Ninth Level Ireland

This is an extract from A Programme for a Partnership Government, published today, pp93-95. The full doc (pdf, 1.2MB download) is here.

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A new architecture is required in education to really drive excellence and ‘best in class’ potential. We will change the structures of the Department of Education to ensure it operates as a dynamic policy leader focused on quality education and improving outcomes for every student.

We support the creation of Technological Universities, linked to industry and with the capacity to create and retain jobs in regions. We will implement the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, published in December 2015.

We will support an increase in the number of flexible courses and opportunities available; giving people the opportunity to attend courses part time, during evenings, in the summer and at weekends. We support the introduction of mid-degree “sandwich year” courses, whereby students spend their third year of university working in industry.

Together with the Apprenticeship Council, Solas, the Education and Training Boards, and industry, we will double the number of apprenticeships by 2020. We will also significantly increase the number of traineeship places. We will develop a mechanism to recognise a person’s practical work experience and expertise in order to enable them to take on an apprentice.

We will deliver a step change in our capacity to educate, develop, deploy and retain talent, setting targets for critical skill provision and competitive funding models will encourage their delivery in partnership with enterprise. In order to achieve this we will:
– Create financial incentives for the third level system to respond to skills gaps
– Invite industry to partner in the delivery elements of the curricula at third and fourth levels
– Create a strong system for the delivery and renewal of skills in newly emerging technical areas (including apprenticeships, traineeships, and in service progression)

Significant exchequer resources are invested in both current and capital spending in the Higher Education sector. Following the publication of the Expert Group report on the Future Funding of the Higher Education Sector, we will propose that the relevant cross party Oireachtas Committee review its recommendations and outline a proposed funding plan for this sector. We will propose an examination of the efficiency and operation of SUSI in parallel with this report, including the potential of providing SUSI liaison personnel in each region.

We support new flexibility for appropriate higher education institutions within strict budgets, transparency and new accountability agreements, to set their own staffing needs, hire the best lecturers, automate routine processes and adapt work practices to staff and student needs. By allowing universities more flexibilities and ‘earned autonomy’ they can prioritise and address issues themselves for the improvement of their institution, and the creation of a new relationship with students.

There has been significant change in the Further, Adult and Community Education sector in light of the dissolution of FAS and the VECs, and the establishment of new structures inclusive of SOLAS, Qualifications and Quality Ireland (QQI), and Education and Training Boards (ETBs). We will ensure that these new structures and systems are empowering those who did not get an equal opportunity for education in their youth, and that implementation of educational programs and skills training for those unemployed or underemployed are effective in supporting their path to quality employment. We will do this by initiating a Review of the Further, Adult and Community Education sector by the Oireachtas Committee on Education and an implementation of reforms to ensure the effectiveness of the sector.

We will also commission an independent examination to identify the supports and barriers to accessing higher education for lone parents, and examine measures to increase participation. The recommendations of this report are to be published in advance of Budget 2017.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2016 at 15:08 and is filed under Governance and administration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.