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VTOS – Meeting Future Skill Challenges. Mary Hamilton VTOS National Conference, 2009. VTOS Changing with the Times. Limerick VTOS 2009: Factors for Consideration. 39% of existing learners at level 3 46% of existing learners non-Irish nationals
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VTOS – Meeting Future Skill Challenges Mary Hamilton VTOS National Conference, 2009
Limerick VTOS 2009: Factors for Consideration • 39% of existing learners at level 3 • 46% of existing learners non-Irish nationals • Significant no of existing learners with high support needs • Increasing new student demand for LC & ESOL • Decreasing new student demand for job specific vocational options • Changing target group profile as a result of widespread and ongoing redundancies in the region • Organisational systems & structures that are tied to the 2nd level school sector limit the flexibility and agility of VTOS and inhibit development of multi-agency responses
Pointers for Future Development of VTOS • Clarify VTOS space in the adult learning landscape, particularly in relation to: • VEC Post Leaving Certificate Provision • Other VEC Adult Education Service Provision eg. Ad. Lit , BTEI, etc. • Other agency adult education / training provision eg. FAS, IoTs, etc. • Clarify the content, focus & purpose of VTOS provision for students, external stakeholders and general public. Is it to be ABE; Levels 4 – 6; General Education; Generic Vocational Training; Technical Vocational Training - or is it to be a mixture of some or all of these? • Articulate & promote VEC Adult & Further Education as an integrated and coherent whole – linking separate full-time & part-time programmes ( VTOS, PLC, BTEI, Ad. Lit., Self-financing, ESOL, etc.) in a way that is logical , spells out progression options and makes sense to the general public. • Establish an independant pre-entry guidance / screening service at the level of either: • VEC Adult & Further Education Provision or • All Local adult education and training provision