Limerick Youth Services Community Training Centre Honoured by Dublin Minister

Limerick Youth Services Community Training Centre Honoured by Dublin Minister; Pictured are Cllr. Guss O’Connell, South Dublin County Council, Julian Lynch & James Connery, Limerick Youth Service with Minister for Education & Skills, Richard Bruton TD.
Picture by Shane O’Neill Photography.

Limerick Youth Services Community Training Centre was honoured for its role in supporting young people by the Minister for Education & Skills, Richard Bruton TD at a ceremony in Dublin Castle this past week.

Held at the Printworks Conference Centre, the event marked the 40th-anniversary celebrations of the Community Training Centre initiative, of which Limerick Youth Service is a proud partner.

Addressing the hundreds in attendance Minister Bruton praised the vital contribution of Community Training Centres saying ‘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.’

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‘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,’ added Minister Bruton.

Limerick Youth Service’s Community Training Centre, which is located at the corner of Lr. Glentworth St/Henry St, Limerick City, delivers a number of projects that range from Employability Skills and a Bakery Project to Leaving Cert Applied and Early Childhood Care courses.

The balance between academic and practical skills in addition to civic, social and personal development programmes ensures a rounded experience for young people as they progress to further education and/or employment.

Reflecting on the success of the Community Training Centre, Limerick Youth Service’s CEO, Fiona O’Grady stated ‘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.’

Ms. O’Grady added ‘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.’

Limerick Youth Services Community Training Centre is supported by the Limerick Clare Education Training Board.

A member of Youth Work Ireland, Limerick Youth Service remains committed to supporting and encouraging young people to be active participants in shaping their futures.

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