Ireland : Continuing vocational education and training (CVET) for adults

Continuing vocational education and training (CVET) is a rapidly growing part of the Irish VET system. It caters for a diverse range of learners and fields of learning and takes place in a range of locations, including Institutes of further education, training centres, community-based learning centres and in the workplace.
The governments’ National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS), identified education and training as central to addressing poverty, and targeted investment and support for individuals and groups with inadequate literacy and numeracy skills. In 2005 the Educational Disadvantage Committee (EDC), issued a report entitled, ‘Moving beyond Educational Disadvantage’. This looked at disadvantage on a lifelong curve and made specific recommendations in relation to adult and community education.
While most entrants to third-level and higher education are school leavers, government policy is to encourage greater participation by mature and second-chance learners. Priority has been given to increasing participation from persons from traditionally under-represented groups such as students from disadvantaged backgrounds and Travellers. To achieve this special arrangements have been put in place in various universities, including access officers, alternative entrance qualification requirements and special foundation or preparatory courses. A number of other initiatives have been established, including the special links with second-level schools. Students with disabilities are supported with technical education aids and supports. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) is responsible for developing continuing vocational training (CVT) policies for the unemployed.
Government policy has long been that CVET for persons at work is primarily the responsibility of employers, who are the main source of funds for training for the employed, through their direct funding of in-company training and their financial contributions to the National Training Fund (NTF).
FÁS runs a range of fee-paying evening courses in its training centres aimed at employed workers and the general public who wish to update their skills. If the trainee is unemployed or is from a recognised disadvantaged group no fee is charged. In many cases the employer sponsors the training or pays or reimburses the cost of these courses. In addition to the publicly-provided CVET, commercial training providers offer courses to the general public and individual learners can avail of fee paying courses in for instance, language and IT skills provided by these companies.

  培训就业局运行一系列付费晚间课程的培训中心，旨在劳动者和一般公众谁要更新他们的技能。 如果学员是失业或是来自弱势群体认识到不收费的。 在许多情况下，雇主赞助的培训或国家或报销的费用，这些课程。 除了公开提供CVET ，商业供应商提供培训课程，一般公众和个人学习者可以利用的付费课程，例如，语言和信息技术技能提供了这些公司。