The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE number of people participating in the Back to Education Initiative in Shannon increased by 36% from 2009 to 2010.
Mike Ryan of the Back to Education Initiative said there is currently a very high level of interest in adult education. “The numbers in the Back to Education Initiative have increased from 768 in 2009 to 1,045 last year. Also, the percentage of men has increased. It would have gone up from 18% to about 37% or 38%.”
Mr Ryan was speaking after a number of people were presented with FETAC certificates on Wednesday following their completion of Clare VEC’s Back to Education Initiative healthcare programme.
The presentation was held at the Adult and Community Education Centre at Brú na Sionna. As well as the healthcare programme, there were presentations of FETAC certificates in special needs, motor vehicle technology and general learning.
Mr Ryan said the initiative is a means of returning to learning. “It involves flexible, part-time learning for adults and gives them a chance to return to education. All the courses are under FETAC or the Leaving Cert.”
Mr Ryan said adult education has been available at Brú na Sionna for the last four years and has expanded with the addition of basic adult literacy courses and the provision of a career guidance service for adults.
In recent times, some of the learners have taken Leaving Cert maths and English, while a preparatory course for the Leaving Cert is also available, which allows people to get a flavour of what studying for the exam is like, before they commit to the study needed.
Some of the students who received their certificates during the week had completed a FETAC level five healthcare course, which is to become a minimum standard for working in healthcare.
A number of Newmarket-based learners have completed a FETAC level 5 motor vehicle theory and motor vehicle practice course with the Clare VEC Back to Education Initiative and Obair. On Monday, the project won the STAR award at the AONAS National Learners Festival in Dublin.
