The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board hasn’t ruled out closing down the Shannon branch of its Youthreach services.
It follows concern expressed locally about the future South Clare Youthreach, thanks to what’s being called a reconfiguartion of services.
Following a review, it was decided to centralise services and put three regions in place – West Clare, Mid-Clare and East Clare.
This means at least some of the Shannon classes will move to Ennis, leading to concern the entire centre there would close.
CEO of LCETB George O’Callaghan has been telling me that may be a possibility – but nothing is yet decided:
Statement from LCETB:
Youthreach is a fundamental element of the response of the Department of Education and Skills, SOLAS, Education and Training Boards and the Government to early school leaving and educational disadvantage in Ireland. It has provided a way in which young people and adults may return to, or complete their education in a non-threatening learner-centred environment. Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board provides education and training opportunities for early school leavers across Limerick and Clare in ten of its Further Education and Training Centres and two Community Training Centres.
Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board undertook a review of its Youth Provision in 2017. Some of the key objectives of the review were to enhance the education and training opportunities and support for learners attending second-chance provision; enhance the learning opportunities for learners attending second-chance provision and to develop a cohesive and coherent strategy for the delivery of quality second-chance education and training provision for early-school leavers across Limerick and Clare. Arising from this review, it is intended to enhance Youthreach provision across all centres in Limerick and Clare. This enhancement involves a reconfiguration of Youthreach provision to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of education to early school leavers in the centres.
As part of this reconfiguration process, it was proposed to focus on an area-based regional structure for the delivery of Youthreach services in Clare comprising three regions – West Clare, Mid-Clare and East Clare. A key element of the enhanced delivery will be the provision of a wider range of skills to learners. To support this, a centre for Mid-Clare based in the FET Centre, Clonroad Campus, Ennis is being established that will be underpinned by a range of specialist resources and equipment. The authority’s management team of coordinators will underpin the reconfiguration and the enhancement of Youthreach provision across all our centres. As part of the review and the development of enhanced and well-resourced provision, an on-going consultation process has been undertaken with learners and parents in the area.
