Solas to replace Fas

Went through my entire apprenticeship with Fas , they were always on the ball with me but thats only because i knew someone working in there, others tell me about phonecalls never returned etc .

One thing i would say for phase 4 and 6 of your apprencticship you go to an Institute of tech , would it not make more sense to send you to the IT for all your learning phases , for techincal courses such as electrican and plumbing etc the ITs have all the facilites you need already, so why not just consolidate the whole thing .

anymore wrote: »

The oronic thing is that in Cork the big FAS main building is directly accross the road from CIT !

Yup thats where i did all my phases , some excellent lectuers there

Won't make on ounce of difference. Mainly be made up of same people and same course but with new poshed up names.

If I heard correctly on the news apparently trades won't be offered as much and they are going to have news course for our new environment.

Right I can see where they are going but some of the problems I have are

1) I am not insulting anyone here but some people are not suited to a whole acedemic career and are better in skilled trades. So what about these people are they going to be throw in a course they are not suited to or able for.

2) The Gov think by having FAS / Solas offering courses in IT etc that this will slove all their problems. The Gov using the example of US companies having 3,000 jobs and nobody able to fill them here. They think that a course by FAS will be enough to fill these jobs. No it won't these courses are a stepping stone to further education never mind say that the example I used above are highly skilled jobs which even graduate from IT/ Uni would not be able to fill without a few years of experience.
I just feel the course won't be living up to what they described.

3) I can use my own example here but what will this new FAS do for unemployed people who already hold Degrees/ Master etc. I was told by FAS I was overqualified for them and they could do nothing for me.
Now if I want to do any other course or re-train in a different field I would have to try to get the fees of €4,000 to pay for a course.
Can this "new agency" help these people & by that I do not mean throwing a list of college courses at them.

In 1987 the infamous CJ decided to take the running of Social Employment Schemes (now Community Employment) from the Dept. of Social Welfare.

He saddled a very good organisation, AnCO, with a scheme with little or no training content. He appointed a new chairman and in the process
destroyed staff motivation.

The new organisation was called FAS, which will be forever associated with nepotism and waste.

Now, in their wisdom, politicians have decided after 13 1/2 years it did not work. So return schemes to Social Welfare, lol. Anyone in the training business could have told them that in 1987.

Remember when you criticise state organisations, staff do not decide policy, politicians do and everybody knows their track record.

mgerallen wrote: »

How long will it take to get this up and running?

One quango + 100,000,000 euro I reckon at the very least:p

Similar to the money one quango wants for overhauling the leaving certificate.

I'll believe them when I see the results. In the meantime FAS and its brushed up successor are just big circular filing cabinetry for putting unemployed people into to say you're doing something with them.

Just to clarify ...Solas will have NO TRAINING COURSES...vec and private training will be delivering all courses including apprenticeship ...Solas will be administration only.

libra02 wrote: »

Won't make on ounce of difference. Mainly be made up of same people and same course but with new poshed up names.

If I heard correctly on the news apparently trades won't be offered as much and they are going to have news course for our new environment.

Right I can see where they are going but some of the problems I have are

1) I am not insulting anyone here but some people are not suited to a whole acedemic career and are better in skilled trades. So what about these people are they going to be throw in a course they are not suited to or able for.

2) The Gov think by having FAS / Solas offering courses in IT etc that this will slove all their problems. The Gov using the example of US companies having 3,000 jobs and nobody able to fill them here. They think that a course by FAS will be enough to fill these jobs. No it won't these courses are a stepping stone to further education never mind say that the example I used above are highly skilled jobs which even graduate from IT/ Uni would not be able to fill without a few years of experience.
I just feel the course won't be living up to what they described.

3) I can use my own example here but what will this new FAS do for unemployed people who already hold Degrees/ Master etc. I was told by FAS I was overqualified for them and they could do nothing for me.
Now if I want to do any other course or re-train in a different field I would have to try to get the fees of €4,000 to pay for a course.
Can this "new agency" help these people & by that I do not mean throwing a list of college courses at them.

pure ignorance

I have a trade, nearly 2 in fact and a degree and let me tell you something college is a joke compared to an apprenticeship it couldn't hold a candle up to it

Solas will have 350 staff (approx) leaving the remaining approx 1500 staff to be transferred to dept of social protection and VEC. As per croke park agreement there will be no redundancy in return for 20% pay cut and pay freeze for duration. Plus cooperation with changes being implemented. I have heard that there will be voluntary redundancy scheme introduced in an effort to reduce costs further.

To be fair, the 1,850 staff in FAS represent its only real contribution to keeping unemployment down in Ireland.