The Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment Committee has examined the Draft Regional Strategic Framework, along with the recommendations of the Report of the Panel Conducting the Public Examination, and has considered their implications for the areas of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment. Because of the timing of suspension, there has been little opportunity for the Committee as a group to consider the Draft. This report therefore summarises the Committee's initial views.

Summary

The Committee considers that the spatial development strategy raises issues about DHFETE institutional development strategy and locational policy; about geographic location of education and training opportunities; and about breadth of access (eg via electronic means).

The Committee reiterates that Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment Department has a key contribution to regional economic development.

The Committee recommends a clearer focus on actions needed to produce outcomes, and a closer co-operation between the development strategies for HFETE and ETI.

Introduction

1. The Committee broadly welcomed Chapter 3 of the Draft (which presents the Guiding Principles of the Strategy). The Committee decided that higher and further education, training and employment, had an important and direct contribution to make to all aspects of these core Guiding Principles, including:

• Growing into a more cohesive society, with equitable provision of services within Northern Ireland; and an outward looking perspective.

• Supporting high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.

• Achieving competitiveness through investing in and nurturing intellectual and human capital.
  

Spatial Development Strategy

2. The Committee noted that a central element of the Draft Regional Strategic Framework is its spatial development strategy, aimed at providing a spatial planning framework to guide the physical development of the region to 2025, and functioning as an overarching strategic framework for Development plans.

3. The spatial framework of the Draft has been accepted by Strategy 2010 as a basis for industrial locational policy. Given the recommendations of Strategy 2010 concerning the role of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment in economic development, specifically with regard to attracting inward investment to locations with Higher and Further Education facilities, this also raises the issues of locational policy for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment. The Committee considered that the DHFETE should, to an extent, develop a locational policy based on the spatial development framework of the Draft Regional Strategic Framework, and examine how to co-ordinate this with the Strategy 2010 recommendations.

4. The Committee considered the proposed development of the identified urban hubs (comprising the major regional cities of the Belfast Metropolitan Area and Derry/Londonderry, the seven major service centres and twelve Regional Towns identified as key service centres). The Committee supported the references to their role in expanding and improving education and skills training.

5. Equally, they noted the complementary role of formal monitoring to ensure equality of provision, (including geographic access). Even though not covered by Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Committee agreed that deprivation of, for example, relatively remote rural communities of education and training opportunities, should not be allowed to happen.

6. The Committee noted and supports the development of outreach facilities in Universities and Higher and Further Education Colleges.

Regional Economic Development

7. The Committee considered the role of education and skills in Economic Development Strategy (pp. 17-18). The Committee agreed that the development of skills and innovation is an essential contribution to the development of a high value-added, high-wage economy. Such skills are key, as Northern Ireland moves quickly to grasp the opportunities of a knowledge-based society, and thereby enhance competitive advantage.

8. The Draft suggests the potential benefits of partnerships between business and Higher Education and Research facilities (p. 17). The Committee has seen examples of such partnerships at the Magee College campus of the University of Ulster, and will follow with interest their progress in securing job and wealth creation spin-offs. The Committee notes that this will be an area of mutual interest to DRD, DETI and DHFETE.

A Co-operative (Joined-Up) Development Strategy

9. While acknowledging the identification, at pages 17 and 18 of the draft Regional Strategic Framework, of key challenges for DHFETE, the Committee expressed concern that the references to Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment lacked cohesion. They considered that some indication is needed of steps to be taken to tackle these challenges, and how progress would be monitored.

10. A focus on outcomes, which also identifies how each sector (or Department) can work together to achieve mutually shared goals and outputs, should clarify the vision for all, without leading to an unduly prescriptive approach.

Esmond Birnie

ESMOND BIRNIE
Chairman
7 July 2000.