An initiative which enabled over two hundred people in Donegal and Limerick and Clare working in the healthcare and financial sectors to have their experience recognised, validated and certified, has concluded.
For the last two years staff from the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in both regions have been working on a project to develop an alternative accelerated route to qualifications, using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as the mechanism.
Anne McHugh, CEO Donegal ETB making a presentation to Martina Meedham, on her retirement as Adult Education officer. from Doengal ETB. Photo Clive Wasson
This mechanism ensures the skills and knowledge gained through life outside of formal education and training is evaluated and validated.
For many, learning by doing is a more meaningful way to absorb and process information. It is instinctive learning that does not perish quickly. By enabling adults to match the skills and knowledge they have gained in their workplace or through community engagement to a national qualification, the duplication of learning is avoided.
Successful Recognition of Prior Learning Initiative Concludes with Launch of Toolkit for the Sector – at the joint initiative between ETBs in Donegal and Limerick and Clare are Alison Hegarty, Home Instead and Eimear Mullin, Service Users. Photo Clive Wasson
The overall ambition of the initiative was to embed RPL as a key process in both ETBs and share the outcomes of the project with the wider FET sector through a toolkit that was developed to guide the process and formally launched on 3 June. The toolkit provides a range of resources for the RPL process.
Successful Recognition of Prior Learning Initiative Concludes with Launch of Toolkit for the Sector – Joint initiative between ETBs in Donegal and Limerick and Clare at the launch are ETB represenative from all involved ETB’s. Photo Clive Wasson
Speaking about the launch of the toolkit, Donegal ETB’s Director of Further Education and Training, Ciaran O’Brien said: “The staff who developed these resources did so by combining expertise gained through successful participation in the Level 9 Special Purpose Award in RPL delivered by Letterkenny Institute of Technology, now Atlantic Technological University Donegal, with their hands-on experience of promoting and implementing the RPL process for applicants.”
Successful Recognition of Prior Learning Initiative Concludes with Launch of Toolkit for the Sector – Joint initiative between ETBs in Donegal and Limerick and Clare at the launc from left are Mary Lyons, Director, Enterprise, Employees, and Skills Solas, martina Needham, Donegal ETB and Ciara Ní Fhlionn, Solas. Photo Clive Wasson
Successful Recognition of Prior Learning Initiative Concludes with Launch of Toolkit for the Sector – Joint initiative between ETBs in Donegal and Limerick and Clare Photo Clive Wasson
Ciaran O’Brien, Director of Further Education and Training Services as the Successful Recognition of Prior Learning Initiative Concludes with Launch of Toolkit for the Sector – Joint initiative between ETBs in Donegal and Limerick and Clare Photo Clive Wasson
Anne McHugh, CEO Donegal ETB speaking as the Successful Recognition of Prior Learning Initiative Concludes with Launch of Toolkit for the Sector – Joint initiative between ETBs in Donegal and Limerick and Clare Photo Clive Wasson
Successful Recognition of Prior Learning Initiative Concludes with Launch of Toolkit for the Sector – Joint initiative between ETBs in Donegal and Limerick and Clare at the launch are Martina Needham, Adult Education officer Donegal ETB and Anne McHugh, CEODonegal ETB. Photo Clive Wasson