CLARE Youth Service launched QQI Level 4 Creative Media Technology Awards this week during their virtual annual Awards Ceremony. Leaving Certificate Applied Learners were also awarded on the successful completion of the programme.
After almost two years of blended learning and a challenging learning environment for all young people, 20 new graduates celebrated their achievements and resilience which were recognised at the virtual awards ceremony.
This has been a unique journey as each of the graduates were compelled to spend many hours on screens in their homes due to the pandemic.
However, they persevered to complete their programme, and this perseverance was lauded by Edel McDonough, Manager of the Community Training Centre who thanked all staff and learners for their hard work and creativity throughout the past two years,
“This certification both in Creative Media Technology and Leaving Cert Applied opens up exciting pathways into the future for each young person and this celebration marks the end of a journey but opens the door to another.”
Martin Cournane, Assistant Manager, Training Services, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board spoke of this wonderful milestone in the lives of the young people graduating today. He also thanked all at Clare Youth Service for their hard work, commitment and dedication to the young people during a very challenging academic year.
During the pandemic, the Community Training Centre at Clare Youth Service has again proven to be a very special place for young people with one graduate describing it as “a safe place where you can talk to all tutors easily” and where “the atmosphere made me feel older and I was treated with the respect. I now feel more independent and ready for life”.
The Level 4 Creative Media Technology Programme was launched in 2019 and its first graduates were particularly celebrated. During the past two years, they have worked as a team to learn the technologies and processes of the modern workplace, along the way becoming proficient in modern digital technologies.
In this way, the programme has addressed key aspects of the digital divide. Whilst the EU’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) recorded that many sections of the Irish population do not have the skills needed for the modern workplace, this is certainly not the case with these new graduates.
Clare Youth Service delivers a variety of educational and training courses and programmes for young people aged 16 – 21 years at the Community Training Centre, Carmody St., Ennis, Co. Clare. This provision is supported by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014 – 2020.
The Community Training Centre is currently enrolling new participants for the coming autumn. If you are between 16 and 21 years and interested in achieving certification in a supported environment, contact Edel McDonough, CTC Manager at 065 6845359 for further information. It is especially interested in hearing from those with an interest in the Creative Media Technology Course.