TUI is of the view that increased investment in PLC courses which lead to full certification is required and that money should be diverted from the FAS budget increase the number of PLC places.
Investment in additional PLC places is preferable to the proliferation of short FAS courses which do not lead to full certification, the union believes.
TUI recently highlighted how 60,000 jobseekers and school leavers have applied for just 30,000 Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses in VECs around the country.
Speaking today, TUI Deputy General Secretary Annette Dolan said:
“We acknowledge that FAS has a role to play in upskilling, but the provision earlier this year of 51,000 additional places solely to the agency was disappointing in the extreme and regrettably betrayed a lack of understanding at government level of the education and training requirements of school leavers and those newly unemployed.
30,000 potential students have missed out on a PLC course for this academic year. Crucially, all PLC courses lead to full certification on the national framework of qualifications. PLC courses on average are of one year’s duration and provide students with an all rounded education leading to major awards.
On the other hand, the vast majority of FAS Courses - which are significantly shorter - do not provide full certification and only yield minor awards. In addition, PLC courses give students the option of access transfer and progression to Higher Education Courses.
Given some of the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report last week which highlighted serious deficiencies in financial controls in the agency, we believe it would be prudent to fully audit the success or otherwise of the FAS courses provided as part of its €1 billion annual remit.
An additional 1,500 places were given for Further Education courses in the April budget, but this was a completely inadequate number compared to the new vastly increased demand among the population for up skilling and re-skilling.
We have been made aware of instances of elements or modules of successful Post Leaving Courses being duplicated by FAS within certain towns and cities. Surely this is the clearest possible endorsement of the success of PLC courses. We would strongly argue that in such a case the additional resources should be given to the successful PLC course providing full certification rather than FAS sanctioned private providers to offer elements or modules of courses which only lead to minor awards.
In terms of best use of financial resources there is an absolute need for increased co-operation between the state agencies that have responsibility for the provision of education and training, particularly in the current economic climate.
We would be extremely confident that the cost of putting a student through a PLC course in a college of further education costs less per head than that charged by a private for-profit provider, where sometimes the quality of provision is questionable.
VECs, which are the main providers of PLC courses, are located in every community and have access to specialised expertise, adult guidance services, facilities, equipment and support services. They also have the ability to plan, develop and to modify courses in response to learner needs and also those of the local economy. The long queues for PLC courses right around the country in recent week, bears testament to how well regarded they are in the communities in which they serve."