Crítica al modelo OSI y los protocolos

the current NDP was drawn up there has been a significant change in labour market circumstances. This enhances the need to prevent the increase in numbers of short-term unemployed turning into higher long-term unemployment.

The sectors in which future growth in employment will take place are likely to show a different mix than in the past. This also calls for some reorientation of activity.

Set out below in Table 8.6 are the recommendations for future funding for the Employment and Human Resources Development OP (EHRD OP). The recommendations cover each measure in the OP. To indicate the significance of the measure within the OP we show the expenditure under both the CSF and the NDP for the period 2000 to 2002. As discussed above in Chapter 4, the recommendation is made in terms of: “increase”, leave unchanged (“same”) or “reduce” the relevant measure. The recommendations do not indicate how much of a change should be made in the funding. An explanation for the recommendations on each measure is also included in the tabular presentation. A more detailed explanation for the recommendations on the OPs is given in the text after the tabular presentation.

Table 8.6: Recommendations on the EHRD OP

Measure Total Expenditure 2000-2002, € Million Recomm- endation Comment CSF NDP Employability

1 Action Programme For The Unemployed

0 109.85 Same Important – activation for unemployment. Underspent to date because target was high, but demand will grow with unemployment 2 National Employment

Service

5.25 151.98 Increase Important and demand will grow with increased entry to unemployment. 3 Active Measures For

LTU and Socially Excluded

38.92 1200.5 Same Mainly community employment: overspent to date, now contracting. Major problem with impact. Need to migrate social inclusion element to other area of public expenditure. This measure is meeting special needs of groups such as lone parents. It is also an important source of resources for services in disadvantaged communities. These needs would be better met through a targeted measure, perhaps under the Equality or Social Economy measure.

4 Early Education 0 0.468 Increase Important, but very late starter – increase above current (2002) level.

5 School Completion Initiative

25.645 25.645 Increase Important, slow growth, but demand is there. 6 Early Literacy 0 7.635 Increase Important, demand increasing.

7 Traveller Education 0 8.052 Increase Important and demand increasing. 8 School Guidance

Service

0 67.196 Same Important, keep as is.

9 Third Level Access 22.05 35.172 Increase Important and demand increasing. 10 Schools Modern

Languages

0 6.402 Reduce Slow starter– will not meet spend target. 11 Early School Leavers 167.395 173.225 Reduce Important but target too high – reduce spend

on Measure 11a, increase on 11b. 12 Sectoral Entry Training 0 127.9 Reduce Sectors are contracting. Effort should be

retargeted on more excluded groups. Reduce Measures 12a and 12d, maintain current

EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT OP 171

spending on 12b and 12c. 13 Skills Training For

Unemployed And Redundant Workers

132.11 269.03 Increase Important, high and growing demand. Positive impact on employment chances. 14a Apprentice

/Traineeship FÁS

38.05 366.68 Same Important, but demand may decline (e.g. Construction). Also little progress on equality in spite of major efforts to improve coverage. 14b Apprenticeship

Education

0 74.698 Same Important, but demand may decline (e.g. Construction). Also little progress on equality in spite of major efforts to improve coverage. 15 Employment Support

Services

0 568.05 Reduce Mainly Back to Work Allowance scheme, with dubious deadweight & job sustainability. Useful to retain secondary benefits to remove unemployment traps and counter social exclusion Income support Measures for target groups are not helpful for competing in an open labour market especially for particular categories (e.g. Farmers wives). 16 Vocational Training &

Pathways Employment People With Disabilities

0 107.42 Increase Important for social inclusion of disabled. Growing demand. Need to provide secondary benefit retention to remove unemployment traps and counter social exclusion. 17 Refugee Language

Support Unit

0 2.606 Increase Growing demand. Public good.

Entrepreneurship

18 In Company Training 44.14 48.58 Same Important, but underspend in Sub-Measure 18b, implemented by Enterprise Ireland. A new Sub-Measure 18c has been launched by the Managing Authority to encourage joint training ventures by groups of companies. This should be carefully targeted to avoid deadweight. Particular care needs to be taken in Measures of this kind to ensure gender equality in access to training. 19 Social Economy 13.16 31.71 Reduce Slow starter. Assess whether responsibility

for this measure should be moved to a more appropriate funding source.

Adaptability

20 Lifelong Learning General Training

0 6.85 Increase Although the general training measure involves a relatively small amount of money, it is important to the lifelong learning agenda. This measure is positive on social inclusion and rural development.

21 Lifelong Learning Back To Education Initiative

3.77 256.74 Increase This measure is important. The underspend is due to lack of development of part–time courses. Increase expenditure only if part– time places are provided.

22 Lifelong Learning National Adult Literacy Strategy

39.283 39.491 Increase This measure is important, need to do more to encourage low skilled to participate. 23 Lifelong Learning

Further Education Support Services

0 6.06 Same Although this measure has been a slow starter, the guidance and counselling for lifelong learning is a good idea.

Ongoing Sectoral Training 0 48.635 Reduce Mainly targeted on contracting sectors, or where other supports are available. In addition, agriculture, fishing and tourism are sectors with limited growth and employment prospects over the medium term.

25 MiddleLevel Technician/Higher Technical Business Skills

0 699.185 Same Important and demand is high – Institutes of Technology. Labour market (wage & employment) effects are high, so private returns are high and deadweight is a potential issue.

software and information technology. Future growth in demand will be slower than in the past.

27 Postgraduate Courses 0 23.851 Same High demand, but future growth in demand will be slower in some courses due to changes in skill needs, particularly in computer software.

28 Training Of Trainers 0 55.114 Reduce Demand is high in education sector, so maintain spending in Measure 28a, but is likely to fall in 28b.

29 Quality Assurance 9.744 30.068 Increase Quality is important.

Equality

30 Educational Disadvantage

0.248 1.084 Same Slow starter. Important for Horizontal Principles.

31 Equal Opportunities Promotion And Monitoring

1.27 1.443 Increase Slow starter. Important for Horizontal Principles. Increase 31a and maintain 31b.

Other Measures

Infrastructure 0 1354.04 Reduce Important, but need to justify a continuation of the rate of investment achieved in 2000– 02 in light of demographic change. The justification provided for current investment is weak. It may be there but needs to be demonstrated. In the third level sector it is hard to justify new buildings given the demographics. In the primary sector the incentives to maintain or repair schools are weak. Where new infrastructure is needed as part of new suburban development an increasing share of the cost should be met from development levies. This would incentivise population movement to areas with spare capacity. The Department of Education needs to develop its capacity to plan appropriately for infrastructure needs.

Technical assistance 1.35 1.35 Increase Strengthening of management capacity and improvement of indicators (particularly on impact) will require that planned resources be used.

Set out below in Table 8.7 is a summary of our recommendations for the allocation of resources by “Priority” for the 2004-2006 period using the expenditure estimates for 2003 as guidance. In the case of the CSF we show the preliminary commitments for 2004 as well as our recommended reallocation.

Overall, for the Operational Programme we recommend that resources for 2004 should be broadly unchanged compared to 2003. Within the OP we suggest a marginal reduction in resources for the Other Measures “Priority”, with some increase in resources for the Entrepreneurship and the Adaptability “Priorities”. In the case of the CSF funding we suggest some concentration of resources to reduce administrative costs, given the more limited funding.

EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT OP 173 Table 8.7: Recommended allocation of NDP/CSF envelope for 2004, € million

CSF CSF CSF CSF NDP NDP NDP 2002 2003 2004 2004 2002 2003 2004 Expend- iture Commit- ments Preliminary Commit- ments Recomm- ended Expend- iture Estimates Recomm- ended Employment and Human Resources Development OP 179 201 141 95 2,099 2,045 2,056 Employability 108 119 84 50 1,131 1,030 1,040 Entrepreneurship 25 40 28 20 40 49 60 Adaptability 44 39 27 25 422 470 500 Equality 1 2 2 0 2 6 6 Other Measures 1 1 1 0 504 489 450

Notes: For 2002 and 2003 the CSF expenditure includes Cohesion and TENS funding as well as public funding. These are not relevant for 2004. The table only includes public expenditure by the EU and the State.

Employability

In recent years the unemployment problem in Ireland has become predominantly a problem of short-term unemployment. In this respect the current period differs importantly from the 1990s, when the unemployment policy was dominated by the problem of long- term unemployment. Labour market policies, informed by the European Employment Strategy, emphasise the importance of preventing the re-emergence of long-term unemployment. Accordingly, it will be important to ensure the delivery of effective interventions to recent entrants to unemployment to prevent the drift into long-term unemployment. This raises the issue of the capacity of EHRD OP Measures to provide places in training and employment programmes to promote labour market reintegration. It will also be important that such Measures be effective in enhancing the employment prospects of their participants. Given anticipated increases in entry to unemployment in the current difficult economic circumstances, we suggest that spending on Measure 1, the Action Programme for the Unemployed is retained at 2002 levels, and that spending on Measure 2 (CSF), the National Employment Service be increased to respond to increased entry to unemployment.

The relatively recent changes in the balance between short- and long-term unemployment also suggest the appropriateness of reducing the numbers participating in Measures targeted principally at the long-term unemployed, particularly CE in Measure 3 (CSF), and to re-direct resources to the provision of effective programmes with strong labour market linkages to prevent the drift from short- to long-term unemployment. This is not to suggest, of course, that resources be taken from programmes targeted at the long-term unemployed: rather that the long-term unemployed should also benefit from effective interventions designed to improve their employment prospects in the open labour market. Specifically with regard to CE, we concur with the thrust of the Mid-Term

Evaluation of the OP that recommended that CE be restructured, with one component remaining as an activation measure designed to enhance participants’ employment prospects, with appropriate enhancements to the training and progression elements. This first element would be considered, and assessed, as a mainstream active labour market programme. A second component could be designed to provide longer-term employment opportunities for those particularly disadvantaged in the labour market. This component could be considered as serving the Social Inclusion objective, and consideration should be given to provide a separate funding mechanism for this component, perhaps under the Equality Priority.

While some of the employability schemes targeted at preparing participants to work in specific sectors have been relatively successful, our recommendations have been tempered by the macro-economic assessment of the future prospects for those sectors. For example, the demand for labour in the building sector is expected to fall from its current high level over the coming decade and a half. Accordingly, we have recommended that expenditure levels on the Measure 14 (CSF) Apprenticeship programmes should not increase beyond their 2002 levels. A similar logic applies toMeasure 12, Sectoral Entry Training. Employment is Agriculture is expected to continue to contract. Employment prospects in Tourism are, at best uncertain, in the face of declining competitiveness in the industry. We have accordingly recommended that spending on Sub-Measures 12a and 12d, Tourism School Leavers, and Agriculture, respectively, should be reduced. We recommend that spending on Sub-Measures 12b and 12c, both in Tourism, be maintained, although effort should be retargeted in an effort to reduce social exclusion.

We regard provision for early school leavers in Measure 11 (CSF) as important. Nonetheless, we follow the recommendation of the Mid-Term Evaluation that spending should be reduced on the basis that the original forecast assumed a higher demand than necessary. This would entail a reduction in Sub-Measure 11a, Early School Leavers Progression, and some increase in Sub-Measure 11b, for Youthreach and Travellers. Measure 4, Early Education, primarily relates to a Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education. Expenditure to date has been limited due to delays in finalising the terms of reference, the fact that the Centre did not become operational until 2002, and to difficulties in recruiting staff with appropriate skills and expertise. The measure is important in its own right and has the potential to contribute to social inclusion and to help prevent early school leaving. Now that the Centre is operational, expenditure should increase beyond 2002 levels.

Given increased entry to unemployment, it is essential to provide effective training programmes to assist re-entry to employment and prevent the drift in to long-term unemployment. This is a key element of the European Employment Strategy and the Irish National Employment Action Plans. Training programmes with strong linkages to the labour market, such as those funded under Measure 13 (CSF), Skills Training for Unemployed and Redundant

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Workers, have been found to significantly enhance the employment prospects of their participants. We recommend that spending on this measure increase in response to increased unemployment.

We agree with the recommendation of the Mid-Term Evaluation of the OP that Measure 15, mainly the Back-to-Work Allowance schemes, be substantially reduced. This programme suffers form potentially high deadweight and the sustainability of jobs acquired under the schemes is questionable. However, it would be useful to retain secondary benefits to remove unemployment traps and counter social exclusion. We consider that Measure 16, Vocational Training and Pathways to Employment for People with Disabilities, is an important measure to aid the social inclusion of disabled persons and we recommend an increase in expenditure over 2002 levels. However, we also consider in relation to this measure that consideration should be given to providing for the retention of secondary social welfare benefits, particularly the medical card, for those progressing to employment in order to reduce unemployment traps and counter social exclusion.

Entrepreneurship

Continuing training in work-related skills of the employed workforce is a key element of Lifelong Learning (see the discussion under Adaptability below). Comparative indicators suggest that Ireland lags behind other European and OECD countries in participation rates in such training. Council Recommendations in the European Employment Strategy have consistently argued for greater investment in this area in Ireland. We recommend that investment in this area through Measure 18 (CSF), In-Company Training, be maintained at 2002 levels. Expenditure and activity in this area under Measure 18b, implemented by Enterprise Ireland has fallen far short of planned levels. The Managing Authority has been proactive in reallocating funds to a new Sub-Measure, 18c, which seeks to encourage groups of companies to implement joint training activities. Consideration might be given to allocating some of the resources in this new measure to support training of employed workers (as individuals) rather than through employers. This might take the form of allowing training suppliers to tender for work- related training programmes to employed individuals on a subsidised basis.

Adaptability

The need for increased attention to lifelong learning in order to meet the skill demands of the knowledge economy are well established and are recognised in the recent report of the Task Force on Life Long Learning. Given underlying demographic trends, whereby the Irish workforce is beginning to age, and labour market entry from education is falling, the previous policy of relying mainly on ‘front-loaded’ education and training in the initial education system are unlikely to deliver sufficient flexible skills in the future. This suggests a strategic need to alter the balance

These considerations apply to a range of Measures in the Adaptability Priority. We have recommended increases in expenditure in each of Measures 20, 21 and 22 (all CSF), all concerned with Lifelong Learning. With respect to Measure 21, Back to Education Initiative, the econometric analysis presented in the Mid-Term Evaluation of the OP indicates strong private returns in the form of both employment prospects and earnings, to participation in Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (PLCs) funded under this measure. Measures 20, Lifelong Learning – General Training, and 22, Lifelong Learning – National Adult Literacy Strategy, are also both important, although much smaller in scale. There is a need to do more to encourage the low-skilled to participate in Measure 22 in order to counter social exclusion. With regard to Measure 23, Lifelong Learning – Further Education Support Services, guidance and counselling in relation to lifelong learning is useful and important for filling information gaps. We recommend that spending be maintained at 2002 levels. This is consistent with the recommendation of the OP Mid-Term Evaluation.

Measure 24 covers Ongoing Sectoral Training in 7 separate Sub- Measures in Tourism, Agriculture, Fishing, Film and the Equine industry. We recommend that expenditure should be scaled back somewhat on this measure. Most of the Sub-Measures are targeted on contracting sectors (Agriculture, Seafood, and Tourism), or where other supports are available (e.g. Film and the Equine industry). Agriculture, fishing and tourism are sectors with limited growth and employment prospects over the medium term. While we suggest that expenditure on this measure be scaled back, consideration should be given to providing resources for training programmes that offered opportunities for increasing value-added in a sector (e.g. in tourism) or offered individuals opportunities to compete for employment opportunities in other, expanding, sectors of the economy. More generally, given that market services have been identified as employment-growth sectors, consideration should also be given to providing resources for ongoing sectoral training in these sectors where skill bottlenecks may arise. This could involve re-allocating funds for ongoing sectoral training from declining to expanding sectors of the economy.

between initial and continuing education and training – resources freed up in initial education as a result of declining enrolments could be diverted to continuing education and training. This general comment refers to the balance between investment in initial education (prior to labour market entry) versus continuing education and training of both employed and unemployed labour force participants, and is not intended to suggest that spending on initial education should cease. Indeed, throughout our recommendations we have suggested that support for mainstream initial post-secondary education should be maintained. These developmental imperatives are consistent with the recommendations of the 2002 Joint Employment Report as well as the Report of the Task Force on Livelong Learning.

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