The new further education training agency has moved to reassure young graduates that there is hope for their futures if they stay in Ireland.

SOLAS will take over from FÁS, which was officially dissolved by the Minister for Education yesterday afternoon.

The service will offer training programmes and apprenticeships for all levels of learning.

CEO designate of the service is Paul O'Toole - he told Newstalk's Breakfast that SOLAS can offer services for anyone who finds themselves out of work:

SOLAS will eventually employ fewer than 200 people, after 800 staff are transferred to education and training programmes next year.

Intro, local offices were you can access jobs and training information, has been taken over by the Department of Social Protection, that's because there is now a recognition that if you are going to give an unemployed person passive suppot in income, you also need to give active support through training.