F.uck off FAS.

The_Joker.

What an exciting idea:

'Labour's education spokesman Ruairi Quinn has called for the closing down of FÁS and the re-directing of training funds to established education.

It has emerged that it has been almost ten months since the Government applied for European Social Funds for the State training agency.

Following a European Union audit of FÁS last November, the European Commission said that in order to protect taxpayers, it wanted issues to be resolved before further funds were requested or paid'

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0903/fas.html

Amhran Nua

And true to form, de nolledge economy's education system is just another big wheeze for the lads.

Owwmykneecap

FAS:Failures at school

Very creative in accounting class though.

Gurgle

This is a rare situation, but Mr Quinn may actually be onto a good idea. FÀS was a complete joke long before we learned that the spent more on Caviar and Stylists than on education, never mind that the 'qualifications' were earned simply by enrolling on the relevant course.

The organization is absolutely corrupt, pointless, ineffective and a complete waste of money. It comes second only to Anglo on the 'Burn it and run' list.

ejmaztec

The only jobs that Fas ever found for anyone were their own.

Myrddin

Gurgle wrote: »

This is a rare situation, but Mr Quinn may actually be onto a good idea. FÀS was a complete joke long before we learned that the spent more on Caviar and Stylists than on education, never mind that the 'qualifications' were earned simply by enrolling on the relevant course.

The organization is absolutely corrupt, pointless, ineffective and a complete waste of money. It comes second only to Anglo on the 'Burn it and run' list.

Jobs for the boys' mates. The place is a farce.

bonerm

EnterNow wrote: »

Jobs for the boys' mates. The place is a farce.

It's pronounced "fawse"

starbelgrade

This is a terrible idea. Where are people going to go now to learn basic computing, blocklaying & hairdressing skills?

monkeyfudge

I learned more in a 6 month FÁS course than I did in 3 years of college education.

ejmaztec

starbelgrade wrote: »

This is a terrible idea. Where are people going to go now to learn basic computing, blocklaying & hairdressing skills?

Ever since I was a young lad, I always wanted to be a block-laying hairdresser, and my life will be destroyed if they pull the plug on this wondrous organisation.:(

checkyabadself

Why is Ruari Quinn NOT in charge of this country?

starbelgrade

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I learned more in a 6 month FÁS course than I did in 3 years of college education.

I'll have a short back & sides, please.

monkeypants

starbelgrade wrote: »

Where are people going to go now to learn basic computing, blocklaying & hairdressing skills?

I'm doing that course the week after next.

mjquinno

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I learned more in a 6 month FÁS course than I did in 3 years of college education.

I did a fas course in computers - learnt a lot!

Miguel_Sanchez

I've actually done a FAS Screentraining Ireland course that was excellent. I've just put an application in for another one this week.

Cavehill Red

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

I've actually done a FAS Screentraining Ireland course that was excellent. I've just put an application in for another one this week.

That's Fas all over - training people to qualify them for... what exactly? Why, more Fas training! :rolleyes:
Fas should've been wound down by now. It was a total scam permitting a tiny group of delusionals to act like they were in rock bands - first class travel, swanky hotels, trips to NASA.

Miguel_Sanchez

Cavehill Red wrote: »

That's Fas all over - training people to qualify them for... what exactly? Why, more Fas training! :rolleyes:

Well both of the courses are for screenwriting, one for television, one for feature films.

The first one was 6 years ago and I've been working in the industry for the majority of the time between then and now.

knipex

I know thousands of apprentices over the years that had their training managed by FAS.

Most got an excellent training and many have worked all over the world.

I know at least two senior people in IT that started their careers in IT with a FAS course.

Thousands of skilled workers that trained in FAS (machine operators, welders, fabricators etc.)

I also know many graduates that had their employment opportunities greatly enhanced by completing 6 month FAS courses.

I am not saying that FAS does not have huge problems and that there are not significant issues with management because there are BUT not everything FAS did was worthless. They run a number of useless courses but also a number of very good ones.

mjquinno

Cavehill Red wrote: »

That's Fas all over - training people to qualify them for... what exactly? Why, more Fas training! :rolleyes:
Fas should've been wound down by now. It was a total scam permitting a tiny group of delusionals to act like they were in rock bands - first class travel, swanky hotels, trips to NASA.

maybe your right. im just saying in my instance i did a FAS course i got a job an ive been in the industry ever since (9 years)

There was a lot of good people at fas (trainers etc) i know the higher ups were robbin B*stards.

anyways just my 2 cents.

rhythm90

Having been enrolled in a FáS computing course since February (which will finish in December) - I can honestly say that whilst there is a large amount of wasteage & blatant ****ology that goes on, there are others in my course who have found it to be quite beneficial for them.

I have computer skills better than those which are taught on this course, and at the end of the day, my training allowance is only €20 more per week than a single persons dole... However, I have a reason to get out of bed in the morning, I will have at least some kind of a qualification which I can strive towards attaining (even if the qualification doesnt mean **** in the grand scheme of things) and I'm not sitting at home on my hole applying for jobs I dont want to spend longer than 6 months working at because I'm bored of the dole without qualifications.

I will also begin a month of work experience hopefully in a computer based environment which I can hopefully give my best shot and fingers crossed come January I'll have a job in an industry which I at least have some level of interest in and potential to advance.

Better than playing Fifa all day... :rolleyes:

starbelgrade

rhythm90 wrote: »

Better than playing Fifa all day... :rolleyes:

Nothing is better than playing FIFA all day. Not even sex.

Ectoplasm

starbelgrade wrote: »

Nothing is better than playing FIFA all day. Not even sex.

You're doing it wrong.

gollem_1975

EMF2010 wrote: »

You're doing it wrong.

you've obviously never played FIFA

BluesBerry

FAS is not just about computers, haridressing etc it helps people that have been out of the workplace for a long time and give people back the confidence going back to work

They do CE schemes that can help to secure a job I got employment through one of these you get trained up FAS sent me on a lot of courses during my CE scheme that was related to the job , if I didnt do this CE scheme I would never have been qualified for that job, and I would say there are hundreds like me that have done this

starbelgrade

BluesBerry wrote: »

FAS is not just about computers, haridressing etc it helps people that have been out of the workplace for a long time and give people back the confidence going back to work

It's also about paying out ridiculous amounts of taxpayers money to private firms running other courses, or running community schemes & not keeping track of how or where the money was spent.

I have no doubt that FAS does some good, but in financial terms, it is a black hole with very little accountability for it's spending & virtually no way of seeing how successful or not their training courses & community schemes actually are.

number10a

BluesBerry wrote: »

FAS is not just about computers, haridressing etc it helps people that have been out of the workplace for a long time and give people back the confidence going back to work

They do CE schemes that can help to secure a job I got employment through one of these you get trained up FAS sent me on a lot of courses during my CE scheme that was related to the job , if I didnt do this CE scheme I would never have been qualified for that job, and I would say there are hundreds like me that have done this

What's being suggested though is to scrap FÁS and have the courses offered by established educational institutions, so it's not like people won't have these opportunities to upskill and gain confidence elsewhere.

Most people I know who have done FÁS courses see them as useless, though of course they are beneficial for a small number of people. But courses is not the only thing they are supposed to do. They are the training and employment authority. You go into any FÁS office in the country and there's about twenty staff members milling around doing **** all and if you go up to the counter for anything, they tell you everything is on those job-searching machines and on the notices on the wall. The agency does absolutely fúck all when it comes to helping people to find employment. You are just as well off looking for jobs online because it's all self-service anyway.

Closing the whole thing down right now is the only way to sort it out.

sdanseo

After what Roddy Molloy et al did with FÁS's money a year or two back, I'd say ten months after receiving the request for more money the guys at the EU are still laughing.

FÁS courses are practical - they train you in how to do a job rather than college which teaches you 50% relevant fact and 50% poo. Yet the poo percentage is roughly equivalent to the potential difference in salary if you go high enough up in a job. Hardly seems fair.

gizmo

knipex wrote: »

I know thousands of apprentices over the years that had their training managed by FAS.

Most got an excellent training and many have worked all over the world.

I know at least two senior people in IT that started their careers in IT with a FAS course.

Thousands of skilled workers that trained in FAS (machine operators, welders, fabricators etc.)

I also know many graduates that had their employment opportunities greatly enhanced by completing 6 month FAS courses.

I am not saying that FAS does not have huge problems and that there are not significant issues with management because there are BUT not everything FAS did was worthless. They run a number of useless courses but also a number of very good ones.

GTFO of here with your "logic" and "rational arguments", this is AH...

starlit

You are forgetting that Fás still are partially to blame for running the country dry! The Director of FÁS forked out loads of money on his own expenses and luxuries plus paying people to just do a course with little incentive of finding work. Some people were fortunate to have learnt more from a FÁS course than a college course but some Fás courses are only there to help those who have a poor education who aren't bothered to go to college and get a decent qualification. They can still do far better in apprenticeship courses in PLCs, FETACS and in College courses where the standard of education probably far out weighs those who did a Fás course. Those who did Fás courses are no sooner are they in a job there might not be much work for them and then they have to be unemployed yet again where can they turn to then???

Fás is just there to make money and they haven't done much to help people other than help themsevles who work for Fás. I think a lot of those jobs advertised on Fás are a farce. Never once got an interview for any job I applied for with Fás. The jobs that are on offer with not even a basic wage is down right insincere. Fair enough you might get work experience but is it to benefit the employee, or the empolyer or Fás or the country's economy, Government???You work 40 hours a week for five days a week and expect to get not even a little bit of pay is just cac. You still need to pay bills, keep a house/apartment in order, if you live away from home, or have a family its just far too much to give up your time and not get some kind of basic wage out of those 40 hour a week jobs. Blame Fás at squandering all their money for that hitch!

Fás should close and I think it would do a world of good!

flutered

auctually they are pronounced false courses,
on another false note, the supervisor in my locality has 155 people on his books, he must be on some moxey.

monkeyfudge

starbelgrade wrote: »

I have no doubt that FAS does some good, but in financial terms, it is a black hole with very little accountability for it's spending & virtually no way of seeing how successful or not their training courses & community schemes actually are.

We make heavy use of a FÁS CE scheme in work here. Believe me, while the higher ups seemed to be able to get away with anything, spending is watched very VERY closely almost to the point of impracticality.

Very frustrating to see that f*cker pissing away money so easily when we have fill out dozens of forms just to get some post it notes.