Unfilled posts put vulnerable at risk

STUDENTS at risk of dropping out of school and low-skilled job seekers are losing out on vital supports because of unfilled vacancies, the body representing Vocational Education Committees (VECs) has claimed.

Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) development director Deirdre Keogh said the most vulnerable students are suffering most as a result of posts not being filled when second level teachers retire.

This, she said, was despite research showing many students slip between cracks before getting to the Junior Certificate because they lack supports.

The non-filling of these posts is part of the wider public service recruitment and promotion ban. But, Ms Keogh told the IVEA annual congress, the impact will be worsened by the expected ‘avalanche’ of retirements by senior teachers in the VECs’ 240 second level schools by early next year.

Almost 1,300 primary and second level teachers retired up to the end of August, including almost 100 in VEC schools, but hundreds more are likely to step down before next March to avoid cuts to their pension entitlements.

But outside of schools, the IVEA warns many communities are losing out on training programmes due to the non-replacement of 10 adult education officer posts nationally.

VECs have lost more than 100 administrative posts since 2009 in what Ms Keogh described as a significant haemorrhaging of staff under the public service moratorium.

But at a time of falling staff, VECs are facing increased responsibilities, including the takeover of all third level grants from next year. Under plans first announced by the last government, the number of city and county VECs is being reduced from 33 to 16.

However, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is not expected to reveal where the new amalgamated bodies will be headquartered when he addresses the IVEA conference in Cork today.

It is understood the locations have yet to be finalised and approved by Cabinet, with the potential redeployment of acting chief executives and hundreds of administrative staff a key factor.

However, of equal concern to those attending the IVEA congress will be the loss of membership on VECs for more than 100 councillors, although the current committees will remain in office until the 2014 local elections.

Legislation is due later this year and among the wider functions it will give VECs will be the takeover from Fás of responsibility for a wide range of training courses under the new Solas further education and training authority.

But IVEA general secretary Michael Moriarty said such reforms are also under threat from the loss of expertise in the flight of senior managers who rush to retire by the end of February 2012.