To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on his Department's work to support students with special educational needs who are transitioning from school to further education.

Mr C Murphy

My Department provides a range of support for students with learning difficulties or disabilities to transition to and participate in further education. However, I am aware that the current provision is not meeting the needs of all our young people. Therefore, I have commissioned from officials a review of the existing skills and training provision for young people with special educational needs, including legislative protections, with a view to providing advice and recommendations. The team has participated in DE-led parent/carer stakeholder sessions, has met representative organisations, has met Alma White — who, as many of you will know, I met in June, as part of her campaign for her son Caleb — and is due to brief the all-party group on learning disability. This work will contribute to the Executive’s commitment to supporting young people with special educational needs, as set out in the draft Programme for Government, and it will, hopefully, be underpinned by our transformation bid.

Mr Speaker

Danny Baker. Sorry, Nick Mathison.

Mr C Murphy

Yes, I accept that, and it is why I have tasked officials with a piece of work on the issue. It is something that, as a constituency representative, I have lobbied for over the years. It is not acceptable that, although we have a responsibility to young people going through further and higher education and to provide support, people with special educational needs are effectively abandoned at the age of 19. Through that piece of work, my officials will make recommendations on whether legislative processes are required or whether we can make improvements through other processes. We have also bid for transformation funding to support it. This mandate is short, but I am hopeful that we can make some progress in this area before the end of it. Certainly, we want to get very quickly to a situation where we can provide practical support for young people in those circumstances and make sure that that injustice is addressed.

Mr Baker

Will the Minister elaborate on the bid to the transformation fund for improved special educational needs support?

Mr C Murphy

There is a process going on at the moment around the transformation fund that the Department of Finance is running.

We have bid for support. We presented a bid to the interim transformation board panel last week and answered its detailed questions. I understand that it will have a final feedback call with the Department of Finance tomorrow. That will include an indication of next steps. We are reassured that the panel recognises the significance of the issues on which we are committed to doing what we can to improve the lives and opportunities of young people with special educational needs and their families.