Co. Clare VEC
Adult & Further Education
VEC Adult and Community Education – Service overview:
Adult education is now a major service within Clare VEC. It represents about one third of the VEC budgets and provided education services to over 5000 adults in 2007. Much of the service takes place using the facilities available in the VEC network of schools and centres. Most community-based learning opportunities take place in community locations including community halls, primary schools, and facilities owned by voluntary groups or state agencies. Adult Learning Centres are maintained by Clare VEC in the following locations...
| Centre | Location |
| Adult and Community Education Centre | Clonroad, Ennis |
| West Clare Adult Learning Centre | Cooraclare Road, Kilrush |
| East Clare Adult Learning Centre | Scarriff |
| West Clare Resource Centre | Ballard Road, Miltown Malbay |
| Youthreach Centre | Tuamgraney, Scarriff |
| Youthreach/Literacy/BTEI Centre | Smithstown, Shannon |
| Adult Learning Centre | Town Centre, Shannon |
Clare VEC has operated an Adult Education Service since its inception in the 1930s. Traditionally this service operated through the network of schools in providing adult learning opportunities to the community within the county. In the last decade the primary focus has shifted in line with government social inclusion policy, from the provision of self-financing evening classes within schools to providing a compensatory service to adults who have low initial educational attainment. Supported by the European Social Fund and the Department of Education and Science, a number of key programme strands have expanded within the county over the past decade. These include…
Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) – currently offering a two-year full time certified programme (in core group mode) at Ennis, Scarriff and Kilrush to 160 long-term unemployed adults and other designated welfare categories.
VTOS schemes are provided at Ennis, Kilrush and Scariff
Youthreach - the programme for early school leavers operates at Kilrush, Scarriff, Shannon, Miltown Malbay and Ennis. There are 85 young people on this full-time programme. Please click on the relevant links below.
Miltown Malbay Youthreach
Shannon Youthreach
Adult Literacy and Basic Education– The Clare Adult Basic Education Service (CABES) offers one-to-one and group tuition to adults with low literacy attainment. Family Learning programmes are available as well as English language training for asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers. Over 1800 adults currently access the service at some 30 locations throughout the county.
Community Education Co. Clare VEC Community Education Service supports the development of relevant, locally based learning opportunities for adults in County Clare. It aims to promote community education opportunities with a system of promoter collaboration across County Clare. Other objectives include:
- Continuing to support the development of a forum for innovative community education through the Clare Lifelong Learning Network
- The encouragement of the process of community education through community leadership training and the development of partnership capacity and resources
- The development and promotion of a number of fora which support interaction among tutors, learners and organisations with related goals on a local and regional basis.
- The Community Education Grants Scheme provides tuition hours to community and voluntary organisations that wish to run learning programmes in their own areas.http://www.clarelearningnetwork.org/clln/www/index.asp?magpage=3
Clare Lifelong Learning Network – aims to promote lifelong learning in County Clare. It supports learners and learning providers in working together.
| It enables learners to: |
| Keep informed of courses |
| Discuss issues and seek solutions |
| Link to other learning websites |
| Share their learning experiences with other learners |
It provides a forum for tutors and learning providers to: |
| Share expertise |
| Develop partnership |
| Access links with other learning websites |
| Inform learning providers about what learners want |
| Support equal access to learning environments |
| Work in collaboration |
Adult Guidance Service - Operational since 2000, the Clare Adult Guidance Service offers educational information, advice and guidance to adults participating in VTOS, BTEI, Adult Literacy and general adult education programmes throughout the county. Guidance resource rooms are available in Scarriff, Ennis and Kilrush. Over 2000 learners availed of the service in 2006.
Back to Education Initiative(BTEI) – This programme offers flexible part-time certificate programmes throughout the county. Over 900 people participate in this programme annually, while over 500 received certification in 2006. This Project is co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union under the European Social Fund.
Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) submissions have been requested from the Further Education and Development Unit of the Department of Education and Skills for 2011. To apply for courses, click on the link: BTEI Submission 2011
Childcare – Two crèches are operated in Ennis and Kilrush to support adult learners at these locations. In addition, an individual childcare subvention (currently €63 per child per week) is paid to students where a VEC creche is not available. In 2004, 224 children availed of VEC childcare services.
E-Learning – The eLearning project was originally developed in cooperation with the Eircom Information Age Town Project and received project funding from the DES between 2001 and 2005 where E-learning opportunities were integrated with mainstream programmes in Ennis and Miltown Malbay. Since then the promotion of digital literacy and eLearning has become embedded in practice and eLearning continues countywide through the combined services of Community Education and the Clare Adult Basic Education Service
http://www.clarelearningnetwork.org/clln/www/index.asp?magpage=6
Evening Classes – A wide variety of self-financing classes are offered at VEC Schools, Colleges and Centres throughout the county. Almost 600 adults participated in evening classes in 2006.
St. Joseph's Training Centre – is one of a network of 33 Senior Travellers Training Centres in the country. The Ennis Senior Travellers Training Centre was the first of its kind in Ireland. It is a 52 place Centre and caters for early school leavers – aged 15 upwards. It offers basic education to Leaving Certificate standard, plus various types of Craft and Information Technology courses. It has a permanent and part time staff of 20 + one youth worker.
Director of St. Joseph's Training Centre is Helen O'Sullivan. She can be contacted at the St. Joseph's Training Centre, Gort Road Industrial, Ennis.
Gerard Griffin who is the National Co-Ordinator of S.T.T.C.'s is also based in Ennis at the National Co-Ordination Unit, Woodquay, Ennis. Tel. 065-6828930
Ennis Community College - Evening Classes
Gain a qualification, learn a new skill or hobby, meet new people, pass the winter nights…… we have a range of courses to suit everyone!
- Childcare with Special Needs Assisting (2 year duration)
- Counselling (NUI Maynooth Certified) (1 year duration)
- Sign Language (Preparation of Level 1 Irish Sign Language Exams)
(1 year duration) - Sign Language (Preparation to Level 2 Irish Sign Language Exams)
(1 year duration)
Hobby Courses – all our hobby courses are 8 – 10 week long in duration, and courses begin in September/ October and again in January.
Art (beginners and Improvers), French, Spanish, Italian, Irish, Carpentry, Sean Nos Dancing, Computers (Beginners and Improvers), Sewing, Cooking, Candle Making and various crafts.
- Please CLICK HERE for updates and further information.
- Evening Class Office is closed over summer months.
ENNIS COLLEGE FOR FURTHER EDUCATION (on the campus of Ennis Community Collegeoffers the following FETAC level 5 courses and the two year Accounting Technician course.
National Certificate in Nursing Studies
National Certificate in Community Health Services
National Certificate in Childcare with Special Needs (SNA)
National Certificate in Office Skills
National Certificate in Legal Studies
Click here for further information on the courses and how to apply.
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