Skills Attainment

Inclusive further and higher education will assist persons with disabilities to remain in education longer. Initial skills development, access to apprenticeships, internships, further education and training and access to higher education in adulthood are important routes that can provide an effective bridge to employment.

The National Disability Authority (NDA) provide advice to new strategies and policies relating to skills attainment.

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National Skills Strategy 2025

Ireland's National Skills Strategy 2025 - Ireland's Future is designed to benefit all people living in Ireland, companies operating here or planning to establish here, those working here, and those hoping to work here. It recognises the role that skills can play in the improvement of all and in supporting people here to grow as global citizens. In 2021 we presented on our work to the National Skills Council.

We contribute to the implementation of this strategy through our membership of the Dublin Regional Skills Forum. We have also made submission on SOLAS’s Further Education and Training Strategies. We are also a member of an advisory group of SOLAS’s review of Specialist Training Provision.

Apprenticeship for All

The Action Plan for Apprenticeship, 2021 to 2025 was launched in April 2021. One of the five unambiguous objectives in the plan is ‘Apprenticeship for all’, meaning that the profile of the apprenticeship population will more closely reflect the profile of the general population. The explicit ‘deliverables’ underpinning this include an apprenticeship structure that is inclusive in terms of access and delivery.

We provided a policy advice paper to the Department of Education and Skills as part of their Review of Apprenticeship Training in Ireland in 2013.

Digital Literacy for All

The 'Adult Literacty for Life' - a 10-year adult literacy strategy (2021-30) was launched in September 2021. It outlines a cross-Government approach to reduce the number of adults in Ireland who have unmet literacy, numeracy and digital skills needs. People with a disability are one of the key target groups within the strategy.

We sat on the technical advisory Group led by SOLAS that developed the Strategy providing our independent advice in relation to disability issues.

Career Guidance for Students with Additional Needs

In 2018 we made a submission to the Department of Education and Skill’s consultation on their review of career guidance. We recommend the need to develop an effective model of career guidance for education system including special education schools. It is important to ensure that guidance is connected to, and informed by, future skills need for the labour market, particularly given the varied career opportunities that are opening up in a changing market place.

The Department of Education published their Indecon Review of Career Guidance in early 2020.

In our view, this report did not extensively review good practice in relation to career guidance for students with additional needs. Therefore, we are undertaking a separate piece of work on this area. It will involve a literature review on career guidance for students with additional needs, a round table discussion with relevant stakeholders, a focus group with students with additional needs all of which will inform a policy advice paper.