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Northern Ireland Office

Answer

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps she is taking to increase the levels of educational attainment, with particular reference to the standards required for the jobs being created through the Industrial Development Board. [93033] Mr. McFall: The Government have taken a number of steps to seek to ensure that the education system in Northern Ireland develops the range of skills which are likely to be required by employers now and in the future. A major schools improvement programme which will be supported by new investment in the school system for the period up to 2002 is underway. That, together with a new educational technology strategy and a review of the curriculum, will seek to ensure higher and more relevant educational attainment and prepare young people for future vocational development. In addition, I have published a set of proposals on lifelong learning. "A new Learning Culture for All" in which I set out Government policy for improving general skill levels and for meeting the skill needs of Northern Ireland for the future. Included in the proposals are initiatives to widen and increase access to education and training provision, put in place a skills identification and monitoring system and significantly increase the number of higher and further education places available. I have established a Northern Ireland Skills task Force to advise the Department of Education and the Training and Employment Agency on issues related to skills identification and responses to labour market and skill needs. The Industrial Development Board will play a significant role in that task Force ensuring that its focus includes the target sectors for inward investment and company expansion. The information and advice from the Skills Task Force and from our labour market research will enable us to focus the education and training provision in Northern Ireland, at all levels, on the future needs of the local economy. This is an issue addressed in the recently published Economic Development Strategy "Strategy 2010".

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

93033; 336 c223-5W

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Finance Education Northern Ireland Standards Schools Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland