COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Wednesday, 2nd JULY 2008
Room 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Robin Newton MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood MLA
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mr Basil McCrea MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Mr Alastair Ross MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Rab McConaghy (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Trevor Allen (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mr Collan Cree (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Jessica Dougan (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Jimmy Spratt MLA
The meeting opened at 10:32am in public session.
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 25 th June 2008
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2. Departmental briefing on the European Social Fund - Update
The Chairperson updated Members on a meeting with the Minister for Social Development on 1 st July on the issue of the European Social Fund.
The Committee received a briefing from Departmental representatives: Greg McConnell, Deputy Secretary, and Trevor Connolly, Director of Finance & European Division, on the European Social Funding. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
10:39am Claire McGill joined the meeting
10:45am Alex Attwood joined the meeting
10:50am Basil McCrea joined the meeting
11:06am Paul Butler joined the meeting
3. Departmental briefing on Vocational Qualification Reform
The Committee received a briefing from Departmental representatives: Marion Cree, Head of Learning & Curriculum Policy Branch, Harry McCullough, Learning & Curriculum Policy Branch, and Nick Gibson, Learning & Curriculum Policy Branch, on Vocational Qualification Reform. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
4. Matters Arising
Teacher Education Stakeholder Review:
Agreed: Members agreed that, further to the briefing from the Queen’s University of Belfast, any questions relating to the Review of Teacher Training be forwarded to the Committee Office.
5. Chairperson’s Business
Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.
Agreed: The Chairperson updated Members on the meeting with the University of the Third Age on 25 th June. Members agreed that the Chairperson write to the Ministers for Education and Employment and Learning on the issues raised during that meeting.
6. Subordinate Legislation
Members noted and were content with the following item of subordinate legislation:
- Industry Training Levy (Construction Industry) Order (NI) 2008; and
- The Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008.
7. Departmental Press Notices
Members noted a number of Departmental press notices issued recently.
8. Any Other Business
No other items of business were raised.
9. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 3 rd September 2008 at 10.30am in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12:05pm.