Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 10:05 am.

Election of Chairperson

In the absence of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson, the Clerk asked members to nominate a temporary Chairperson.

Mr Fra McCann moved the motion, “That Mr Pat Ramsey do take the Chair of the Committee”.  Mr Sammy Douglas seconded the motion.

There were no other nominations.

Mr Pat Ramsey took the chair.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Minutes of the meetings held on 13 June 2012

The Committee agreed to move to agenda item 3.

Agreed: The minutes of the Committee for Employment and Learning meeting held on 13 June 2012 were agreed.

3. Matters arising

The Committee agreed to move to agenda item 4.

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

4. Briefing from Assembly Research and Information Service on the Careers Services in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland

The Committee agreed to move to agenda item 5.

The representative joined the meeting at 10.09 am.

10.09 am Mr Allister left the meeting.

The Committee was briefed by Mr Eoin Murphy, Assembly Research and Information Service on the Careers Services in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.23am Mr McCrea joined the meeting.

The representative left the meeting at 10.29 am.

10.29 am Mr McCrea took the Chair. 

 5. Chair’s Business

The Committee agreed to move to agenda item 2.

10.31am Mr McElduff joined the meeting.

10.32am Mr Allister rejoined the meeting.

• The Chairperson proposed that the Committee should visit the Farnborough International Air Show.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed in principle to the visit but that Members would consider the matter with their political parties before deciding whether to attend.
• The Chairperson proposed that the Committee holds an event on 4 July in the Long Gallery.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content to undertake the event.

• The Chairperson proposed that the Committee should invite Dr Charles Wessner, Director of the US National Academy of Sciences, Technology, Innovation and Entreprenaurship to brief the Committee in September 2012.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed that Dr Wessner should be invited to brief the Committee.

• The Chairperson proposed that the Committee should schedule a study visit and meeting to the Armagh Planetarium
  Agreed: The Committee agreed that the study visit and meeting should be scheduled into the forward work programme for 19 September 2012.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing with Sentinus.

6. Briefing from the Northern Ireland Schools and Colleges Careers Association (NISCA) on Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

The Committee agreed to move to agenda item 6.

Representatives joined the meeting at 10.47 am.

10.47am Mr Buchanan joined the meeting.

The Committee was briefed by Ms Cathy Moore, Chairperson, Northern Ireland Schools and Colleges Careers Association and Ms Fiona Brown, Secretary, Northern Ireland Schools and Colleges Careers Association on Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.52 am Mr Allister left the meeting.

11.27am Mr Ramsey left the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Education requesting information on the budgets for careers services in individual schools.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department seeking a written update on the current evaluation of the implementation of the 18 action points outlined in the Preparing for Success Implementation Report March 2011 and how progress is measured.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department requesting a list of the attendees and the position they held who attended the meeting to launch the interim review of the Careers Strategy held in June 2011.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister requesting why the Committee was not notified of a breakfast briefing on the launch of a report on the introduction of a lower corporation tax.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to ascertain what date the Department for Employment and Learning may be dissolved.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to undertake an Inquiry into the provision of Careers Services in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Education to inform it of the Inquiry and to invite it to provide members to represent it on the Inquiry.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Chairperson should raise the Inquiry at the Chairperson’s Liaison Group.

Representatives left the meeting at 11.30 am.

7. Departmental briefing on the European Commission’s Proposals on the Posting of Workers Directive

Representatives joined the meeting at 11.31 am.

11.32 am Mr Allister rejoined the meeting.

The Committee was briefed by Mr Tom Evans, Deputy Director, Strategy, European and Employment Relations Division and Mr Conor Brady, Head of Employment Relations Policy and Legislation Branch on the European Commission’s Proposals on the Posting of Workers Directive.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

Representatives left the meeting at 11.48 am.

8. Correspondence

The Committee considered the following items of correspondence:

• Assembly Research and Information briefing note on Youth Training Groups based in Northern Ireland
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this briefing note.
• Correspondence from the Committee for Education regarding SEN Statementing and Inclusion Review
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence and copy it to the Minister for Employment and Learning for information and comment.
• Correspondence from the Gerry Rogan Initiative Trust (GRIT) thanking the Committee.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.
• Response from the Department to a Committee for Education request regarding the issue of Post-16 SEN Pupil Provision.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this correspondence to the Committee for Education for information.
• Update paper from the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), on the prospects for the EU Cohesion Policy programming period 2014-2020
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the paper and to forward it to the Department for the briefing scheduled for 4 July 2012.
• Invitation from the Minister to an Engineering Stakeholder Event on Monday 25/06/12 commencing at 5.00pm in the Stormont Hotel Belfast
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.
• Memo from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding Departmental Delivery Savings Plans 2012.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

9. Draft Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered the draft Forward Work Programme up to 17 October 2012.

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

10. Any Other Business

• The Committee discussed the release of the Quarterly Employment Survey results.
  Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a briefing on the employment figures and to receive the employment survey figures quarterly when they become available.

11. Date, time and place of next meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the next meeting should be held on Tuesday, 26 June 2012, at 10.00 am in Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.54 pm.

Mr Basil McCrea
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
26 June 2012