Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - Ireland (Ratification: 1979)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Articles 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of education and training policies. Cooperation with the social partners. In its reports received on 1 September 2023, the Government provides detailed information on the formulation and implementation of education and training policies. The Government highlights the adoption of a second Further Education and Training (FET) Strategy 2020–24 and reports that significant progress has already been made across its three core pillars (building skills, fostering inclusion, facilitating pathways) and in its aim to deliver a more integrated FET system. The Government also reports that significant reforms were made under the National Skills Strategy 2016–25, resulting in a skills development architecture which ensures that education and training align with skills needs. Further, one of the pillars of the new Pathways to Work Strategy 2021–25 aims at ensuring seamless access to training for unemployed jobseekers. Also, a new Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–25 was adopted which aims at increasing diversity and inclusion within the apprenticeship system. The Government indicates that the apprenticeship registrations increased to 8,286 at the end of 2022 and aims at 10,000 registrations per year by 2025. Regarding policy coordination, the Government highlights that the provision of training programmes and services is overseen by a high-level interdepartmental group, including the Department of Social Protection (DSP), the Department of Further and Higher Education, and SOLAS (the State agency responsible for FET). In parallel, the DSP and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) have established a protocol to coordinate national, regional, and local efforts to target the unemployed jobseekers and socially excluded groups. In that regard, the Government indicates that the collaboration between the Public Employment Services (PES) and SOLAS facilitates the referrals of unemployed jobseekers to training courses offered by SOLAS and the ETBs.

The Committee notes in these respects that, in its concluding observations of 20 March 2024, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) expressed concerns about regional disparities in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, notably with regard to access to education and training in remote and peripheral areas, including in the north-west region and border and coastal communities (document E/C.12/IRL/CO/4, paragraphs 20–21(a)). The Committee also notes that, in May 2023, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report on the National Skills Strategy 2016–25 which identified remaining challenges in balancing skills supply and demand, promoting lifelong learning, leveraging skills for innovation, and strengthening governance for a more effective and adaptable skills system (OECD Skills Strategy Ireland – Assessment and Recommendations, OECD Skills Studies, 2023).

With regard to cooperation with social partners, the Government refers to the roles of the National Skills Council and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN). The Government indicates that the EGFSN, tasked with advising the Government on skills needs and ways to address them, includes representatives from the Government, the industry, and from employers' and workers' organizations such as the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). The Committee notes from the EGFSN website that it is also tasked with making recommendations on how existing education and training systems as well as delivery mechanisms may be improved. Regarding the National Skills Council, the Committee notes from information available online that, following the 2023 recommendations from the OECD on the National Skills Strategy 2016–25, a new National Skills Council was launched in 2024 which is composed of eight representatives from different sized enterprises, four representatives nominated by the social partners, and two skills experts, including the Chairman of the EGFSN. The Committee notes that the new National Skills Council is meant to act as a platform to provide the Government with on-demand strategic advice to adapt its skills and workforce development policies quickly, in tune with the fast-shifting skills requirements of the labour market. In light of the above andnoting the challenges identified by the OECD as well as the CESCR, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated and detailed information on the adoption, implementation, and impact of the different vocational education and training policies and programmes, in particular in remote and peripheral areas. The Committee also requests the Government to continue providing detailed and updated information on the way in which effective coordination between the different relevant bodies is assured for the development and implementation of these policies and programmes. The Committee further requests the Government to continue to provide updated and detailed information, with concrete examples, on the involvement of the social partners in both the design and implementation of these policies and programmes.

Articles 1(5) and 3. Equality of access to vocational guidance and training programmes. The Government reports that a progress review of the National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (2015–19) was published in 2018 which showed that the National Access Plan (NAP) successfully increased participation in higher education among people with disabilities, surpassing its initial target of 8 per cent by reaching an overall rate of 10 per cent as of 2017. The Government indicates that a new NAP 2022-28 was adopted which set a higher target of 16 per cent of new students with disabilities. The Government also indicates that fostering inclusion is a key pillar of the FET Strategy 2020-24 and that measures to that effect include: (i) the publication of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and a guide for practitioners promoting inclusive practices in the FET sector, (ii) the conclusion of updated Strategic Performance Agreements with the ETBs to include quantitative inclusion targets for priority groups, and (iii) an evaluation of the Specialist Training Provision programme, which provides training for persons with disabilities. The Government further indicates that the 2018 Review of pathways to participation in apprenticeship led to several initiatives aimed at increasing access for underrepresented groups, in particular women, including: (i) a promotional campaign which resulted in an increase in the number of female apprentices, from 60 in 2016 to 1,840 in 2023, and (ii) the launch of a two-year all-female Software Developer Associate programme. The Government adds that, in the framework of the new Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025, several measures and programmes were adopted to increase diversity and inclusion such as a gender-based bursary, an inclusion bursary, and a Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme. Moreover, an Access and Inclusion Sub-Committee was established to integrate the voices of under-represented groups in apprenticeship policy development. The Government also reports that, within the framework of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017–20 (NTRIS), several measures are implemented to improve education and training opportunities for the Traveller and Roma communities, such as the Supporting Travellers and Roma (STAR) pilot project, which addresses barriers to Traveller and Roma participation and retention in education, and the funding of Home School Community Liaison coordinators. The Committee notes in this respect that, in its concluding observations of 20 March 2024, the CESCR expressed concerns about the underemployment and unemployment of the most marginalized groups and recommended that the Government expedite the adoption of a Traveller and Roma training plan (document E/C.12/IRL/CO/4, paragraph 27(b)). The Committee notes from information available online that the Government adopted in July 2024 a new National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2024–2028 (NTRIS II) as well as a Traveller and Roma Education Strategy (TRES) 2024–2030 aimed at addressing the persistent challenges these communities face, in particular in accessing education and employment. The Committee refers to its 2020 comments on the Discrimination (employment and occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) and requests the Government to continue to provide detailed, up-to-date information on the vocational guidance and training measures targeting specific categories of persons with the aim of increasing their participation in education and employment. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide detailed, up-to-date information, including disaggregated statistics by sex and age, on the results of these measures, such as the number of beneficiaries and the impact in promoting access to lasting employment opportunities, in particular for the Traveller and Roma communities.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Articles 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of education and training policies. Cooperation with the social partners. The Government reports that significant progress has been made towards meeting the objectives set out in the National Skills Strategy adopted in 2007, “Tomorrow’s Skills – Towards a National Skills Strategy”, produced by an expert group on future skills needs, with the aim of attaining a well-educated and highly skilled population for the period up to 2020. The Committee notes that a new National Skills Strategy 2025 was launched in January 2016, with the objective of providing an education and training system that is flexible and innovative enough to respond to a rapidly changing economy and society and to provide the right mix of skills needed now and in the future. The goals of the new Strategy include increased engagement in lifelong learning. As part of the new national skills development architecture, the Government refers to the establishment of the National Skills Council, and the new mandate of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), whose role is to research and identify skills needs. The Government indicates that the EGFSN’s findings have been reflected in the Irish education and training system strategies adopted in recent years, as well as in the country’s enterprise policy framework. The National Skills Strategy 2025 is closely aligned with broader government policies, including: Enterprise 2025; the Action Plan for Jobs; Pathways to Work 2016–2020; the Action Plan for Education 2016–2019; and the Further Education and Training Strategy 2015–2019, which focuses on delivering quality vocational education and training that meets employers’ needs. In addition, the Further Education and Training (FET) sector has undergone reforms to include labour market-focused programmes as well as programmes to promote social inclusion. In this regard, the Committee notes the establishment of 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in 2013, which are tasked with the delivery of primary, post-primary and further education. The Committee further notes a series of further education and training programmes provided by the Government, including: the Youthreach programme, which provides two years of integrated education, training and work experience for unemployed early school leavers with no qualifications or vocational training for persons in the 15–20 age bracket; the Skillnet Ireland programme which enables enterprise-led training; the ICT Skills Action Plan 2018–2026, which establishes a framework for meeting the future skills needs of Ireland’s growing technology sector. The Committee also notes the establishment of the Apprenticeship Council in 2014, which is responsible for the expansion of apprenticeships in Ireland, as well as the “Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland 2016–2020”, published in January 2017, under which SOLAS is currently reviewing pathways to participation in apprenticeships for under-represented groups. In its observations, the Congress of Irish Trade Unions (ICTU) indicates that the ETB Act 2013 abolished the previous system of ensuring balanced representation of the social partners through the Vocational Education Committees. The ICTU also observes that the Government plans to give business and industry a greater say in the strategic direction of education policy and spending in the context of a new five-year “human capital initiative” for higher and further education. The ICTU expresses the view that these measures are not in conformity with Article 5 of the Convention, which requires policies and programmes of vocational guidance and vocational training to be formulated and implemented in cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information on the vocational guidance and training policies and programmes adopted and implemented and on their contribution to achieving the objectives of the Convention, particularly the promotion of access to education, training and lifelong learning, including for under-represented groups. It requests the Government to provide information on the nature and extent of the apprenticeship programmes, particularly for under-represented groups. The Committee further requests the Government to provide information on measures taken to coordinate education, training and employment policies, as well as on the involvement of employers’ and workers’ organizations in the formulation and implementation of such policies and programmes, particularly through the ETBs.

Articles 1(5) and 3. Specific categories of persons. The Committee notes with interest the measures taken by the Government to promote equality and social inclusion in vocational education and training. The Government refers to the third National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (2015–2019), which identifies target groups that are currently under-represented in higher education, including persons from socio-economic groups with low participation rates in higher education, students with disabilities, first-time mature student entrants, part-time/flexible learners and further education award holders. The Committee notes that the vision of the national access plan is to ensure that the student body participating in higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population. The Government also reports on the adoption of the Employee Development Policy Framework – “Supporting Working Lives and Enterprise Growth in Ireland” – in 2018, which seeks to develop the skills of persons belonging to disadvantaged groups in the Irish workforce and supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need assistance to invest in and develop their workforce. In addition, the Government refers to the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015–2024. The Government also reports that the key theme of the Department of Justice and Equality’s National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017–2020 is to promote equality for women and girls across all areas of life, including in education and in the workplace. The Strategy aims to improve access to education, training and employment opportunities for Traveller and Roma women by including actions in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017–2020 in support of initiatives in relation to education and employment, including community-based support for the retention of Traveller and Roma children in the education system. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed up-to-date information on the vocational guidance and training measures targeting specific categories of persons with the aim of increasing their participation in education and employment. The Committee further requests the Government to provide detailed up-to-date information, including statistics disaggregated by sex and age, on the results of such measures, including the number of beneficiaries and the impact of the measures in promoting access to opportunities for lasting employment.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

The Committee notes the Government’s report received in December 2012. The Government refers to the creation of SOLAS, a new authority in charge of analysing labour market data at the national and regional level in order to ensure that training and education programmes meet the needs of workers and the labour market. The Government lists a series of programmes aimed at providing industry-specific skills, preparatory training and providing companies the opportunity to shape training and development programmes. Specifically, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, under the National Skills Strategy of 2007, has the responsibility to ensure that the labour market needs for skilled workers are anticipated and met. The Government also lists education programmes designed to meet the educational needs of workers and unemployed persons through providing places in higher education for unemployed people and the creation of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority to review the quality assurance procedures of universities. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information in its next report on the measures taken to coordinate education, training and employment policies, as well as to provide information on the results of the measures adopted to promote the link between education, training and employment. It also invites the Government to provide information on the manner in which the representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations are consulted in the formulation of such measures.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

The Committee notes that the last report from the Government was received in 2003. It asks the Government to supply as soon as practicable a detailed report providing information on the practical application of the Convention requested in the report form.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2013.]