Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 10.20 am.

1. Apologies

Apologies are noted above.

2. Chair’s Business

There was no Chairperson’s business.

3. Minutes of the meeting held on 29 February 2012

Agreed: The minutes of the meeting were agreed.

4. Matters arising

• The Committee considered the arrangements for the planned stakeholder event in April on the dissolution of DEL.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite a number of stakeholders to the event in April, and to record all briefing sessions and have them transcribed by Hansard for inclusion in the Committee report.

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

5. Briefing from Queen’s University Belfast on the role of Student Plus  

Representatives joined the meeting at 10.26 am.

10.26 Mr Chris Lyttle joined the meeting.

The Committee was briefed by Ms Isabel Jennings, Director of Student Plus, Professor Tony Gallagher, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University and Ms Una Reid, Head of Eventus, on the role of Student Plus.

10.32 am Mr Fra McCann joined the meeting.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session when the representatives agreed to provide further information on the work of Student Plus.

Representatives left the meeting at 11.02 am.

6. Briefing from North West Regional College on Staff Issues 

Representatives joined the meeting at 11.04 am.

The Committee was briefed by Mr Seamus Murphy, Principal and Chief Executive, and Mr Bertie Faulkner, Chairperson of the Governing Body, on staffing issues at the North West Regional College.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

Representatives left the meeting at 11.48 am.

7. Departmental briefing on the role of the Higher Education Division

Officials joined the meeting at 11.49 am.

The Committee was briefed by Ms Nuala Kerr, Director of Higher Education, Mr Kieran Mannion, Head of Higher Education Widening Participation Branch, and Mrs Patricia McVeigh, Head of Higher Education Policy Branch, on the role of the Higher Education Division.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

12.21 pm Mr Pat Ramsey left the meeting.

Officials left the meeting at 12.25 pm.

8. Subordinate Legislation

• The Committee considered SR 2012 No. 62, The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

            Question put and agreed: 

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered the Statutory Rule SR 2012 No. 62, The Education (Student Support) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012, and has no objection to the rule.”

• The Committee considered SR 2012 No. 81, The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012”, and agreed to note this rule.

9. Correspondence

The Committee considered the following items of correspondence:

• Response from the Minister to the Committee’s request for a copy of the terms of reference for the first part of the study on the teacher education infrastructure in Northern Ireland

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this response.

• Departmental update on apprenticeships as at 1 March 2012 

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this update.

• Response from the Minister to the Committee’s request for an oral briefing on Youth Unemployment and young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs)

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this response and to schedule a briefing for 21 March 2012.

• Ministerial correspondence clarifying reporting relationships within Further Education Colleges, and the relationship between the Department and the Colleges

     Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Ministerial response to the points raised by the Committee during the plenary debate on Education Maintenance Allowance and young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs)

  Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Correspondence from Include Youth regarding the provision of Education Maintenance Allowance for young people on pre-vocational schemes

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Correspondence from the University of Ulster, requesting the Committee’s support for its proposals on transportation issues at York Street, Belfast

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Correspondence from John Huddleston Engineering, requesting an opportunity to brief the Committee and inviting the Committee to visit the Company

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a visit.

• Correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel enclosing a briefing paper on monitoring and reporting arrangements in relation to the Programme for Government

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Response from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety regarding vacancy control measures in place on speech and language therapists

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel enclosing a briefing paper on Linking Budgets to Outcomes: International Experience

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Correspondence from the Committee for the Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister requesting a list of stakeholders consulted by the Committee for Employment and Learning, and a summary of those responses

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the information requested.

• Copy of correspondence from the Committee for the Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister, inviting all statutory Committees to respond to a consultation on the re-distribution of the responsibilities of the Department for Employment and Learning

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

The Committee also noted an invitation to attend the regional final of the Money for Life Challenge.

10.  Draft Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered the draft Forward Work Programme up to 9 May 2012.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content to schedule these briefings.

11.  Any Other Business

There was no other business.

12.  Date, time and place of next meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the next meeting should be held on Wednesday, 21 March 2012, at 10.00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.

The Committee noted that members should arrive by 9.30 am so that Assembly Information Service Office staff can make appropriate preparations for the commencement of the electronic meeting pack pilot scheme.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.31pm.

Mr Thomas Buchanan

Deputy Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning

21 March 2012