An Education in An Education in ICT: Including the ICT: Including the

ExcludedExcluded

DEIRDRE KELLEHERDEIRDRE KELLEHEREDULEARN09, Barcelona, SpainEDULEARN09, Barcelona, Spain

6 July 20096 July 2009

IntroductionIntroduction

● ● Importance of education and skills emphasisedImportance of education and skills emphasised

● ● Barriers experienced by marginalised groups Barriers experienced by marginalised groups numerousnumerous

● ● FIT (Fastrack to Information Technology) FIT (Fastrack to Information Technology) Ltd.Ltd. – assisting marginalised break barriers – assisting marginalised break barriers

● ● FIT: an example of a best practice contribution to the education field in terms of creating a link between industry/ICT skill needs; training provision and helping marginalised job seekers overcome poverty and social exclusion

Barriers to LearningBarriers to Learning

Poverty traps make it difficult for Poverty traps make it difficult for marginalised groups to participate in marginalised groups to participate in education & trainingeducation & training

Social, economic and political Social, economic and political structures contribute to reproducing structures contribute to reproducing disadvantagedisadvantage

The Importance of The Importance of Education & TrainingEducation & Training

Education can be an important Education can be an important option for the unemployedoption for the unemployed

Education has a crucial part to play Education has a crucial part to play in ensuring people have the skills in ensuring people have the skills needed to work in particular sectorsneeded to work in particular sectors

FIT (Fastrack to IT) Ltd.FIT (Fastrack to IT) Ltd. A precursor when it comes to providing A precursor when it comes to providing

marginalised job seekers with an education marginalised job seekers with an education which gives them a chance to gain which gives them a chance to gain employment or go on to further employment or go on to further education/trainingeducation/training

An industry initiative involving major An industry initiative involving major companiescompanies

25 ICT courses developed to date – 25 ICT courses developed to date – responsive to skill needs and personal and responsive to skill needs and personal and professional developmentprofessional development

Over 6,500 people trained since 1999Over 6,500 people trained since 1999

FIT: The Target GroupFIT: The Target Group The FIT Initiative targets marginalised job seekers defined

as: - individuals on the live register, - young early school-leavers (under 18), - individuals living in the family home who do not qualify for

Unemployment Benefit payments, - individuals living in households where income is above the

means test threshold of Unemployment Assistance, - women working in the home for long periods wishing to

return to employment, - lone-parents, - individuals on disability payments, - migrant job seekers - and other individuals that find themselves distant from the

labour market.

The FIT ModelThe FIT Model The mission of FIT is to meet the

recruitment needs of industry in the area of IT, through providing training, support and career opportunities for unemployed people, so that they can achieve their true potential and contribute to the Irish economy..

Providing a link between technology, Providing a link between technology, training and disadvantagetraining and disadvantage

Technical and soft skills to gain Technical and soft skills to gain employment or pursue further educationemployment or pursue further education

The FIT Model & the The FIT Model & the Employability PathwayEmployability Pathway

E

JobPlacement

Internships

Advanced IT Skills

Industry-led projects for the low skilled

Company led ICT Skilling and Training for the low skilledAccess to Content and

CurriculumAccess to technology opportunities:

software and hardware

Assessment of labour market needs

Have learning & Have learning & employment barriers employment barriers

broken?broken? Two FIT Graduate Surveys conducted during Two FIT Graduate Surveys conducted during

2008:2008:- to determine how participants have to determine how participants have

progressed since completing their courses;progressed since completing their courses;- to see how many have moved on to further to see how many have moved on to further

education and training and into education and training and into employment;employment;

- to profile the circumstances of participants to profile the circumstances of participants prior to commencing their course. prior to commencing their course.

FIT Survey 1 ResultsFIT Survey 1 Results

Outcomes Survey 1 - 1999 to 2005

Employed, 63.6%

Self-employed,

2.4%

Unemployed,

17.0%

Unable to Work,

3.0% Working in the

Home, 2.4%

Further Ed, 10.3%

Retired, 1.3% Employed

Unemployed

Further Education

Self-employed

Unable to Work

Working in the Home

Retired

FIT Survey 2 ResultsFIT Survey 2 Results

Outcomes Survey 2 - 2005 to 2007

Self-employed2.2%

Further Education19%

Unable to Work7%

Employed41.5%

Unemployed21.8%

Working in the Home8.5%

Employed

Unemployed

Further Education

Self-employed

Unable to Work

Working in the Home

FIT Combined Survey FIT Combined Survey ResultsResults

Combined Survey Results

Self-employed, 2.3%

Unable to Work, 4.9%

Working in the Home, 5.2%

Further Education, 14.3%

Unemployed, 19.2%

Retired, 0.7%

Employed, 53.4%

Employed

Unemployed

Further Education

Self-employed

Unable to Work

Working in the Home

Retired

Profile of ParticipantsProfile of Participants

Profile of Participants Survey 2

Unsure, 2.2%

6 Months, 21.3%

9 Months, 6.7%

1 Year, 24.7%

2 Years, 20.3%

3 Years or More, 24.8%

Unsure

6 Months

9 Months

1 Year

2 Years

3 Years or More

Profile of Participants Survey 1

Unsure15%

6 Months23.3%

9 Months3.5%

1 Year23.3%

2 Years19.8%

3 Years or More15.1%

Unsure

6 Months

9 Months

1 Year

2 Years

3 Years or More

FIT & ICT InnovationFIT & ICT Innovation

FIT has pioneered new ways of FIT has pioneered new ways of helping people to draw on and helping people to draw on and enhance their abilities and also train enhance their abilities and also train them in IT;them in IT;

S@niors Project (Digital S@niors Project (Digital Engagement of Senior Citizens) Engagement of Senior Citizens) http://www.mypastmypresent.euhttp://www.mypastmypresent.eu ; ;

http://www.fit.ie/about/projects.asphttp://www.fit.ie/about/projects.asp

Contact DetailsContact Details

Deirdre KelleherDeirdre KelleherPolicy and Research OfficerPolicy and Research Officer

FIT Ltd.FIT Ltd.Dublin, IrelandDublin, Ireland

deirdrekelleher@fit.iedeirdrekelleher@fit.ie

http://www.fit.iehttp://www.fit.ie