A new strategy for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector was launched today by Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris and Niall Collins, minister of state for further education.
The strategy sets out a five-year road map for the sector which has 200,000 unique learners enrol each year.
The plan envisions a focus on areas such as climate change, sustainable development and on promoting strong mental health and wellbeing in new FET programmes. The sector will also try to diversify and make apprenticeships more accessible.
In a press statement, Harris said: “Further education and training is for everyone. It provides an opportunity for everyone to engage in learning whilst delivering on the critical skills needs of the economy and the future world of work.”
“It was a lifeline for many during the economic recession, and once again FET will be critical to our post-COVID recovery”, he added.
The strategy centres around three pillars: building skills, fostering inclusion and creating new pathways. Each will look to combat issues set to arise within further education in the wake of the pandemic.
“This strategy will aim to address some of the key challenges we face including the digital divide, female participation and the skills mismatch we are seeing”, Harris said.
“There is no shortage of ambition in this country. This strategy will offer better opportunities for people and will help the economy rebuild and recover from the social and economic shocks as a result of Covid-19.”
The new strategy has been created to centralise the further education sector and to consolidate existing FET provisions within a single integrated college structure.
“The future of FET is exciting. The future of FET is now. There is a place for everyone to join this journey in transforming learning”, Collins said.
“FET needs to grow its profile across potential learners, communities, employers and Government to ensure that the sustainable value from FET and the ambitious vision and reform set out in this strategy is more widely acknowledged”, he added.
The plan envisions a focus on areas such as climate change, sustainable development and on promoting strong mental health and wellbeing in new FET programmes. The sector will also try to diversify and make apprenticeships more accessible.
“At the heart of this strategy is inclusion. There are many cohorts with diverse needs, such as people with disabilities, new migrants, Travellers, the long-term unemployed, ex-offenders”, said Harris.
“This strategy requires a more targeted approach to addressing barriers around participation, completion and progression for marginalised and prioritised cohorts. We will reach out to particular groups and facilitate a pathway to re-engage with education through FET. Addressing the needs of people with disabilities will be a primary focus.”
