QualifaX: Ireland's National Learners' Database

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, has today opened the new Atlantic Technological University (TU). (4 April 2022)

Atlantic TU sees the dissolution of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo, and Letterkenny Institute of Technology.

The first President of the new TU is Dr Orla Flynn, outgoing President of Galway-Mayo IT, and its chair is Maura McNally, chair of the Bar Council of Ireland.

Providing higher educational programmes across all levels of the National Framework of Qualifications, including both apprenticeships and doctoral level qualifications, the new TU will play a pivotal role in the strategic regional development of the West and North West.

For the full press release go to gov.ie

Ireland's response to the situation in Ukraine

QQI supports for displaced Ukraine nationals

QQI has published a guide, in Ukrainian, to its online foreign qualifications recognition service (NARIC).

This guide will help those arriving from Ukraine compare their qualifications to similar awards on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications, and may assist them in accessing education and employment opportunities here in Ireland.  This guide is also available in English, Polish and Russian.

The NARIC Ireland database currently lists 21 Ukrainian qualifications that are comparable to Irish awards from Levels 3-10 of the National Framework of Qualifications, including school-based qualifications, professional and higher education qualifications. 

The ‘Rough guide to Ukrainian qualifications in the context of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications’ is an information supplement prepared by NARIC Ireland. It aims to provide information to assist Irish employers and education and training providers in making recognition decisions relating to Ukrainian Qualifications by giving background information on the education and training system and on recognition principles with supporting detailed information on individual qualifications in a single resource.

For more information go to Recognition of Qualifications

Ministers Harris and Collins launch five-year Action Plan for Apprenticeship - 19th April 2021

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, and Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins, have today, (Monday), launched the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025.

The Action Plan sets out a five year strategy to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment of reaching 10,000 new apprentice registrations per year by 2025.

The plan provides a roadmap to a single apprenticeship system and new supports for employers and apprentices.

It will also do the following:

• create a new National Apprenticeship Office to drive reforms
• a new grant for employers, with a top-up grant for areas of identified national skills needs and/or targeted recruitment of underrepresented groups such as female apprentices, or lone-parents, people with disabilities, or members of the Travelling community
• non-financial supports targeted to SMEs in areas such as recruitment and supervision of apprentices
• set targets for the public sector to take on apprentices and to create cross-sector apprentices
• examine the potential development of new cross-border apprentice programmes and support apprentice engagement in international programmes such as Erasmus

Minister Harris said:

"People learn in different ways and I want to make sure that everyone is aware apprenticeship can be for them as a route to a qualification into the future.

"The overall apprentice population will grow to over 30,000 registered apprentices in the next five years. In particular we want to ensure that there is equal access for everyone to apprenticeships, irrespective of their background, gender or age.

"We have listened to businesses and employers too and will introduce further supports to make it easier to take on an apprentice and offer you the financial support to do so.

"This plan has the potential to transform this part of our third level system. Apprenticeship is good for the learner and the employer."

Minister Collins said:

"This action plan is based on feedback from enterprise, the education and training sector and apprentices themselves.

"It builds on the apprenticeship system in Ireland, including the strong relationships between employers and the education and training sector and the established collaborative approach between the further and higher education sectors in managing and delivering apprenticeship.

"This Plan will make it easier for employers and apprentices to engage with apprenticeship, supporting and driving innovation in the workplace through responsive and topical programmes."

The Plan also requires public sector employers to increase the level of apprentice recruitment to the public sector to reach 750 new apprentice registrations per annum by 2025.

To view the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 click here (pdf)