Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 10.03 am

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Chairperson’s Business

• The Chairperson welcomed Mr David Hilditch MLA to the Committee.

• The Chairperson informed the Committee that he had met with Mr John Healy of Citibank and discussed a range of employment issues.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Mr John Healy to invite him to brief the Committee.

10.05 am Mr McElduff joined the meeting.

• The Chairperson informed the Committee of the work of Ian Simons, creative leader and driving force behind the Go Berserk book that introduces primary school kids to computing.

   Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Ian Simons to invite him to brief the Committee on his work in the New Year.

• The Chairperson informed the Committee that he had met with Pat Norris of Logica regarding the Parliamentary Space Committee at Westminster.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Mr Pat Norris to invite him to brief the Committee in the New Year.

3. Minutes of the meeting held on 3 October 2012

Agreed: The minutes of the meeting were agreed.

4. Matters arising

• The Committee noted a list of matters arising from the previous meeting.

• The Committee discussed arrangements for a reception for  representatives of Queen’s University, Belfast to a lunch to mark the University’s award by the Sunday Times as University of the Year runner-up.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to hold the reception for Queen’s University, Belfast in the Members Dining Room, Parliament Buildings at 12.30pm on 23 October 2012. 

The Committee considered the results of the National Student Survey which found that St Mary’s University College has the happiest students of any university in the UK.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to St Mary’s congratulating it on the result.

• The Committee noted the closing date of 12 October for applications to an EU fund to assist MLAs who wish to undertake a ‘study visit’ to a European country between March & June 2013.

5. Briefing from the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department for Education on the Committee Inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance

Representatives joined the meeting at 10.12 am.

The Committee was briefed by Mrs Dorina Edgar, Head of 14-19 Curriculum Entitlement Team, Department of Education, Ms Patricia Nelson, Education and Training Inspectorate, Mrs Judith Shaw, Head of Careers Service Policy and Strategy, Department for Employment and Learning and Ms Nuala Kerr, Director of Higher Education, Department for Employment and Learning on Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance in Northern Ireland.

10.19 am Mr Allister joined the meeting.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.30 am Mr Flanagan joined the meeting.

The officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information on a range of issues raised during the briefing.

11.39 am Mr Ramsey left the meeting.

Agreed:The Committee agreed to write to the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department for Education for clarification on the issues raised and to ask them to revisit their submissions to the Inquiry when they review the Hansard of the briefing.

Representatives left the meeting at 12.00 pm.

12.00 am Mr Flanagan left  the meeting.

12.00 am Mr Buchannan left the meeting.

6. Departmental briefing on the Learner Access and Engagement Programme Pilot

Representatives joined the meeting at 12.01 pm.

The Committee was briefed by Mrs Yvonne Croskery, Further Education Policy & Strategic Development Branch and Mr Chris Andrews, Further Education Policy & Strategic Development Branch on the Learner Access and Engagement Programme Pilot.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information on a range of issues raised during the briefing.

12.30 pm Mr Lyttle left the meeting.

Representatives left the meeting at 12.34 am.

7. Correspondence

The Committee considered the following items of correspondence:

• Correspondence from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment regarding the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s response on the Report into Developing the Northern Ireland Economy through Innovation, Research & Development.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

• Correspondence from the Training for Women Network (TWN) Re: the NIESF and PEACE III Programme.           

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a visit to a Training for Women Network centre and to hold a meeting at the centre in the New Year.

• Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service briefing paper on Youth Employment schemes in the UK.      

 Agreed: The Committee agreed to return to this item at next week’s meeting.

• Response from the Department of Education to the Committee request for a list of attendees at the Preparing for Success Conference.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that this response be included in the Committee inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).

• Departmental response to Committee request for information regarding transport provision for people with disabilities.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the response.

• Invitation from Include Youth to the Chairperson to attend its pre-conference dinner at La Mon Hotel and Country Club on 24 October 2012 at 7.30pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the invitation.

• Invitation from Include Youth to the Committee to attend its Youth Conference on Employability 'More than a Job - Supporting Young People who Need Education, Employment and Training' at La Mon Hotel and Country Club on 24 October 2012 at 7.30pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the invitation.

• Invitation from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment to attend its briefing, in conjunction with the Engineering Policy Group Northern Ireland, and Northern Ireland Assembly Business Trust (NIABT), entitled: “Developing the Northern Ireland Economy through Innovation, Research and Development” on 12 November in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the invitation.

• Departmental Consultation - Proposals to Widen the powers of the GTCNI and extend its remit to include the FE sector.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the response.

• Departmental call for evidence in relation to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 and the Service Provision Change (Protection of Employment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing on the Regulations.

• Response from North West Regional College to Committee correspondence regarding their capital programmes.   

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the response.

• Response from Assembly Education and Outreach Service re the Northern Ireland Children’s University.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the response.

• Invitation from Include Youth for the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee to attend the Pre-Conference dinner and Conference on 24 & 25 October 2012.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the invitation.

8. Draft Forward Work Programme

• The Committee considered the draft Forward Work Programme up to 5 December 2012.

Agreed: The Committee agreed not to hold a Committee meeting on 28 November due to the Committee’s visit to the Employment Conference in Brussels.

• The Committee discussed arrangements for a reception for Mr Steve Myers, Director of Accelerators and Technology at  CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research to mark his involvement in the scientific breakthrough regarding the Higgs Boson.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite Mr Myers to brief MLAs on his work on 13 November 2012 in the Senate Chamber.

9. Any Other Business

None.

10.  Date, time and place of next meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the next meeting should be held on Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10.00 am in Southern Regional College, Newry.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.41 pm.

Mr Basil McCrea
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
17 October 2012