Speaking today, TUI General Secretary Peter MacMenamin said:

“TUI has for a considerable time advocated and lobbied tirelessly for a more streamlined and integrated education and training strategy at national level. The distinction between education and training is an artificial one and its elimination is long overdue.

VECs and Institutes of Technology are ideally placed to upskill the population and in particular those recently made unemployed. Within this newly defined department, the real value of the further education colleges and Institutes of Technology should be fully realised and embraced. The restriction on student numbers in PLC colleges should be abolished as a matter of urgency and funding for Institutes of Technology should be significantly increased to tackle the vastly increased demand.”

The union also welcomed Minister Mary Coughlan to her new position of Minister for Education and Skills.