Further Education and Training Strategy 2014-2019

he first ever strategy for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector is being launched by the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruair�_ Quinn T.D., and Minister of State for Training and Skills Ciarn Cannon T.D. The overall aim of the Strategy is to develop a world-class integrated system of further education and training in Ireland, which will promote economic development and meet the needs of all citizens. The new strategy was developed by SOLAS with assistance from the ESRI which was commissioned to carry out evidence based research and assist in the development of the Strategy. Five high level strategic goals have been identified: -Skills for the Economy: to address the current and future needs of learners, jobseekers, employers and employees and to contribute to national economic development -Active Inclusion: to support the active inclusion of people of all abilities in society with special reference to literacy and numeracy -Quality Provision: to provide high quality education and training programmes and to meet the appropriate national and international quality standards -Integrated Planning and Funding: FET provision will be planned and funded on the basis of objective analysis of needs and evidence of social and economic impact -Standing of FET: to ensure a valued learning path leading to agreed employment, career, developmental, personal and social options. The Strategy follows a radical overhaul of the structure of the sector by the Government which includes the streamlining of 33 existing VECs into 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), the abolition of F́S and creation of SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority. Speaking at the launch in the Chester Beatty li

General Scheme of a Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS) Bill 2012

General Scheme of a Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS) Bill 2012. Provided by the Department of Education and Skills, Ireland.

HEA Report to the Minister for Education and Skills on Irish higher education

This report to the Minister for Education and Skills from the Higher Education Authority is the culmination of a series of consultations and reports aimed at addressing the challenges and recommendations outlined in the National Strategy for Higher Education(the National Strategy), in particular as these relate to the structure or configuration of the Irish higher education system. This advice builds on other major changes announced since the publication of the strategy, including the agreement of the Process and Criteria for Designation as a Technological University setting out how institutions can become designated as technological universities and the significant role these new institutions can play in Irish higher education. At the same time it must be recognised that other elements of the implementation of the strategy (for example, those relating to sustainability) are still under way. This report to the Minister is concerned with the structure and institutional disposition of the system.

HEA Report to the Minister for Education and Skills on Irish higher education (Response Letter)

HEA Report to the Minister for Education and Skills on Irish higher education (Response Letter). Provided by the Department of Education and Skills, Ireland.

Management Framework Agreement between the Department of Education and Skills and City of Dublin ETB

Management Framework Agreement between the Department of Education and Skills and City of Dublin ETB. Provided by the Department of Education and Skills, Ireland.

Medical Education in Ireland A New Direction - Report of the Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education and Training

Ireland can be justly proud of the history and quality of its medical education. Graduates of Irish medical schools are accepted globally as being of international standard and many of the most eminent of Irish medical professionals have returned to Ireland after periods of distinguished service in other countries. This high international standing is reflected in the large number of North American, African and Asian students attending medical school in Ireland. Indeed, the ability of Irish medical schools to successfully compete at an international level in terms of attracting students to Ireland, and to establish a range of strategic relationships with Universities and Governments in other countries is to be commended.

Naming the Reformed Junior Cycle Proposals for the Minister for Education and Skills - Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU)

It was important to us to engage with as many students as possible throughout the process of developing a new name for the reformed junior cycle. In this vein, we used a wide variety of methods to engage with students in order to capture as many ideas as possible; text messaging, Facebook, Twitter, email and consultation sessions. We circulated posters to all schools via post and/or email, and contacted schools in catchment areas for the consultation sessions by phone. In our consultation sessions, we had discussions with the participating students about what the new junior cycle would be, closely guided by the content of “Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle” from the National Council for Curriculum and assessment. In these sessions, students then gave feedback on what they thought of the reformed junior cycle, developed their own ideas, and identified what they thought should be reflected in the name of the reformed junior cycle

OECD Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in Ireland - Information Note

Thematic reviews of early childhood policy originated in response to a significant change in Western societies in the latter part of the 20th century. In effect, the care and education of young children in the industrialised world had shifted from the private to the public sphere, to become a shared responsibility of families and the state. Not only was the provision of equal access to women to the labour market an important goal in this development, but also the issue of giving every child a fair start in life and at school.

OECD Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in Ireland

Ireland is one of the smallest countries in Europe and occupies the most westerly, peripheral position. Geographically, the entire island is comprised of 32 counties, 26 of which make up the Republic of Ireland, (commonly referred to as the South), and 6 of which go to make up Northern Ireland (usually called the North), which forms part of the United Kingdom. This report is concerned with the Republic of Ireland only, which will be referred to as Ireland in the remainder of this report for ease of reading.

Association between education and quality of diabetes care in Switzerland

PURPOSE: Low socioeconomic status is associated with higher prevalence of diabetes, worse outcomes, and worse quality of care. We explored the relationship between education, as a measure of socioeconomic status, and quality of care in the Swiss context. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were drawn from a population-based survey of 519 adults with diabetes during fall 2011 and summer 2012 in a canton of Switzerland. We assessed patients and diabetes characteristics. Eleven indicators of quality of care were considered (six of process and five of outcomes of care). After bivariate analyses, regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and diabetic complications were performed to assess the relationship between education and quality of care. RESULTS: Of 11 quality-of-care indicators, three were significantly associated with education: funduscopy (patients with tertiary versus primary education were more likely to get the exam: odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004-3.3) and two indicators of health-related quality of life (patients with tertiary versus primary education reported better health-related quality of life: Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life: β=0.6 [95% CI, 0.2-0.97]; SF-12 mean physical component summary score: β=3.6 [95% CI, 0.9-6.4]). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the presence of educational inequalities in quality of diabetes care. These findings may help health professionals focus on individuals with increased needs to decrease health inequalities.

Openness and technology diffusion in payment

We study the relationship between openness and payment system development. In particular, we analyze how the existence of technology diffusion from a more developed country fosters a transformation of payment choice in a less developed country. We apply our analysis to Mexico. Economic growth in Mexico was not high enough to cause a transformation of payment choice observed in the data after 2001. We argue that the switch towards electronic payments can be attributed to openness and related payment technology spillovers from the US in the context of NAFTA.

Education and male-female differences in later-life cognition: international evidence from latin america and the Caribbean.

This study explores the role of early-life education for differences in cognitive functioning between men and women aged 60 and older from seven major urban areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. After documenting statistically significant differences in cognitive functioning between men and women for six of the seven study sites, I assess the extent to which these differences can be explained by prevailing male-female differences in education. I decompose predicted male-female differences in cognitive functioning based on various statistical models for later-life cognition and find robust evidence that male-female differences in education are a major driving force behind cognitive functioning differences between older men and women. This study therefore suggests that early-life differences in educational attainment between boys and girls during childhood have a lasting impact on gender inequity in cognitive functioning at older ages. Increases in educational attainment and the closing of the gender gap in education in many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean may thus result in both higher levels and a more gender-equitable distribution of later-life cognition among the future elderly in those countries.

Association of education and receiving social transfers with allostatic load in the Swiss population-based CoLaus study.

BACKGROUND: Allostatic load reflects cumulative exposure to stressors throughout lifetime and has been associated with several adverse health outcomes. It is hypothesized that people with low socioeconomic status (SES) are exposed to higher chronic stress and have therefore greater levels of allostatic load. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of receiving social transfers and low education with allostatic load. METHODS: We included 3589 participants (1812 women) aged over 35years and under retirement age from the population-based CoLaus study (Lausanne, Switzerland, 2003-2006). We computed an allostatic load index aggregating cardiovascular, metabolic, dyslipidemic and inflammatory markers. A novel index additionally including markers of oxidative stress was also examined. RESULTS: Men with low vs. high SES were more likely to have higher levels of allostatic load (odds ratio (OR)=1.93/2.34 for social transfers/education, 95%CI from 1.45 to 4.17). The same patterns were observed among women. Associations persisted after controlling for health behaviors and marital status. CONCLUSIONS: Low education and receiving social transfers independently and cumulatively predict high allostatic load and dysregulation of several homeostatic systems in a Swiss population-based study. Participants with low SES are at higher risk of oxidative stress, which may justify its inclusion as a separate component of allostatic load.

Long-term Plan for Concrete Pavement Research and Technology: The CP Road Map, November 2004, Volume 1 of 2

An Iowa State University–led team facilitated development of the CP Road Map. They developed a database of existing research. They gathered input, face to face, from the highway community. They identified gaps in research that became the basis for problem statements, which they organized into a cohesive, strategic research plan.

Long-term Plan for Concrete Pavement Research and Technology: The CP Road Map, November 2004, Volume 2 of 2

An Iowa State University–led team facilitated development of the CP Road Map. They developed a database of existing research. They gathered input, face to face, from the highway community. They identified gaps in research that became the basis for problem statements, which they organized into a cohesive, strategic research plan.