Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY, 17TH JUNE 2009
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present: Ms Sue Ramsey MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood MLA
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr Alex Easton MLA
Mr David Hilditch MLA
Mr William Irwin MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA

In Attendance: Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Trevor Allen (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mr Andy Cooper (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Bill Kinnear (Clerical Officer)

Apologies: Mr Robin Newton MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Anna Lo MLA

The meeting opened at 10:04am in public session

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1. Minutes of the meetings held on 10th and 16th June 2009

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Briefing from Disability Action

The Committee received a briefing from representatives of Disability Action: Norah Marquess, Vocational Projects Manager, Mike Scott, Employment and Training Services, and Fiona Ferris, Finance Officer, on the Training for Success Programme and the Employment Services Delivery Model from the perspective of people with disabilities. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11:11am Rev Dr Coulter joined the meeting
10:13am Mr Butler joined the meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister raising a number of concerns discussed during the briefing.

3. Departmental briefing on the Higher Education Strategy

The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials: Fergus Devitt, Director of Higher Education Division, Patricia McVeigh, Head of Higher Education Policy Branch, and Siobhan Greenan of Higher Education Policy Branch, on the Department’s Higher Education Strategy. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11:10am Mr Butler left the meeting

4. Departmental briefing on the Training Allowance Scheme

The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials: Michael Gould, Assistant Director of Skills and Industry Division, Sian McCleave of Programme Management Branch, and Colin Woods of Programme Management Branch on the Department’s recently announced Training Allowance Scheme. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11:44am Mr McClarty left the meeting

5. Departmental briefing on the June Monitoring Round

The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials: Greg McConnell, Deputy Secretary, and Trevor Connolly, Director of Finance and European Division, on the recently submitted June Monitoring Round. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11:44am Mr Butler returned to the meeting
11:44am Rev Dr Coulter left the meeting
11:58am Mr McClarty returned to the meeting

6. Subordinate Legislation

Members noted the following SL1 from the Department for Social Development:

The Committee noted the following Statutory Rule that is subject to negative resolution and the report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules:

The Committee raised no objection to the Rule.

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered the Further Education (Student Support) (Eligibility) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 – SR 2009/211- and has no objection to the rule.”

Agreed: Members noted and agreed to defer the following item of subordinate legislation to the meeting on 24th June:

7. Matter Arising

The Committee noted a paper from the OFMdFM Committee on proposals to transfer responsibility for administrative support for Tribunals sponsored by Northern Ireland Departments to the Northern Ireland Court Service as part of the reform of the tribunal system.

Agreed: Member agreed to await the response to correspondence from the Department and the Law Centre (NI) and raise the issue at a future meeting of the Committee.

8. Chairperson’s Business

12:27pm Mr Irwin left the meeting

Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses. The Committee was updated on Disability Action’s launch of “The REAL Network – Delivering REAL Change” attended by the Chairperson on 15th June. Members also noted a number of forthcoming events to be attended by the Chairperson and/or Deputy Chairperson.

9. Departmental Press Notices

Members noted a number of Departmental press notice issued recently.

10. Any Other Business

Members noted recently published Labour Market profiles for each of the Workforce Development Forums.

Members noted the Committee’s revised Forward Work Plan.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Queens University on a range of issues that arose during the meeting in relation to the Further Education sector and further agreed to an additional meeting on 23rd June to discuss the issues.

Members noted the Hansard transcript of the evidence given by Departmental Officials to the Education Committee on the Report on the Review of Teacher Education on 27th May 2009.

The Committee noted a draft extract of the Autism Bill (NI) from the OFMdFM Committee.

12.33pm The meeting moved into Closed Session

11. Final Approval of the Committee’s Report on the Way Forward for Apprenticeships

Agreed: The Committee agreed the final version of the Committee’s Report on the Way Forward for Apprenticeships.

The Committee ordered that the report be printed.

Agreed: The Committee approved a Committee press release on the report and agreed to issue with an embargo until Monday 22nd June.

12. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday, 23rd June at 12.30pm in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12:39pm.

Ms Sue Ramsey
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
24 June 2009

16 June 09 / Menu