To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on the review of pay and conditions for further education lecturers, including a timeline on the completion of the review.

In April 2024 I approved a pay remit business case submitted by the Further Education Colleges, as employers, for lecturers that aligned to the pay settlement provided to teachers in the North of Ireland for 2023/24. Conditions agreed between the employers and lecturing trade unions within the pay agreement included a commitment to teacher pay scale parity to be informed through an independent examination of the pay, all terms (including addressing policy review) and conditions for lecturers; develop an industrial relations model that will transform and modernise the existing pay, reward, and conditions of service for all academic staff within regional FE Colleges; and for key deliverables and timescales to be agreed.

Due to the cessation of the College Employers’ Forum, I commissioned an independent review on the collaborative working arrangements between the Further Education Colleges in respect of staff terms and conditions, including pay. I am currently reviewing the final draft of this collaboration review, with a view to share with College Governing Body Chairs and Principals/Chief Executives. This will enable a structured forum to be formed within the sector to address industrial relations and deliver the conditions specified within the 2023/24 pay offer for lecturers.