Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 10.05 am.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Chairperson's Business

• The Chairperson advised Members of the meeting with Departmental officials on the Steps 2 Success proposed programme on 16 April 2013 and informed them that the Department has requested that the formal briefing to the Committee on the proposed programme, currently scheduled for 1 May, be postponed until later in the month of May.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to reschedule the Departmental briefing on the Steps 2 Success proposed programme.

• The Chairperson advised the Committee that at its meeting on 12 September 2012, the Committee was briefed by the Minister on an admissions error at the University of Ulster and had requested details of the cost incurred as a result of the admissions issues at University of Ulster when they became available.

The Committee noted that the Department has now responded indicating that the University remained within its funding target and no over recruitment took place in the current year.

3. Minutes of the meeting held on 10 April 2013

Agreed: The minutes of the meeting were agreed.

4. Matters arising

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

• The Chairperson informed Members that at last week's meeting the Committee agreed to seek clarification of the protocol regarding writing to the Northern Ireland Executive and was advised that the Committee does not write to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to respond to the individual explaining that she should write to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to all Statutory Committees and Mr David McNarry MLA explaining the Committee's decision.

5. Briefing from Mr Mark Devenney on the Committee Inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in Northern Ireland

The representative joined the meeting at 10.10 am.

The Committee was briefed by Mr Mark Devenney, Founder and Senior Careers Consultant, The Careers Man,on the Committee Inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in Northern Ireland.

10.12 am: The meeting was suspended.

10.14 am: The meeting was reconvened.

Mr Devenney continued with his evidence.

10.28 am: Mr Hilditch joined the meeting.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The representatives left the meeting at 10.43 am.

6. Briefing from the National Union of Students – Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI) on the Committee Inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in Northern Ireland

Representatives joined the meeting at 10.44am.

The Committee was briefed by Ms Adrianne Peltz, President, NUS-USI, Ms Hannah McNamara, Students' Union Secretary at SERC Bangor Campus and Ms Claire Flanagan, President of University of Ulster Students' Union on the Committee Inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in Northern Ireland.

11.00 am: Mr Lyttle joined the meeting.

11.08 am: Mr Ramsay left the meeting.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The representatives left the meeting at 11.23 am.

7. Briefing from MATRIX on the Committee Inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in Northern Ireland

Representatives joined the meeting at 11.25 am.

The Committee was briefed by Mr Bryan Keating, Vice Chairman of InvestNI, Chair MATRIX, Mr Norman Apsley, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Science Park, Deputy Chair MATRIX, and Mr John Healy, Director at Citigroup and the Head of Technology in Citigroup's Centre of Excellence on the Committee Inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in Northern Ireland.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The representatives left the meeting at 12.10 am.

8. Briefing from Assembly Research and Information Service on Apprenticeships in Germany

The Assembly Researcher joined the meeting at 12.12 am.

The Committee was briefed by Mr Michael Potter, Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service on German Apprenticeships.

12.15 am: Mr Hilditch left the meeting.

12.18 am: Mr Flanagan joined the meeting.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The Assembly Researcher left the meeting at 12.25 am.

9. Subordinate Legislation: SL1 - Student Fees (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013

The Committee considered proposals for a proposed Statutory Rule which will provide for the annual increases using the inflationary forecast of 3.1% for academic year 2014/15, provided by Treasury, to the prescribed basic and higher amounts which Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Northern Ireland may charge to students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content for the Department to make the Rule.

10. Correspondence

The Committee considered the following items of correspondence:

• The Committee considered an update from the Department of Employment and Learning on Apprenticeships – Position at 1 April 2013.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the update.

• The Committee considered correspondence from Queens University, Belfast congratulating Robin Swann on his appointment as Chairperson of the Committee and offering an informal briefing.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the correspondence and for an informal meeting to be arranged.

• The Committee considered a response by Watson & Co Chartered Marketing to the Committee Inquiry into CEIAG.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to include the additional response in the Inquiry report.

• The Committee considered a response by the Chartered Institute of Marketing to the Committee Inquiry into CEIAG.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to include the additional response in the Inquiry report.

• The Committee considered a response from the Department of Employment and Learning to a query from the Committee for Education regarding teacher training and coaching qualifications.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the response and forward it to the Committee for Education for information.

• The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding the Review of the Efficiency Delivery Programme.

Agreed: The Committee noted this has been forwarded to the Department due to the tight timescale.

• The Committee considered correspondence from the Department of Finance and Personnel confirming that it had set up a 'Consultative Partnership Group on EU Funding 2014-2020'.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

• The Committee considered an invitation from the University of Ulster to the Ulster, Placement Employer of the Year Awards Ceremony, to be held on 9 May 2013 at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the invitation.

• The Committee considered correspondence to the Committee for Education from the Department of Education regarding the Entitlement Framework and the Essential Skills Qualification.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

• The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Education regarding the South East Regional College's pilot project into mapping deprivation.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the correspondence and to forward it to the South East Regional College for information and comment.

• The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Education to the Minister for Employment and Learning regarding the Education Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed forward the correspondence to the Minister for Employment and Learning for information.

• The Committee considered an invitation to the Apprentice of the Year Award Ceremony to be held at the Holiday Inn, Ormeau Road on 15 May.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the invitation.

• The Committee noted that a copy of Launch of the State of the Nation 2013 Report, has been received in the Committee office.

11. Forward Work Programme

• The Committee considered the draft Forward Work Programme up to 12 June 2013.

• The Committee considered possible briefing sessions for its meeting in Londonderry on 12 June.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that briefings from the City Council on its Employment Programme and from the School Employer Connections organisation on its work in the North West area would be scheduled for the meeting.

• The Committee considered an invitation from the University of Ulster to the inaugural Ulster Business Festival, which has events taking place at all the University of Ulster Campuses between May 8-10.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that a copy of the events would be circulated to Members to consider if any events were of particular interest to the Committee.

12.33 am: Mr Hilditch re-joined the meeting.

12. Any other Business

• The Committee noted that a workshop would be held next week in place of a meeting

13. Date, time and place of next meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the next meeting should be held on Wednesday 1 May 2013 at 10:00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.34 am.

Mr Robin Swann MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning