MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE
HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION,
TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

Present: Dr E Birnie (Chairman)
Mr M Carrick (Deputy Chairman)
Mr R Beggs (Jnr)
Mr J Byrne
Mr J Dallat
Mr W Hay
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr J Kelly
Ms M McWilliams
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of Previous Meeting
3. Matters Arising
4. Discussion by Members on the first New TSN Report
5. Discussion by Members on the consultation document "Learning For Tomorrow’s World".
6. Discussion on areas for a possible enquiry
7. Chairman’s Business
8. Date of Next Meeting

In attendance: Mrs E Sung, Mrs C Darrah, Ms A Colville

1. Apologies

Rev R Coulter, Mrs M Nelis.

Mr Kelly and Ms McWilliams made their apologies for leaving the meeting early.

2. Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the Committee meeting of 3 February were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

(i) The Chairman confirmed that the agreed press release had issued in advance of today’s meeting.

Agreed:

(ii) Members agreed an amended press release in advance of their visit to Magee Campus on 10 February.

Agreed:

(iii) The Clerk will pursue the outstanding responses due from the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment.

(iv) The detailed record of the Question and Answer Session with representatives from the Northern Ireland Economic Council on 27 January 2000 will not be ready until later in the week.

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4. Discussion by Members on the first New TSN Report.

Agreed:

The discussion on how the Committee might present an agreed submission in respect of this report would be deferred to allow Members to submit further responses. The Clerk will then collate and present to Members. Members were reminded that the deadline for the final response from the Committee was 28 February 2000.

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5. Discussion by Members on the consultation document "Learning For Tomorrow’s World".

The Chairman encouraged Members to submit responses even at this late stage and to do so before Friday 11 February. The Clerk will issue Members with a composite submission under theme headings. Members should advise the Clerk of their views on any of the responses. The Chairman will then produce a summary, taking on board Members definitive comments. If the Committee are able to reach a consensus a Committee response will issue to Robson Davison, the contact within the Department. The Committee would like the Department to give it access to the responses it had received.

6. Discussion on areas for a possible enquiry.

The Chairman and the Clerk will draw up a draft terms of reference for consideration at the next Committee meeting which will include terms of reference, timetable, budget etc, and will cover the following:-

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• Investigation of the stock of technical skills in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain and countries in Continental Europe.

• How far has this situation improved over time.

• Evaluation of the Training and Employment Agency’s policy in this area.

• The implications of training and university applied research for competitiveness, and in particular, the realisation of the goals of Strategy 2010.

• The merits of the various international "models" with respect to technical and vocational education.

• Comparison with the Republic of Ireland (in particular, the record of the Institutes of Technology).

• The role of Further Education Colleges.

• Whether the universities are supplying the graduates which Northern Ireland industry needs.

• Consideration of recent Training and Employment Agency work on skills audits.

• The quality of particular qualifications in Northern Ireland compared to GB, Germany, Netherlands, Japan and other international comparators, with reference in particular to US, German, and other European models.

• The quality and quantity of research conducted in our universities with special reference to that which is applied to industry, and the facilitation of commercial spin-offs.

• An evaluation of training aspects of the New Deal initiative.

• Training for economic diversification in rural areas.

• The particular needs of small businesses.

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The Chairman advised Members that the enquiry should not stray into the area of government policy on ETI. (For example, grants for R&D to companies, as this more properly comes under the remit of the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Industry.)

Agreed:

The Clerk will provide a costing paper to cover all potential spend for the enquiry. This would include funding for a special adviser, research visits both locally and overseas, Committee briefing by international specialists, travel payments for witnesses and advertising.

Agreed:

Members agreed that the Chairman should inform the Minister and Departmental Officials of the remit and details of this enquiry.

Agreed:

A press release would issue today in relation to what the Committee had agreed as their first enquiry.

Agreed:

The Committee will meet twice a week during the duration of the enquiry. The meeting on a Tuesday would be dedicated to normal Committee business, the meeting on Thursday would be given over to the details of the enquiry.

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7. Chairman’s Business

The Chairman informed Members that the Minister, Dr Farren, had briefed him in advance of two forthcoming announcements. The first was at 3.15 pm today covering the Government’s commitment to contribute £40m of the total of £70m capital cost of the Springvale Educational Village.

The second announcement would issue on 10 February stating that the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment will be setting up a review on Student Support Policy. The Minister had made it clear that he wished to ensure that the Committee would be fully involved in such an enquiry.

Agreed

That the Committee would take note of the Departmental review on student support whilst standing somewhat apart from it and scrutinising its reports at both an interim and final reporting stage.

Agreed:

The Clerk will liaise with the Minister’s private office and the Departmental contact to ensure that Members have briefing on the details of the enquiry for their visit to Magee College on 10 February.

Agreed:

The Committee agreed that its first area of enquiry should be training and university-based research for industry. The aim will be to produce a report for the Minister and the Assembly by autumn this year.

Agreed:

The Clerk will secure for Members a timetable for the annual comprehensive spending review. The Committee expects to be involved at an early stage in the cycle leading to budget figures for 2001-2002.

Agreed:

The Clerk has written to the Minister requesting a detailed breakdown of the Department’s budget figures. It was agreed that the Committee would scrutinise these figures in detail.

Agreed:

That the Minister is asked, when making an announcement in relation to any budgeting matters or additional money allocations, to provide the Committee with a detailed breakdown of the sums involved in time for their next Committee meeting. The Clerk will follow up with the Department, the matter of the outstanding reply to the £1·1m additional monies allocated by the Executive on 11 January.

8. Date of Next Meeting

The Committee is due to visit Magee College on 10 February at 10.00 am-3.30 pm. The next meeting of the Committee is on 17 February at 2.00 pm – 4.30 pm in Room 135, Parliament Buildings. This will be in open session.

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E Birnie 1 June 2000