Meeting of EDF Skills Sub-Group 14 February 2007, Adelaide House, Belfast

 

Present:

Declan Billington Chair

 

Tom Gilllen (ICTU)

 

Nuala Kerr (DEL)

 

Michael Gould (DEL)

 

Judith Shaw (DEL)

 

Marion Cree (DEL)

 

Pat Morrison (DEL)

 

  

Apologies:

Chrissie McCann

 

Anne O’Reilly

 

Brian Henry

 

Robson Davison

 

  

Resignation:

Richard McMullan

Retirement:

Raymond Mullan

 

1.                  Minutes of Meeting on 8 September 2006

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed without amendment.

 

2.                  Membership of Skills Sub-Group

The chair discussed recent resignations and retirements and thanked those members for their previous contribution to the group. Catherine Bell has written to QUB and UU to ask for members to join the group. The chair also intends to co-opt replacement private sector members.

 

ACTION: Secretariat to check with DETI procedure to co-opt new members.

 

3.                  DEL / INI linkages

Michael Gould provided an update on the progress of strengthening linkages between FE colleges and InvestNI. A visit is planned in March for DEL and INI staff who will attend North Carolina Community Colleges to observe the successful model there between FE and commerce.

 

4.                  Department of Education

The chair requested a session dedicated to the Bain paper when DE are ready to update on the implications and what it means to the Skills Strategy.

 

5.                  Skills Strategy implementation paper

Michael Gould updated the group on the various strands of the strategy. It was also noted that the Skills Conference will be held on 15 May 2007, coinciding with Invest NI Innovation week.

 

6.                  Career strategy update

Judith Shaw briefed the group on the status of the paper, it will be presented to the Departmental board next week and is hoped will be launched in April. DEL will take the lead on implementation and DE will be a key player to drive forward.

 

7.                  Vocational Educational Programme (VEP) update

Marion Cree brought the group up to date on numbers participating in the various cohorts.

 

8.                  Leitch report

Nuala Kerr presented a paper on the Leitch review document.  NI will be benchmarked against the findings and recommendations and the Minister advised of the outcome of this work before the summer.

 

9.         Universities Strategy for Skills

Pat Morrison explained that QUB are preparing a paper on Skills delivery and employer engagement, which is due in March.

 

ACTION: To discuss with University Representatives at the next meeting with a view to inviting them to present a paper for discussion with the Skills Sub Group at the following meeting.

 

10.              Structure of future meetings

The chair provided a template to be adopted which can be used as a watching brief, to summarise key issues, drive issues forward and highlight barriers. The chair also requested that the following become permanent agenda items:

 

    • Career Strategy
    • Leitch Review
    • Bain paper from DE
    • CSR

 

11.              Date of next meeting

It was noted that the next plenary meeting had been postponed until mid April, when new local Ministers may be in post.  The proposed date for the next Skills sub-group meeting is 22 May 2007 at 2pm, in North Down and Ards – pending agreement from Brian Henry.