Brendan Smith backs Local Training Initiative requests
Brendan Smith addressed the committee following Derek's presentation on the Local Training Initiative (LTI), urging full endorsement of the requests and calling for commitments made with the Labour Court to be honoured. He praised the work of the Cavan Centre and other LTI providers for transforming lives and called for fair pay progression for long-serving staff.
Brendan Smith told the committee he sees no reason not to support the requests laid out by Derek and the LTI representatives. He described the proposals as clear and reasonable and recommended the committee give them strong backing.
Smith warned that commitments agreed between the Labour Court, employees and representative organisations must be honoured. He said it is unacceptable that those promises have not been implemented to date and urged immediate action to correct that.
Smith highlighted the tangible benefits of the LTI, particularly at the Cavan Centre, praising programmes that have helped early school leavers, people with mental health challenges and those facing social disadvantage to gain confidence, skills and routes into employment.
He argued that staff who remain on the same salary despite years of service and experience require redress, and that pay progression and recognition for accumulated experience are necessary to reflect modern employment standards.
Smith thanked presenters Derek Usher, Jane Lawlor, Mary Sullivan and Mary Quinn, and applauded the decades of work by local training centres. He asked the committee to endorse the requests and to press for the implementation of agreed commitments so the initiatives can continue to support vulnerable learners and communities.
Committee endorsement
Brendan Smith told the committee he sees no reason not to support the requests laid out by Derek and the LTI representatives. He described the proposals as clear and reasonable and recommended the committee give them strong backing.
Unfulfilled commitments
Smith warned that commitments agreed between the Labour Court, employees and representative organisations must be honoured. He said it is unacceptable that those promises have not been implemented to date and urged immediate action to correct that.
Impact on learners
Smith highlighted the tangible benefits of the LTI, particularly at the Cavan Centre, praising programmes that have helped early school leavers, people with mental health challenges and those facing social disadvantage to gain confidence, skills and routes into employment.
Pay progression and fairness
He argued that staff who remain on the same salary despite years of service and experience require redress, and that pay progression and recognition for accumulated experience are necessary to reflect modern employment standards.
Acknowledgements and next steps
Smith thanked presenters Derek Usher, Jane Lawlor, Mary Sullivan and Mary Quinn, and applauded the decades of work by local training centres. He asked the committee to endorse the requests and to press for the implementation of agreed commitments so the initiatives can continue to support vulnerable learners and communities.
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Transcript
Thank you very much Cathaoirleach. Like you I welcome our guest today and I thank Derek for his presentation. I also welcome Jane Lawler, Mary Sullivan and Mary Quinn. I'm very familiar with the work of the LTI in Calvin as Senator Tully would be as well and I want to just compliment you the great work you've done over many decades. I think just reading your presentation and listening to it, Derek, there's no reason why we as a committee should not fully endorse the requests that you have outlined with great clarity. I think they're very very reasonable. Of course these issues should have been addressed in the past. There's no reason nowadays why people enter into a position and they remain at the same salary regardless of the number of years they've given service, regardless of the experience they've built up as the new entrant. So I think that that issue needs to be addressed. Also commitments that were made between the Labour Court and relevant employees and the representative organisation should also be honoured. I think it's not acceptable that they haven't been honoured to date. Knowing many of the people who have been graduates of the courses, I know how they value them and what a major transformation it has been for so many people who were early school leavers, who had mental health issues, who felt social disadvantage. All of those lives were transformed by participating in this initiative and great credit is due to the people in the Cavan Centre and all the other centres throughout the country as well, whom I know who have done similar work. We always can talk about plenty of jobs being available, full employment in our economy. Thankfully that we have today. We don't have enforced emigration either for people having to go abroad to seek work in North America, Britain or elsewhere. People move nowadays to by and large their own decision. It's not always, thankfully, seeking employment or having lack of employment opportunities at home. But I think it's always important to ensure that there are initiatives and supports there for the people that you mentioned. There are people who have left school, who need the second chance education and also people who have particular mental health challenges and suffer social disadvantage or have low confidence in themselves. We have all known people over the years with great ability and they always lack the confidence to go into the learning, to college, to take up qualifications, to go in to follow an apprenticeship, whatever. The true lack of confidence and I know that the particular initiatives and the way it's framed and delivered in the local training, through the local training initiative, is a great step in addressing those particular gaps that there may be between education, skills, training and employment today. So I just again to compliment Mary and Jane and their colleagues over the years in the Cavan Centre and what they have done for so many people. And I know from speaking to you as well, similar experience has been throughout the country with the other local training programs as well. So I would compliment you on your work and I would be of the opinion that we should strongly endorse the requests of yourselves. And I want to thank the Co-League of the Committee for facilitating this presentation today as well. Thank you a Co-League.