Ireland

Introduction to the VET System in Ireland

In Ireland, a number of legislations have been established regarding the vocational education system. Between 1998 and 2006, the Irish government passed several acts to promote vocational education: the Employment Equality Act (1998), the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act (1999), the Persons with Special Needs Act (2004) and the Disability Act (2006), etc. These acts have shown vocational education training has gained national attention in Ireland .

Among the acts mentioned above, the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act (1999) established structures for a national framework of qualifications to co-ordinate awards and promote access, transfer and progression within the VET system. Most VET activities, such as training VET teachers and trainers, skills and competence development, etc. generally belong to either one of these two institutional frameworks: Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET) and Continuous Vocational Education and Training (CVET). There is not a sharp distinction in Ireland between IVET and CVET. Rather, government policies make a distinction between programmes for young persons and students, programmes for the unemployed (whether old or young) and programmes for persons in employment. In recent years, CVET in Ireland are gaining more and more attentions . The VET system is set in the context of the Government's National Development Plan (NDP) for 2007-2013, which emphasizes the needs for consistency with the European VET and social policy .

IVET

For IVET, the administration and implementation of government policy fall mainly within the remit of the Departments of Education and Science (DES) and Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), with the former being the most significant player in the area of IVET. There are five levels in the IVET system: 1) lower secondary; 2) upper secondary; 3) apprenticeship training; 4) other youth programmes and alternative pathways; and 5) post-secondary (non tertiary). Responsibility for the provision of IVET in schools and centres and different institutes of further education is devolved from the DES to thirty-three Vocational Education Committees (VECs). The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for the supervision and funding of educational programmes in universities and designated third-level education institutions. The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), together with the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), provides accreditation and certification for IVET courses .

CVET

For CVET, the administrative responsibility for funding and policy for publicly provided CVET falls mainly within DES and DETE. Other government departments make provision for CVET in their own specific sectoral areas. In terms of intermediate organizations, the DES supervises and funds further vocational education colleges and adult education centres. NQAI together with HETAC and FETAC are responsible for the certification and accreditation of all CVET courses .

Quality Assurance

The mission statement of the Irish Department of Education and Science (DES) is “to provide high-quality education, which will enable individuals to achieve their full potential and to participate fully as members of society, and contribute to Ireland’s social, cultural and economic development”. In order to pursue this mission, the Department set out five high level goals. One of them is “to promote quality outcomes” . This suggests DES is the main body for quality assurance in the Irish education system.

In 1999, the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act established structures for a national framework of qualifications to co-ordinate awards and promote access, transfer and progression within the VET system. To implement this process, the Act established the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), together with the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC).

NQAI is an agency of the DES and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It was set up in February 2001. NQAI establishes and maintains a framework of qualifications for provision of higher education, provision of training, and learners .

Although NQAI establishes framework of qualifications, it is not an awarding body for education training programs. This responsibility rests on HETAC and FETAC.

HETAC’s mission states it is “a public body, accountable to the Irish government and the Oireachtas (national parliament)”. HETAC sets standards, provides assurance, and delivers quality improvement services in higher education . HETAC’s main focus is on higher education.

FETAC's mission is “to make quality assured awards in accordance with national standards within the national framework, creating opportunities for all learners in further education and training to have their achievements recognised and providing access to systematic progression pathways” . FETAC has been contracted to host and support the European Network for Quality Assurance in the VET system in 2009 and 2010 . FETAC is the most influential organisation in quality assurance.

The FAS Quality Assurance Strategy 2006-2009 is also of relevance to VET quality assurance. Furthermore, VET statistics are gathered through the Quarterly National Household Survey, the CVTS survey and the Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey. Recently the establishment of the National Framework of Qualifications meant there was a need to produce statistics on the number of persons acquiring qualifications at the various levels. A system was developed to collect this data, which has been improved continuously. It is still not possible to link information that would indicate flows between different levels of award or to differentiate between awards to full-time students and part-time (employed) learners. FÁS has also established a Skills Database in order to identify the future skills needs .

EQARF Indicators

The following PDF attachment summarises evidence identified that relates any indicators used at national level to the ten indicators proposed in the EQARF recommendation: EQARF Indicators Ireland