Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened at 10.32am in public session.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1.    Minutes of the meeting held on 26 th September 2007

Agreed: The draft minutes were agreed.

2.    Matters Arising

Members noted the response from the Minister for Finance and Personnel to the Chairperson of the Finance and Personnel Committee in relation to the ongoing further education lecturers’ pay dispute.

Members also noted a statistical press release from the Department on participation rates in full-time education and vocational training by 16 to 19 year olds in Northern Ireland 2006/07.

Members further noted background information provided by the Department on Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland and that there would be a further briefing on this issue from Assembly Research Services at the Committee meeting on 10 th October.

Agreed: Members noted and agreed the revised draft forward work programme for the Committee’s forthcoming meetings.

3.    Chairperson’s Business

Agreed: Members noted and agreed responses to a number of pieces of correspondence received by the Chairperson and noted a number of pieces of correspondence from the Chairperson.

Members also noted a number of forthcoming ‘out-of-committee’ meetings.

11.44am Ms Lo joined the meeting

4.    Committee Briefing from the Skills for Business Network Sector Skills Councils

The Committee received a briefing from the Skills for Business Network Sector Skills Councils representatives Laurence Downey, NI Manager for the Sector Skills Development Agency, and David Hatton, NI SEMTA Representative and Chair of the Northern Ireland Skills for Business Network, on the work of the Skills for Business Network, the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA). Members were also briefed on the process involved in establishing Sector Skills Agreements (SSAs), progress in NI on the establishment of the Network, SSAs and cross-cutting issues, and on the Network’s views on the Leitch Review of Skills. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.30am Mr Attwood joined the meeting

5.    Briefing from Ulster Supported Employment Ltd (USEL)

The Committee received a briefing from USEL representatives Sam Humphries, Chief Executive, and David Macedo, Financial Manager, on the work undertaken by USEL in the field of disability and employment and training . The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.38am Mr McClarty left the meeting
11.45am Mr McCausland joined the meeting
11.51am Mr McClarty returned to the meeting
11.56am Ms Lo left the meeting

6.    Subordinate Legislation

The Committee noted the following Statutory Rules and the report on them by the Assembly’s Examiner of Statutory Rules:

• The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007 (2007/360)
• The Education (Student Support) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations (NI) 2007 (2007/363)
• Student Fees (qualifying Courses and Persons) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007 (2007/375)
• Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations (NI) 2007 (2007/393)

The Committee raised no objection to the Rules.

Question put and agreed:
“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered the above listed Statutory Rules and has no objection to the rules.”

Members also noted a letter from the Department on the proposed Industrial Court (Proceedings) (Amendment) Rules (NI) 2007.

Agreed: Members were content with the policy outlined in the proposed Rules.

7.    Committee Monitoring and Scrutiny of the Training for Success Programme

Agreed: Members discussed and agreed a monitoring and scrutiny programme addressing the rollout of the Department’s new Training for Success Programme.

8.    Departmental Press Notices

Members noted Departmental press notices issued recently.

9.    Any Other Business

Mr McCausland requested that statistics be obtained on the community background of students attending University of Ulster campuses.

Mr Attwood requested information on the scheduling of the Department for Employment and Learning’s next briefing on budgetary matters.

10.    Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 10 th October 2007 at 10.30am in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.37pm.

Mr Jimmy Spratt
Deputy Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
10 October 2007