Limerick Youth Service Community Training Centre has received a specially-commissioned award from the Minister for Education for its achievements on behalf of young people.
For the past four decades, Community Training Centres nationwide have been providing second-chance education to early school leavers, with over 100,000 young people supported in making the transition to work or further education.
Fiona O’Grady, Chair of Limerick Youth Service Community Training Centre, said,”From the beginning, Community Training Centres had, in general, three significant characteristics which they still retain today. Firstly, we are firmly rooted in our local community. Secondly, programmes are based on experiential learning with recognised qualifications. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the programme is focused on individual learner needs.”
“For many young people, when they first came through our doors they had reached a point where life’s possibilities had seemed out of reach. Some had come to feel excluded from areas of life that give us all a sense of meaning and belonging, both in our communities and in the workplace. It has been our greatest honour to be able to support so many young people in developing their skills and nurturing their talents in order to reach their full potential.””
Commenting on the 40th anniversary celebrations of Community Training Centres across the country, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, said: “Returning to education and supporting lifelong learning are a key priority for this Government and over the lifetime of the National Skills Strategy to 2025 we aim to more than double current participation rates. For an early school leaver, the decision to return to education in a Community Training Centre offers a life-changing opportunity to re-engage in learning, to develop personal and in-demand skills, and to progress to further and higher education and to rewarding career opportunities.”
Credit: Simon Bourke – www.limerickpost.ie