Following on from the recent presentation made to the Department of Employment and Learning Committee by UPC, WEA and EGSA the Committee received a briefing from department officials on 7th November.

The DEL officials, whilst recognising the vibrant nature of the community sector in Northern Ireland and stressing the value of the work by UPC, WEA and EGSA, pointed to legal concerns around the existing funding arrangements for each of the organisations and the failure of a departmental bid for funding as barriers to supporting the work of the organisations.  They did, however, stress that they were keen to find ways round the problems.

Committee members expressed concern at the proposed timescale with the end of EGSA funding imminent and UPC and WEA funding due to end in August 2008.  There was an indication given by the officials that EGSA funding would be extended on a short-term basis.

Concern was also expressed that the apparent legal barrier to funding had not been fully tested and the Department was requested to give consideration to this.

The Department had put in a bid under the Comprehensive Spending Review for £21m over 3 years to provide funding to sustain a mentoring and support infrastructure at community level to assist adults into learning and the further education sector.  The failure of this bid has resulted in the Department abandoning its consultation on the proposed Access and Engagement Strategy. 

The situation remains very unclear with no clear outline of the relationship between further education and the voluntary and community sector and a sense of DEL working on the assumption that the role of the voluntary and community sector is to be limited to mentoring and support with no indication of how or why this assumption is being made. 

 For further information click here to view November's edition of SCOPE magazine which features the UPC, WEA and EGSA.