- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Completed
Background
The SOLAS corporate plan 2017-19 details, under goal 3, a systematic review of FET provision through a series of programme evaluations and developing programme improvement plans.
Description
Various FET programmes (some of which include VET) have undergone external evaluation. For example, in 2017 the post-leaving certificate (PLC) programme underwent an evaluation by Ireland's Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Based on the recommendations arising from the evaluation, SOLAS established a PLC programme improvement advisory committee to develop an improvement plan. Actions to be implemented under this plan include:
- the readjustment of the balance between PLC programmes that aim to train learners in job or sector specific fields (e.g. hairdressing), those with a focus on transition entry to third level education (e.g. art) and those that aim to provide learners with the prerequisites to enter apprenticeship training. The readjustment is determined by SOLAS in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) as part of the annual service planning process;
- the submission of a labour market justification for PLC programmes to SOLAS every three years for review. The first submission commenced in 2018. Other FET programmes to be evaluated include: the Youthreach programme (education for early school leavers); the vocational training opportunities scheme (VTOS); specific skills training, evaluation of FET provision at levels 3 and 4; and the Back to education initiative (BTEI).
Post-leaving certificate (PLC) evaluation research continues - draft findings presented to the SOLAS board.
The post-leaving certificate (PLC) report was published and the evaluation of the Youthreach programme was commissioned.
In 2019, the evaluation of the Youthreach programme report was published. Additionally, the evaluations of the vocational training opportunities scheme (VTOS), specific skills training, FET provision at levels 3 and 4 and the Back to education initiative (BTEI) were commissioned.
The evaluations of the 2020/21 VET programmes have been delayed due to the pandemic and the availability of staff and learners to complete the fieldwork.
The evaluations of VET programmes will resume in Q2 of 2022. However, it must be noted that VET provision has encountered considerable disruption during the pandemic and this will be factored into any conclusions/recommendations on programme evaluations conducted during this timeframe.
Since the publication of the External Evaluations of PLC and Youthreach programmes and the SOLAS programme recommendations, the Implementation Plan of the National FET Strategy Transforming Learning 2020-24 incorporate the sectoral recommendations under the strategic priorities and enabling themes of the national FET strategy.
Bodies responsible
- Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS)
- Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). The External evaluation of VET programmes and consequent measures: Ireland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28296