VEC chief on the move

CHANGES of chief ­executive officers in the vocational education sector sees the head of Clare Vocational ­Education Committee, George O’Callaghan, moving to Cork.

Mr O’Callaghan, who lives in Clonlara, will be succeeded in the Banner County by his current Limerick City VEC counterpart, Seán Burke.

Mr O’Callaghan, who is in his seventh year in the Clare post, has been appointed CEO designate for the new Education and Training Board (ETB) to embody Cork City and County VECs.

Limerick City VEC’s Seán Burke is CEO designate of the ETB that will embody the amalgamated Clare, Limerick City and Limerick County VECs. The changes in personnel arise from the major administrative overhaul of the country’s 33 VECs introduced by the Government.

The move aggregates these entities into 16 ETBs in a bid, not easily evaluated, to reduce administrative and other costs in the interests of general national savings prompted by the economic downturn.
However, the status quo is likely to be in place for at least six if not eight months as that is the projected timeframe for getting the envisaged ETBs up and running.

Mr O’Callaghan told The Clare Champion that he has enjoyed his spell in Clare and paid tribute to his staff for their diligence and co-operation. He also acknowledged the great co-operation given by the county committee entrusted with overseeing the delivery of vocational education across Clare.

Among the main changes he has had to direct during his spell in the county included implementing the 2001 ­Vocational Education Act, with its manifold innovations, growth in adult education provision and upgrading of second-level education facilities.

The overall result is that all his committee’s seven community colleges and one vocational school have very modern facilities, which was also part of the committee’s objectives, while three major college extensions comprise a huge element of the development programme in the county.