COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 2009
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Buchanan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Trevor Clarke MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr David Hilditch MLA
Mr William Irwin MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Sheila Mawhinney (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Andy Cooper (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Bill Kinnear (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Paul Butler MLA
The meeting opened at 10. 05 am in public session
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
1. Minutes of the meetings held on 21 October 2009
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2. Briefing by the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) on issues faced by visually-impaired students
10.12 am Mr Irwin joined the meeting
10.48 am Mr Clarke joined the meeting
Bernie Jenkins, Campaign Officer, and Barrie Macaulay, Senior Manager for Campaigns, Education and Sport, briefed the Committee on the issues and challenges faced by young people with visual disabilities in Further and Higher Education. Andrea Begley, a representative from Eye Matter!, a forum of pro-active young people aged from 15 to 30 with sight problems, provided members with a personal insight into practical difficulties faced by young students . The briefings were followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department for information on the comparative educational attainment of students with visual disabilities.
Agreed: Members agreed to forward the briefing paper from RNIB to the universities and further education colleges for comment.
Agreed: Members agreed to contact OFMDFM for further clarification on the legislation relating to accessibility for visually impaired students.
3. Briefing by representatives from University for Derry (U4D)
The Committee received a briefing from Padraig Canavan, Chair of U4D, and Paul Gosling, Co-ordinator of U4D, advocating substantial expansion of graduate and post-graduate education in Derry as fundamental to the economic advancement of the city and North West region. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
11.58 am Mr McClarty left the meeting
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Minister regarding the current cap on student numbers in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: Members agreed to invite the Ilex Urban Regeneration Company to brief the Committee on the U4D proposals.
12.03 pm Mr Ramsey left the meeting
4. Briefing on “Building a better future – End of Year Delivery Report” by Assembly Research
Dr Robert Barry and Yan Liu from Assembly Research provided the Committee with an update on the progress to date of the Department for Employment and Learning in achieving its PSA targets under the Programme for Government. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
5. Subordinate Legislation
The Committee was content with the proposal to make the Statutory Rule, “The Further Education (Student Support) (Eligibility) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2009.”
6. Matters Arising
- University of Ulster expansion plans
Members noted various media pieces relating to the expansion plans for the University of Ulster.
- Holyland Forum and Action Plan
- Agreed: Members noted various media reports on the draft Holyland Action Plan and received a report from Ms Anna Lo on the stakeholder conference which she attended on behalf of the Committee. The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request an update on the progress of the Forum.
- Springvale Educational Village Project- Public Accounts Committee Report
- Agreed: Members noted the response from the Public Accounts Committee which highlighted its outstanding recommendations, and also the Memorandum of Reply from the Department for Employment and Learning. The Committee agreed to write to the Department, requesting an update on the completion of these outstanding recommendations.
- Royal Mail Dispute
Agreed: Members noted a response from the Minister for Employment and Learning to previous correspondence on this issue.
- CITB mobile Health and Safety Training Unit
Agreed: The Committee thanked the CITB for bringing its mobile training unit to Parliament Buildings prior to the next meeting and looked forward to the opportunity of seeing how the unit operates.
- Higher Education Stakeholder Conference
Agreed: Members noted a report of the Minister’s speech at the above event held recently in the Park Avenue Hotel in Belfast.
7. Chairperson’s Business
Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.
8. Departmental Press Notices
Members noted a number of Departmental press notice issued recently.
9. Any Other Business
- NISCC Newsletter
Agreed: Members noted the most recent issue of this newsletter
- Funding for Arts Courses
Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee on the above issue.
- NIO Consultation on Section 55 (Data Protection Act) Offences
Agreed: Members noted the consultation document.
- Apprenticeships Update
Agreed: Members considered an update from the Department on numbers and status of apprenticeships and agreed to request further details on apprentices who had been made redundant.
- Forward Work Programme – for information
Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for the period of October 2009 to January 2010.
10. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 11 November 2009 in Room 30, Parliament Building.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.43 pm.
Ms Sue Ramsey
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
18 November 2009