Minutes of Proceedings

Session: 2007/2008

Date: 09 April 2008

Venue: Room 135

The meeting opened at 10:35am in public session.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1.    Minutes of the meeting held on 19 th March 2008

Agreed: The draft minutes were agreed.

2.    Matters Arising

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from Transport Training Services Limited and the Ford Motor Company in relation to the provision of training. The Committee agreed that a Chairperson’s meeting should be organised with relevant stakeholders.

Members received an update on the Committee’s recent study visit to the Coleraine Campus of the University of Ulster.

10:38am Anna Lo joined the meeting.

3.    Background briefing from the Central Procurement Directorate of the Departmental of Finance and Personnel

The Committee received a briefing from Officials of the Central Procurement Directorate: David Orr, Director, Roy Bell, Director of Supplies and Services, and Brendan O’Neill, Director of Policy, on general procurement processes. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

4.    Departmental briefing on the contractual process for the Steps to Work Programme

The Committee received a briefing from Departmental Officials: Patricia McAuley, Director of Preparation for Work Division, Sheila McNeill, Head of Programme and Product Management and Development Branch, and Michael Watson, Central Procurement Directorate of DFP, on the Department’s contractual processes in relation to the Steps to Work Programme. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

Agreed: The Committee to return to this topic following reporting of pilot projects end of May beginning of June.

11.58am Basil McCrea and Robin Newton left the meeting.

5.    Subordinate Legislation

Members noted and were content with the following item of subordinate legislation: Education (Student Support) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008.

6.    Chairperson’s Business

Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed the proposed responses.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that a Chairperson’s meeting be organised with representatives of the University and College Union on the issue of the Further Education lecturers’ ongoing pay dispute.

The Chairperson updated Members on meetings with the Workers Educational Association on 3 rd April and the Construction Employers Federation on 9 th April.

7.    Departmental Press Notices

Members noted a number of Departmental press notices issued recently.

8.    Any Other Business

Members discussed cross-cutting issues with other committees, including the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, and European Social Fund matched funding.

Agreed: Chair and Deputy Chair to take forward specific cross – cutting issues with Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Education and Social Development Committees.

9.    Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 16 th April 2008 at 10.30am in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12:38pm.

Ms Sue Ramsey
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning

16 April 2008

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