Brendan Smith on education progression and Brexit risks
Brendan Smith spoke on 8 Dec 2020 about education and the regional economic risks posed by Brexit. He called for greater emphasis on keeping young people in education through youthreach, colleges of further education and progression to third level, and cautioned that the central border area would be especially vulnerable to a no-trade-deal Brexit.
Education and progression
Brendan Smith welcomed interventions on education and described himself as a strong believer in progression through the education system. He highlighted reductions in early school leaving through youthreach and colleges of further education, and noted that many students have progressed on to third-level study and even master's degrees, making valuable contributions to society and local economies.
Experience in further education
He said the further education sector was developed in Northern Ireland ahead of the state and recalled his engagement, as a captain on AMTD, with colleges in Enniskillen and in Oma when Mr McAleer was principal. He used these observations to underline the practical benefits of vocational and further education paths for young people from households with limited emphasis on education.
Border economy and Brexit impact
Brendan Smith warned that the central border area - both north and south - is among the least developed and would be most impacted by Brexit, particularly in a no-trade-deal scenario. He flagged the region's dependence on agri-food, construction products and engineering as factors that would compound local economic difficulties, echoing analysis that the least developed regions would suffer the worst effects under adverse Brexit outcomes.
Policy emphasis on skills and sectoral change
Both he and other speakers argued that addressing the risk requires focus on education, training and skills, with infrastructure and sectoral shifts also needed to lessen the blow. They noted that a move away from highly exposed sectors such as agri-food would not be simple and would depend on a skilled workforce to enable economic adjustment.
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Thank you very much. I welcome John and Edgyar. With regard to education, I welcome the points made very strongly. I am a great believer in progression in education. I have seen the value of it, reducing the number of early school leavers through youth reach and also our colleges of further education, where in many instances young people from families that had no big attachment or emphasis within the household on education. I have seen many of their children go on through further education, go on to the third level, graduate both with a master's degree subsequently as well. I have seen those people make a very, very valuable contribution to society, to their local economy as well. To my knowledge, in the past, the further education sector was developed in Northern Ireland ahead of our development of it. Over the years, as a captain on AMTD, I have had some engagement with the colleges in Enniskillen and in Oma, particularly when Mr McAleer was principal of those colleges at the time. Could you see the need for a greater emphasis on trying to ensure that we can keep more of our young people in education beyond the second level, maybe through colleges of further education and then on the third level as well? Just with regard to the productive economy and Brexit obviously is very much in the news, I listened to Edgyar about two years ago, where he outlined the adverse impacts regionally that would arise from Brexit. Again, the central border area, both north and south, that is the least developed both in Northern Ireland and in our state, would be most impacted because of our dependence on agri-food, construction products and engineering sector as well. Will that, again, add to the difficulties that we have in an economy that is not well developed enough or that faces particular tasks, that Brexit will add immeasurably to our difficulties as well? Thank you, Oka Heerlich. Edgar. Just on the issue of Brexit, I think you're right and you recall it very well, Deputy. The Cavan Monaghan in particular would be on the southern side of the border would be particularly vulnerable to a no trade deal Brexit. In fact, I've just redone the analysis and reconfirmed it using the UK tariff schedule. Likewise, the north of the border, you would have the weaker regions most susceptible. In fact, that is something that research has found throughout the UK, the least developed regions would have the worst effect from Brexit if there were no trade deal. So that would compound the already poor industrial structure and performance of the economy in those areas. And in that sense, focus on education, training, skills, infrastructure to a lesser extent, but also a shift also in some of the sectors, because ultimately the Brexit effect would be a sectoral effect. Agri-food in particular would be the sector that would be most hit if there is no trade deal. And we will have to see, presumably we will find out this week. But if there were to be no deal, then a shift away from those sectors is something that would lessen the blow. And that's not easily done without a skilled workforce. And that's not even for the solution. Let's have a question and say, what? Do we know that there are some people who do not believe in this country?
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