use of funds to achieve objectives should be considered as a matter of priority.  Heather Stevens welcomed the sub-group’s willingness to support the argument for more resources to implement the strategy but made the point that the situation was not as negative as had been portrayed.

 

Following extensive discussion Members agreed that 5 key issues had been highlighted and needed to be addressed;

 

  • An apparent imbalance existed in the funding profile across the 4 themes of the Skills Strategy. Notably Theme 3 – Improving the Quality and Relevance of Training attracted 97% (£446m) of available funds.

 

  • Little ‘new money’ had been invested as a consequence of the Skills Strategy. At this stage only 2 new initiatives relating to Adult Skills and Skills & Science had received additional funding.

 

  • The funding analysis had also clearly demonstrated that potentially important projects e.g. Skills for Innovation had failed to receive any financial support.
  • Further and Higher Education together receives over 85% of available resources yet the relevance of this funding in meeting economic priorities remains unclear.
    Members were concerned to note that DEL had only very limited control      and ability to influence the use of funds allocated to Higher Education. Members also noted that Further Education funding was largely driven by student demand and population rather than addressing economic development objectives. Heather Stevens informed Members that FE funding was currently the subject of review and also agreed to a request for a breakdown of funding by training provision.

 

  • Given the apparent funding mismatch there was a risk that the economic priorities set within the EDF Vision can be achieved

 

The Skills Sub-Group agreed that these issues should be raised by the Chairman at the EDF Plenary scheduled for the 6th June 2006.

 

ACTION: DEL to provide FE funding breakdown in advance of EDF Plenary (6th   June 2006)

 

5.                  Careers Education and Guidance

 

Heather Stevens provided a progress report following the Future Search initiative in March. A joint DEL/DE strategy paper would be available by the end of June and the Skills Sub-Group would be invited to provide comment. Members welcomed this opportunity while once again highlighting the critical issue of how the Department of Education proposes to address both school leaver literacy and numeracy levels and the lack of qualifications within this group.

 

ACTION: DEL/DE to draft and circulate paper for comment.

 

6.                  AOB

 

Skills Strategy for NI – Communication Strategy

 

Heather Stevens thanked members for their feedback and sought any further comments. Members suggested that a narrower range of ‘key messages’ might be more manageable and that the profile of Professional and Technical (Vocational) Skills should be enhanced. It was explained that not all ‘key messages’ would be used at one time and that the Professional & Technical Skills issue had already been addressed in a revised version of the Communication Strategy.  Members agreed to consider the EDF role in promotion of the Skills Strategy

 

ACTION: DEL to circulate revised version of Communication Strategy

 

7.                  Date of next meeting

 

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 22nd August 2006 in Adelaide House, Belfast.