Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Peter Weir MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Trevor Clarke MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Sheila Mawhinney (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Pauline Devlin (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Bill Kinnear (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr William Irwin MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA

The meeting opened in public session at 10. 05 am.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above. 

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 19 May 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Matters Arising

The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 6.

• Holyland Inter-Agency Group

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from Queen’s University, and agreed to seek a further update from the Department

• Departmental Prompt Payments targets

Agreed: Members considered an analysis of its prompt payment performance provided by the Department and agreed to write to the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding the work of the shared service centre, AccountNI

• Response to Finance and Personnel Inquiry

Agreed: The Committee agreed a response to go to the Committee for Finance and Personnel on its inquiry into the role of the Assembly in the scrutiny of the Executive Budget and Expenditure.

• Welfare Reform Bill – Mencap submission

Members noted the above submission, forwarded by the Committee for Social Development.

3. Chairperson’s Business

The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 7.

Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.

4. Departmental Press Notices and Press cuttings

The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 8.

Members noted a number of recent Departmental press notices

5. Any Other Business

The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 9.

• DEL Quality and Performance – A Baseline Analysis

Members noted the above papers provided by the Department

• External Advisors

Agreed: Members considered correspondence from the Finance and Personnel Committee regarding the use of external advisors by Government departments and agreed to follow up on this issue with DEL

• DEL Legislative Programme 2010-2011

Members noted the above information supplied by the Department.

• Closure of Northern Regional College campuses

Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence from NIPSA regarding the proposed closure of a number of campuses of the Northern Regional College and agreed to a request from NIPSA to provide a briefing on this issue

• Stranmillis University College

Agreed: Members considered correspondence from Stranmillis University College regarding the number of Initial Teacher Education places for 2010/11, and agreed to contact the Education Committee for further information on this issue

• Improving Public Sector Efficiency – NIAO report

Agreed: The Committee considered a financial monitoring checklist recommended by the Northern Ireland Audit Office and agreed that members would this useful.

• Chairpersons Liaison Group

Members noted the key issues discussed at the May meeting of the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group.

• European Funding for NI Universities

Agreed: Members considered correspondence from the OFMDFM Committee regarding European funding for research and development, and agreed to that Committee’s request to seek further information on this issue from the universities in Northern Ireland

• Commissioner for Older People Bill

Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence from the OFMDFM Committee inviting submissions on the Commissioner for Older People Bill, and agreed to consider a draft response at its next meeting

• Success through Skills 2

Agreed: Members noted the consultation document for the proposed strategy, Success through Skills 2, and agreed to return to this at a later meeting

• Forward Work Programme – for information

Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme

6. Briefing from the Youth Council of Northern Ireland in relation to the NEETs Inquiry

David Guilfoyle, Chief Executive, Clare Conlon, Head of Training in Youth Action NI, Sean Madden, Project Worker in Youth Action NI and Harry Murphy, Senior Youth Worker, briefed the Committee on the development of an effective youth policy, as part of the Committee’s inquiry into young people who are not in education employment or training. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.30 am Mr Trevor Clarke joined the meeting
10.37 am Mr Peter Weir joined the meeting
11.10 am Ms Anna lo left the meeting
11.10 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting

7. Briefing from Departmental officials on the June Monitoring Round

The Committee was briefed by Andrew Hamilton, Deputy Secretary, and Trevor Connolly, Director of Finance, on the Department’s submission for the June Monitoring Round. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.13 am Ms Anna Lo rejoined the meeting

Agreed: Members agreed that Departmental officials should provide further information on Bids contained in the submission.

11.20 am Mr Pat Ramsey left the meeting

8. Briefing from Departmental officials on Programme led Apprenticeships

Nuala Kerr, Director of Skills and Industry, and Des Lynas, Skills and Indusrty Division, provided the Committee with an update on the way forward for Programme Led Apprenticeships. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.28 am Mr Pat Ramsey rejoined the meeting
11.32 am Ms Sue Ramsey rejoined the meeting
11.52 am Mr David McClarty left the meeting

9. Subordinate Legislation

• The CITB ConstructionSkills NI Levy Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010

Agreed: The Committee considered the above SL1 and agreed that it was content for the Department to make the Statutory Rule

12.03 pm Mr Peter Weir left the meeting

10. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010 in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Building.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.04 pm

Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
9 June 2010

19 May 10 / Menu